Glory in the Cross

...God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ... (Gal 6:14)

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver

Let those who speak about the accomplishments of men become mute. Let the wisdom of men be foolishness. Let the works of men be blotted out. For the works of men are the cause of death while the work of Christ is the cause of mercy.  

The voice said, “Cry.” And he said, “What shall I cry?” “All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.” (Isaiah 40:6-8)

That word, the word of God, is very clear about good and acceptable things. Now let us be very clear: the works of men are neither good nor acceptable in the sight of God. Our best works, our most noble endeavors are the very things that we must be forgiven of because we have presumed them to be good and acceptable. Good works are expected of those who are created after the image of their good God. They are not exceptional and they should not be rare and they most certainly are not cause for glorying. Really, men should have been engaged in righteous works since the foundation of the earth and from their youth up. But, alas, the opposite has been true and sin has showed itself to be utterly sinful. Every created thing that was made in righteousness by the Righteous one has been corrupted by the hands of men.

For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, Who acts for the one who waits for Him. You meet him who rejoices and does righteousness, who remembers You in Your ways. You are indeed angry, for we have sinned in these ways we continue; and we need to be saved. But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. And there is no one who calls on Your name, who stirs himself up to take hold of You; for You have hidden Your face from us, and have consumed us because of our iniquities. But now, O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You our potter; and all we are the work of Your hand. Do not be furious, O Lord, nor remember iniquity forever; indeed, please look—we all are Your people! Your holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation. Our holy and beautiful temple, where our fathers praised You, is burned up with fire; and all our pleasant things are laid waste. Will You restrain Yourself because of these things, O Lord? Will You hold Your peace, and afflict us very severely? (Isaiah 64:4-12)

Indeed, NO! God would not allow the work of men to outshine His own work and that of His Son. God had determined to save men from the very vile condition that they got themselves in to. He had determined to work a work that would once and for all save men and destroy the enemy. His work is the primary work. His work is the good and acceptable work. His work is the only work to glory in. Everything else is secondary at best. 

If we are going to be experts in something, let us be experts in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Believing, understanding, and proclaiming the work of Jesus in His crucifixion is of first importance. All of our salvation depends upon it. The gospel is a declaration of it. All sound doctrine is centered in it. In the cross of Christ God’s justice is satisfied, His love is demonstrated, His wrath is expunged and His wisdom is displayed. Our salvation is contained in this one righteous act. The work of Jesus was and is both good and acceptable. “God forbid that we should glory, save in the cross our Lord Jesus Christ.” But glory we shall for His work is glorious.