And this highlights one particular point in our human nature – We are by nature pride-filled creatures, and we want the glory which we think is due to us. And very few people are willing to sacrifice potential fame and glory, for whatever reason.
On the other hand, our God considers our pride to be one of the most despicable of all sins. In Jehovah’s list of most hated sins, pride is ranked first, even before lying and before murder. In fact, the Lord even hates a look or attitude of pride. “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” The Bible contains hundreds of verses and references to the wickedness of pride. You could say that God condemns man’s natural desire to be in anyone’s “hall of fame.” “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” “The LORD will destroy the house of the proud…” “Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD…” “An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.” “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” Perhaps Psalms 10:4 explains the reason for God’s great hatred of this sin. “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.”
Don’t think for a moment that born-again people – the saints of God – cannot commit the sin of pride. I have been in dozens of preachers’ meetings, Bible conferences, and fellowship meetings, where there have been some successful and many not-so-successful preachers, who were filled with pride over their tiny religious accomplishments. And sometimes, they may have sincerely testified that they really were not guilty of pride, but at the same time they walked about as if they were. God hates this sin so much that He condemns even the eye, look and appearance of pride. There are people in this room this morning who need to step back and look at themselves, asking themselves whether or not they give the appearance of pride. We could say that some people are so filled with themselves that they strut about like peacocks. Others are equally proud, but have learned to hide it under a facade of fake humility. And some are relatively humble but leave the impression of pride despite of themselves. Each of these kinds of people are condemned in the Word of God, and two of three may be condemned eternally. But then there are those who are truly humble and who behave in a humble fashion. Unfortunately, this doesn’t necessarily mean that these people are children of God. You may think of yourself as the worst of all sinners, and this may keep you humble. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that you are living in repentance for those sins.
All of this lies behind the words of our text for this morning. Paul talks here about his past ministry and what he hopes to do in the future. But he prefaces his comments by saying, “I have therefore whereof I may GLORY through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God.”
“To glory” is the Greek word “kauchesis” (kow’-khay-sis), and it is used exactly twelve times in the Bible. But there are several closely related words which doubles or triples its use. It must not be confused with the noun “doxa” and it’s related verbs. For example, in speaking about Christ Peter wrote, “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.” Generally speaking, “doxa” is a good and positive word used most often in regard to the Lord. To Him “be honour and glory for ever and every. Amen.” Hebrews 1 – “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person…”
The word that Paul uses here is not “doxa” – “glory,” but rather “kauchesis” (kow’-khay-sis). This word, and all its cousins, refers to glorying in the sense of “boasting.” In fact, half the time that this word is used, it is translated “boasting.” Romans 3 – “Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.” II Corinthians – “For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.” “Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.” I Thessalonians – “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?
In my study I noticed that some commentators didn’t want to let Paul use this word in this way. They tried to force him to mean “praise” instead of “boasting,” because that way it would be easier to magnify the Lord. As I read through John Gill, I couldn’t really find him committing himself to the meaning of the word. But most were honest and had to admit that in current English verse 17 says, “In Christ Jesus I have reason to boast or to take pride in my work for God.” Despite the fact that ths makes it a little more difficult, there really isn’t any problem with this statement.
I wonder how many people there are in the world, who take pride in their religious rites and ceremonies? In some ways, more in some than others, there are probably tens of millions of people who do. For examples, millions look back on their so-called “baptism” as the grounds of their acceptance before God. They do in the same what that Jews and others perceive their circumcision. And of course they both do it with some degree of pride, even though most had nothing to do with it. Catholics have their rites and ceremonies; so do the Mormons and others. In fact, nearly every religion in the world have their special rituals and ceremonies. But they are nothing – in fact they are worse than nothing, when people place their hope or pride in them. Earlier, as an Hebrew of the Hebrews and a Pharisee of the Pharisees, Paul had practiced more rites and ceremonies than most people, and yet he learned that they were not worth a modicum of pride.
What are some of the things, inside and outside of religion, in which people take pride today? Some boast in their physical beauty – their good looks or in their strength. But why, when we all know that these things will fade? There is nothing more pathetic than a woman in late middle-age struggling to look like she did when she was twenty. Botox – Botulinum Toxin – known two centuries ago as “sausage poison” and “fatty poison.” Collagen injections – cosmetic surgery – it’s all in a losing battle, fueled by pride. Here is the sports hero who pridefully won his accolades a decade ago, but who had hardly walk today. And there is the politician or the movie star once basking in the limelight and strutting around like the king of the roost, now living in the shame of some rehab center.
Then we come back to those preachers patting each other on the back, while counting the numbers of people whom they believe that they’ve converted or baptized. I am sure that there are some Baptist preachers who think that there will be a “Ministerial Hall of Fame” in Heaven, and they want to join the esteemed list of inductees. But Paul had no desire to joined them – even if there might be such a place. “I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius.” Some would say that Paul should have been ashamed of such low numbers. Why would you say such a thing, Paul? He answers – “Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.” In this case, Paul was thankful, because no one could accuse him of pride in this aspect of his ministry. I am convinced that the world’s greatest “soul-winners” haven’t been nearly as successful as their pride claims that they have been. I have seen some of the people that these great “servants of God” have saved from their sins, but I can’t see any conversion. Unfortunately for the evangelists, their pride will not permit them to see their failures.
If there is a “Servant’s Hall of Fame” in Heaven, undoubtedly Paul will be one of the inductees. But I doubt that he would agree, and if there is an induction ceremony, I’m not sure that he would attend. Because he knew, as we all should know, that we “can do all things only through Christ.” If we have been able to teach some child the simplest gospel truth, it is because the Lord has first softened that wicked childish heart, and it is the Holy Spirit Who has implanted that truth, not the human teacher. As you know, “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God.” No human evangelist has yet to save a single sinful soul, because it is not something that humans can do. And who are the great servants of God in the Old Testament? Noah, Abraham, David, Moses, Jacob…. How many of them should be disqualified from induction into the Lord’s Hall of Fame because of sins which they committed before and after their great victories? Every last one of them.
Without Christ, there is no one who has anything in which to boast before God.
If I can be called a child of God, it is because of the Lord’s free grace. If my sins have been forgiven and removed from my record before God, it is because of the sacrifice of Christ on my behalf. If I have been free from sin for the last 24 hours or the last 24 minutes or seconds, it is because of the Lord. I am nothing without Him. If there has been one sermon that I have preached, which has been understood by another human being, it is because the Holy Spirit made that happen. If there has been one soul born into the Family of God through my ministry, it was probably in spite of my ministry. If I have helped to keep one person from their besetting sin today, it was due to the Lord and not to me. If I have the ability to bless a heart through music, writing, story-telling or anything else, all praise and glory should be given to the Lord, not to me.
I see my calling brethren, “how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”
I don’t believe that I can conclude this message with anything else but Galatians 6:14 – “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” The word “glory” in Galatians is a cousin to the one used here in Romans 15:17. If our boasting in regards to our salvation, our spiritual condition, or our ministry, is in anything other than the Saviour and His death on the cross, then we have a misplaced hope, and we will have nothing but eternal shame.
Where is your glory this morning? If it is in anything within yourself, then you are living in sin. Even if you are a child of God, that glorying is still sin. But if your pride forces you to look to anything but Christ Jesus for your salvation and access to God, then we’re not just talking about sin – we’re talking about eternal damnation. If you will not repent of this sin and look only and completely to the Saviour, then you will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire. Repent of your sin and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ!