All Such Boasting
Isn’t it true that every good deed starts from a choice? From a soldier giving his life fighting for freedom, to a decision to give money to the poor, every good work starts with a choice to act in a noble manner.
Evil works the same. It is a choice. But where does the “decision” start?
We become a Christian by faith in Jesus Christ. This seems to start with a choice to follow the one we once ridiculed. This decision is usually prefaced by some challenge or problem that opens our eyes to the difficulty in life and our great need for help from above. Someone, or God Himself presents us with information that we then decide on. This is where we apparently, “choose” to believe in Jesus Christ.
Men and Women of the world, of course, mock this choice as desperate, weak or stupid. Thus, their view of our decision is that it must be born out of our inability to cope. To some degree, this is true, but for those who, in reality, did make that choice, we become acutely aware of the reality of God. This is what brings the change that then happens when one truly becomes a follower of Jesus Christ. It is rather obvious, especially to our worldly friends, who then become confused as to what on earth caused us to believe something so absurd and change the way we live.
The change, the decision, the work that follows all start from something else entirely…faith. Sorry, but the decision isn’t faith. The choice and or decision it in itself is a work…an effort. “I choose” is an act in as much as “I give my life”. Yet, it is written that we are not saved by works! No work brings salvation according to the very words of God. No work…none.
The word of God speaks over and over about Faith being what saves men and women. In the book of James, works are a by product of faith. Works show that there is faith. That is obvious to anyone with half a brain. If I believe that I will die by eating donuts every day, then I won’t eat them if I don’t want to die. If I believe that jumping off a cliff will kill me, I won’t jump off a cliff…and so on and so on. So, faith comes first before work including the work of a simple decision to follow Jesus Christ.
The choice, is also a by product of faith. Scripture teaches that faith in God, comes from God. It IS a gift. We didn’t earn it, we didn’t deserve it.
“But I reasoned out the argument and chose to believe!”
Nope, that is not what the bible teaches. it does say that “NO ONE” can boast.
You see, works are a big problem in the church today. There is an ascension mentality when it comes to this problem. A self-righteousness that leads men and women to believe they deep down earned their “awareness” of God by doing something and all others are morons who just can’t see what they do…this is arrogance no different than the words of the enemy: “I will ascend!” This is most definitely, not faith.
Additionally, faith itself doesn’t save anyone. If I have faith in a stone idol, my faith is useless. If I have faith that I am Superman and can fly, my death will confirm to all who clean up my body, that no, my faith was flawed.
There is only one saving faith, faith in Jesus Christ as God. This is faith IN Jesus Christ. Not faith in MY faith in Jesus Christ, but actual faith IN Jesus, who and what He is. Faith that He is in control, faith that He is good, faith that He is managing our lives.
Jesus is God, of this I have no doubt. This is faith. Faith in the person who is God, a being outside of time and space. He is not waiting for me to “get it”. He is not waiting for me to do a work. He never was. HE did the work. HE gave me that very faith that saves. I did nothing. Yet, because of that faith, I changed. I chose differently…I still do.
Yes, this makes me weird to most, even those who scoff at what I write. Yes, I am weird to many. I don’t care. Sad, frustrating and hurtful it may be, but I believe this stuff…completely.
All of this is true. As Christians we have been taught it. As those who study, we see it evident in scripture. Yet still, I see so many “in Christ” who are pompous and better than thou.
Look, you studied. I get that. You prayed and prayed. Good! But each and every choice you make is not a work to get you kudos before the throne of God. None of it is. You were saved by grace, not by your great understanding or knowledge. So please, stop boasting…for as it is written, “all such boasting is evil”.
Evil? Yes, this is the ascension action, the raising of oneself over another for any reason.
“I will ascend and be like God.”
Yeah, this is the statement of faith from you know who. Our enemy, the deceiver, the one who gave this same lie to man to begin with. The lie that we still struggle with as Christians, I can become more. I will be better. Not the “I will lower myself so God can raise me up”. Not I will become less, so He can become more.
Yeah, this is not the flashy, wonderful, impressive way to live that we are seeing emulated in our churches. Christ is our model. He in Philippians chapter 2, is described as “not considering equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing taking on the very nature of a servant.”
So, you want to be recognized? You want to be important? Simply become less and serve others to raise them up in either action or conversation. This is the way God the Father did it, this is the way the son did it, and it has worked out well so far.
Look, I know that the world is deceived. Yes, they are acting stupidly and getting worse. But, let’s not forget how not very long ago we also believed and acted the very same way. If it were not for the grace and mercy of God, we would ALL be still there in the same sinking ship.
No room to boast.
God doesn’t care how much you have studied and neither does the world. If we are going to win the lost or teach our brothers and sisters, let us do so from a place lower, so it becomes easier to lift them up out of the struggles they have…just like Jesus did.