Boast in the Lord Alone (Part 2)

We were nobodies. Now we are somebodies, children of God, citizens of the kingdom of heaven. For that, we can and should boast in the Lord alone. There are four reasons why we should boast in Him alone. Last week explored the first two:  (1) because God is the all-powerful Creator and Sovereign Lord of all; and (2) because God chose and called us. Today we look at the next two: (3) because God’s power and wisdom, Jesus Christ, saved us; and (4) God’s power and wisdom, God the Holy Spirit gives us faith.

3. God’s Power & Wisdom, Jesus Christ Saved Us

We boast in the Lord alone because God’s power and wisdom, Jesus Christ, saved us. 

1 Cor. 1:26-31 — For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

God turns the pretensions, the wisdom and power of this rebellious world upside down. Where proud men and women parade their mighty intellects and expertise, God chooses the simple. Where wealthy people compare, compete, and boast in their riches, God chooses the poor. Where self-centered leaders lust for and abuse power, God chooses the nobodies. “The things that are” — the things that appear to have substance, the things that are highly valued in this fallen world, these things are nullified, brought to nothing. God is not impressed by the philosophies and ideologies, the political power, military might, and the extravagant wealth of this world. They have no eternal significance because God does not attach or base his salvation of the world on any of these things. We cannot take these with us when we die, and in the end, they will come to nothing. 

Many times in history God has shamed the somebodies of this world through the nobodies He has chosen and called. But the question remains, what about the many wise, powerful, and rich of this world who are not shamed, who seem to be blessed and get away with their human wisdom, power, and wealth? Who seemed to have lived the good life until they died? How does this apply to them?

The focus of this passage is not on the present. Paul speaks of the shame that will come on that final day of judgment when all must appear before the throne of God. On that day all our accomplishments in this world, our fame, wealth, birth, social status, ethnicity, or nationality, will come to nothing. They will not save us. On that day God will shame all people who have relied on human power, wisdom, wealth, and achievements. He will render ineffective the things of this world. And this shame will never end. They will enter eternal spiritual death, forever removed from God’s living presence. They will not experience eternal life in the new creation. 

Why not? Because they pursued life and salvation not by faith but by works through human power and wisdom. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, Christ crucified. They stumbled over the cross. “As it is written: ‘See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall…” but, “‘Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”  For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”’ (Ro 9:32-33; 10:11-13) But those who don’t believe will be put to Shane forever. 

Whether in this life or at the end of time, God will shame the wise and strong, and bring to nothing the things esteemed highly by the world and people. Why? So that no human being might boast before God (v29). God acted to save fallen, sinful men and women because He loves us and is gracious, and for no other reason. He does not owe anyone in the world forgiveness and eternal life. Yet, He saved us so that no one may boast before Him. “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols” (Isa. 42:8). All praise and honor and glory belong to God. Human boasting is excluded and precluded, impossible (Ro 3:27).

It is from Him, because of Him, that we are in Christ Jesus (v30). Christ crucified and resurrected is the power from God that puts to shame and brings to nothing the things of this world. He is the wisdom of God. He is God’s plan of salvation. He is the mystery of God.

Jesus Christ, the power and wisdom from God, made us righteous, sanctified us, and redeemed us. These three words explain how Christ is the wisdom from God for us. They explain the meaning of the salvation that comes from God alone and was accomplished by Him alone. No human power, no human wisdom could achieve this.

Christ, the wisdom from God is our righteousness. In Him, we have been made right with God, declared innocent, reconciled with God. The way of the cross washed our sins away. Our sins are forgiven. Phil 3:8-9 — What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.

Christ, the wisdom from God is our holiness. By the way of the cross, He sanctified us, made us holy so that we can now enter into God’s holy presence with confidence and freedom. He made us a new people, God’s holy people. As His holy people, we are now called and set aside for his kingdom purposes. We are called out of the world and sent back into the world to proclaim Jesus Christ, the power and wisdom of God. 

Christ, the wisdom from God is our redemption. We were caught in the bonds of sin, enslaved, oppressed, and depressed by the human powers and wisdoms of this world. By the way of the cross, He broke the chains of this slavery, set us free to now live the kingdom life as God’s holy people. Col 1:13–14— For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

In Christ alone, we have been saved and given new, eternal life. In Christ alone can we now live this new kingdom life as God’s holy people in this world. Therefore, we boast in the Lord alone. 

4. God’s Power & Wisdom, God the Holy Spirit Gives Us Faith

We boast in the Lord alone because God’s power and wisdom, God the Holy Spirit gives us faith.

1 Cor. 2:1-5 — And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.

Paul proclaimed the testimony or the mystery of God. This mystery, God’s plan of salvation, has been revealed, put into effect, and fulfilled in Jesus Christ, crucified and resurrected. This salvation is now available to everyone who believes in Jesus Christ. 

Paul did not want to persuade the Corinthians with eloquent speech, rhetorics, or human wisdom. He did not strive to know human systems of knowledge, philosophy, rhetorics, and use these to impress them. He did not want to convince them with the power of personality, the power of position or status, or any form of human power. He avoided anything that would manipulate people, force them into making decisions that are based on emotions. And we all know that our feelings are fleeting, changing all the time. Imagine if our faith was based on our feelings. It will be here today, gone tomorrow. He avoided any form of communication that would win praise for the speaker but distracts from the message. No one should be able to claim and boast that their faith comes from and is based on brilliant speech, persuasive words, human systems of knowledge and wisdom, on science or philosophical arguments. 

Can you imagine what would happen if our faith was based on beautiful words and eloquent speakers? Every time an excellent speaker comes around and seduces us with wise and persuasive words, we change our faith? Or if our faith is based on systems of human philosophy or science? Every time a new convincing philosophy or new scientific discovery comes around we change our faith? No, our faith should be based upon and rest in the power of God. 

Therefore, Paul proclaims the mystery of God. He announces what God has done. He simply tells the story of the cross, no frills attached, no bells and whistles. God has taken action. This good news is announced, proclaimed. God is not debating or negotiating. He is announcing and confronting the world with the message of the cross. Preaching the gospel is simply the re-presentation of God’s good news, the message of the cross. So, we must make sure that our proclamation does not cause people to say, “What an excellent preacher!” but leads them to say, “What a wonderful Savior!” “What an excellent God!”

It is the power of God’s Word, the power of the message of the cross, that changes the hearts and minds of stubborn, sinful people. It is through the proclamation of the gospel that people come to know Jesus Christ, crucified and resurrected, the Savior and Lord of the World. 

And so, even our faith comes from, is based on, and rests in the power of God. It is the power of God the Holy Spirit that works in us, changes our hearts into believing hearts, into faith. It is the wisdom of God the Holy Spirit that works in us, and changes our minds and thinking into faith so that we believe. Now, we see with the eyes of faith, our hearts believe, and we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We receive the new life in Him and we enter the kingdom of God. And as His kingdom people, we now follow His way, the way of the cross. This is all God’s work, and so we boast in the Lord alone and give Him all the glory for our faith and salvation. 

And now the Holy Spirit works through us to bring others to faith. The power of the Spirit uses our changed lives, our witness, our testimonies, our teaching, our proclamation of the gospel to change the hearts and minds of others into believing hearts and minds, to give them faith. The Holy Spirit turned us into disciples, and now through us, He makes disciples of others.

We were nobodies. Now we are somebodies. Christ, the power and wisdom of God, Christ crucified and resurrected, saved us, and gave us new life. Holy Spirit, the power and wisdom of God, gave us faith so that we can believe in Jesus. By the power of the Spirit, we were born again and we are now children of God. 

But we cannot live this kingdom life by our own power and with our own wisdom. On our own we cannot be holy, obey, and persevere in faith. Daily we need to follow the way of the cross. We must deny self and take up our crosses and follow Jesus. He lives in us by the power of the Spirit, and so the Lord empowers us daily to live the kingdom life. It is all his work, his power, his wisdom that enables us to persevere in faith, love, and hope, to obey, and live holy as his holy people. And so, when we are able to obey our Lord, when we are successful in living the kingdom life, we must remember that it is all His work in us. Therefore, we should boast in the Lord alone. It is only as we keep our eyes of faith on Jesus Christ, the Pioneer and Perfecter of our faith, abide in Him, and keep in step with the Holy Spirit that we can live the new, kingdom life. So, for our salvation, for being kingdom citizens, for being able to live this new life, for all these we boast in the Lord alone and we give God all the glory.