Boasting in Grace: A Christ-Centered Perspective

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We should not measure ourselves and our standing with God or our sense of Worth or our identity in Christ by comparing ourselves with others like catching someone in a transgression and feeling good about ourselves only because we happen to be better than this fellow who has fallen into a sin. [00:00:47]

Paul clearly is not criticizing boasting here. He's using it in a positive way then his reason to boast will be in in himself alone. We've done our own self-examination and we have not measured Ours by this brother who stumbled. We've measured ourselves by God's standard. We have recognized our faith. [00:01:19]

Faith Paul says excludes boasting because faith is looking at yourself and despairing of your own resources and turning to Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:28 God CHS 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. [00:06:32]

Our faith and grace are a gift and therefore we don't boast at least we don't boast in a way that contradicts the gift nature of what we have for we for this important for we are his workmanship we don't boast because we're his workmanship so even on this side of Salvation we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus. [00:09:40]

When we do these good works we recognize that we are his workmanship and if there's any boast in these good works which Paul seems to indicate there is it will be the kind of boast that acknowledges it's owing to his workmanship okay so that's the the negative list now here comes the positive. [00:09:54]

I have made no use of any of these rights namely I can be paid for my preaching I have a right to be nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision for I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my ground for boasting Paul's ground for boasting was that he preached without asking for money. [00:10:18]

For our boast is this the testimony of our conscience that we behaved in the world with Simplicity and godly sincerity not by Earthly wisdom but by the grace of God that's crucial and supremely so toward you this boast here is the kind of boast that does not preempt dependence on Grace. [00:11:08]

I recognize what is good as good I don't see good and say oh it's not really good whether in me or in another if I have done a good thing it was a sin to come the bad okay so I recognize good as good and I do believe Christians do good things we don't just do bad things. [00:13:37]

I acknowledge the good in me as a real though imperfect virtue or righteousness which has been done by me in the power of the holy spirit in Reliance upon that is by faith in Christ but by me that's why Paul is willing to use the word boast he really did it I really did it. [00:14:19]

I have a thankful good feeling I think that right there is is a is the feeling of boasting it's a feeling I have a thankful good feeling that I have done this righteous thing it is not wrong to feel good that you have just done good if at some cost to yourself you serve another person. [00:15:12]

I may or may not speak of it so you can have a a boast in your heart that doesn't speak of it if I do speak of it I will speak of it humbly as my goodness worked in Me by the grace of God I will not seek to be praised by others Jesus says if you seek to be praised you lose your reward. [00:15:58]

Let each one test his own work so when you review your day and you test yourself like 2 Corinthians 13:5 says test yourself to see if you are in the faith do you not know that you are in Christ Jesus unless you fail to meet the test test yourself and then the reason to boast. [00:16:59]

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