Day 71: Dead Men Don’t Boast

Galatians 6:14 :

But far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

When you see the world like Paul did, there isn’t any room for boasting. Seeing the world this way is important for Christians because it shows that we really understand the basics of the Gospel. For some reason, even though this concept is basic to Christianity, it has been left behind in many discussions about salvation.

To properly believe in Jesus, you need to also believe that you died with Him. All that the world is, is no longer your concern because you no longer belong to this world. Obviously, if you are dead, you can’t really boast about anything. If the only reason you live is because of the life of another, then you can boast but it won’t be about yourself!

We also read here that the world was crucified to us. Paul says in Romans that Jesus was “the Last Adam.” Basically, the whole world died to God when Jesus died. This one verse is very deep and extremely important in helping us live a good Christian life.

When Paul talks about “the world” here, he is talking about “the system” or this world’s way of being. He isn’t saying that we need to leave the world, but He is saying that the world has no power over us anymore and that there is nothing we owe to the world’s system anymore either.

The message of the Gospel is a freedom message. We are free from our sin, we are free from the law, and we are free from the world’s system. It’s no wonder that those who wish to control and oppress don’t want to see it continue without being changed to suit them somehow.