“Let Him who Boasts, Boast in the Lord!” (1 Corinthians 1:31)
Jeremiah the prophet wrote; “Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 9:23-24)
In the Book of Proverbs we read; “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.” (Proverbs 27:1) The apostle James wrote; “So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!” (James 3:5)
James also wrote; “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that. As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.” (James 4:13-16)
Today we live in a world where people are living increasingly in the fast lane and boasting of their achievements and abilities. The Lord Jesus said that as it was with the unsaved in the days of Noah before the flood so it will be in the last days leading up to His Second Coming. He said people would be eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage and that they were continuing to live this way right up until the door of the ark of salvation was closed and the rain began to fall. The flood came and swept them all away. (Matthew 24:37-39)
According to God’s Word there are two types of boasting. One is bad and the other is good. Now through the prophet Jeremiah God spoke about three categories of boasting that people do which God does not approve of. Let’s look at the text of Jeremiah 9:23-24.
Firstly, we read where God says; “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom.”
Now there are two types of wisdom. There is the wisdom that comes from below where Satan and his kingdom dwell in the atmosphere just above the surface of the earth as Satan is called “the prince of the power of the air” and the wisdom that comes from above where God dwells in his heavenly courtroom with his council and the hosts of heaven. (Psalm 82:1)
The first type of wisdom the apostle James tells us about is that which is from below and manifests itself in harbouring bitter envy, selfishness ambition and that those with this devilish wisdom boast about themselves and their abilities. He also says this kind of wisdom is earthly, unspiritual and of the devil. It is his domain and sphere of existence and where you have envy and selfish ambition there you will also find disorder and every evil work. This is the pattern of the unsaved and sadly with many within wider Christendom who are kin to the Pharisees, who prided themselves on their religious ceremonies and traditions as they honoured God with their lips, but their hearts were far from Him, worshipping Him in vain and teaching as doctrine the precepts of men. (Matthew 15:8-9)
The second type of wisdom James tells us is that wisdom which comes from God which we are told is first of all pure; then peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit and impartial and sincere, and that those who seek and gain this wisdom sow in peace and raise up a harvest of righteousness. (James 3: 13-18) This kind of wisdom is the mark of those who have been spiritually reborn from above who are living in the kingdom of God. We must always be aware of the tendency to boast in our achievements and abilities and even our ministries for the Lord. James was writing to believers not to the unsaved.
Secondly, we read where God says; “let not the mighty man boast of his might.”
When you look at the corporate world we see this manifestation as ‘the young lions’ as it were, go about seeking to fulfil their ambitions and cravings for success and recognition but are never truly satisfied but want more. As king David wrote; “Fear the LORD, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing. Young lions go lacking and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.” (Psalm 34:9-10) This relentless pursuit of selfish gratification will never fully and forever satisfy those who are addicted to it. However, those who seek the Lord lack no good thing that God has provided for them.
In today’s world it is so easy to pursue ones career to the detriment of giving God the credit. This is not only epidemic in the world but also within wider Christendom today. We may be successful in what we do but must not forget that boasting in our own might or prowess or abilities does not go down well with the Lord. This pursuit of ‘might’ and prominence in the eyes of man is of the world and not of the kingdom of God. Any abilities we have, any spiritual gifts we have are all because of the unmerited favour of God and given by the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:11)
Thirdly, we read where God says; “let not a rich man boast of his riches.”
When the apostle Paul wrote to young Timothy about the seductive and destructive nature of a hunger for money he said; “But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (1Timothy 6:6-10)
When you look at how many churches today are into wealth and prosperity and are teaching that financial gain is a proof of godliness it is not true. While God does prosper His people He does not do it in the way that the hyper faith prosperity preachers say He does it. Those within wider Christendom who chase after money and wealth, and those who preach it as a mask for covetousness fall into temptation and a trap and into many harmful and foolish desires that plunge all men who pursue these things into ruin and destruction.
The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil and those within Christendom who pursue money and preach godliness for financial gain wander from the faith and both themselves and those who follow them pierce themselves through with much grief. There is a lot to be said for a godly attitude with contentment whether rich or not so rich. (1Timothy 6:6-10)
Let’s not get too hyped up about being rich or wealthy. Many a fine preacher of leader and congregation has been waylaid by Satan through the acquisition of money through ministry. As we read in proverbs; “Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure with turmoil.” (Proverbs 15:16) Having said all of this there is a boasting that God approves of. Let’s look at our text again; “…but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.”
To know God and to have a personal relationship with Him daily is the highest and most satisfying life and the greatest privilege that one can experience in this world. It is to have the abundant life that the Lord Jesus promised. (John 10:10) To have a personal relationship with God can only become a reality through having a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Himself. (John 17:3)
Now God’s definition of abundance is different from the world’s definition of it and from the hyper faith prosperity proponents’ definition of it. We know that God gives us freely all things we need along with the Lord Jesus. (Romans 8:32) God will always give us what we need when we need it and not for the most part what we want. To prosper in God’s view is to have successfully completed the will of God for our life. It may include wealth but it may not.
The apostle Paul had it right when he wrote; “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” (Philippians 4:12) Hudson Taylor the well-known missionary to China said; “God’s work done in god’s way never lacks God’s supply.” To understand and to know God is to seek and to find the ultimate treasure that will abundantly satisfy the soul and last for time and eternity. (Proverbs 2:1-8)
God Himself is the one “who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth.” Loving kindness, justice and righteousness are the trademarks of His kingdom in the heavens and of His kingdom on earth dwelling in all those who are His blood washed, blood sanctified, blood redeemed people. Loving kindness, justice and righteousness delight his heart and more so when He sees these spiritual qualities at work deep down on the inside of His saints and being lived out daily in the arena of an unloving, unjust and unrighteous world.
There is only one thing we can boast about and has is nothing to do with us because in our flesh dwells no good thing at all. (Romans 7:18) Apart from the indwelling blessed Holy Spirit, who reproduces in us the very righteous nature of our Lord Jesus, we are by nature and by birth spiritually “basket cases!” (Ephesians 2:3) (Psalm 51:5) As it is written; “Unless the Lord builds the house they labour in vain who seek to build it.” (Psalm 127:1)
The apostle Paul was in the habit of boasting but His boast was in the Lord and not in himself or his abilities. For him there was only one thing to boast about and that was the cross of our Lord Jesus and what God had done deep within his soul through the finished and atoning work accomplished through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus, our Passover lamb who was sacrificed.
As Paul himself writes; “But as for me, may I never boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus the Anointed Messiah, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything. What counts is a new creation.” (Galatians 6:14-15)
And again he writes concerning our Lord Jesus the Anointed Messiah; “Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.” (1 Corinthians 5:7) Leven in the Bible represents sin, hypocrisy and man made doctrine and these must be purged from among us who believe, especially when we come to participating in the Lord’s supper with other believers. It is only the blood of the Messiah can purge the leaven from our souls (I John 1:7-9) He does this through the Eternal Spirit of God who applies the Messiah’s blood to the doorposts of our hearts to purge and to cleanse the conscience from dead works to serve the Living God. (Hebrews 9:14)
With these things in view, as bond slaves of our Lord Jesus, let us, through the spiritual power of the cross, and by faith and a willing obedience to our Lord Jesus, look only to His Word in all matters pertaining to life and godliness. As it is written; “Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God… for holiness adorns your house O God… For without holiness no one shall see the Lord!” (2 Corinthians 7:1) (Psalm 93:5) (Hebrews 12:14) Therefore it is also written, “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord!”
