I will quote the verse from the New King James Version: “But God forbid that I should BOAST except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” You will notice that the NKJV (and nearly every other version) uses the word “boast” instead of “glory.” The one who has been saved by the matchless grace of God LOVES TO BOAST IN THE CROSS OF CHRIST. The unsaved sinner “loves to BOAST in what they have done to earn salvation and a place in heaven.” But to be saved they must see that their so-called “good works” are worthless and nothing to boast in. Ephesians 2:8-9 declare, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, NOT OF WORKS, LEST ANYONE SHOULD BOAST.” The prophet Isaiah said, “But we are all like an unclean thing, and ALL OUR RIGHTEOUSNESSES ARE LIKE FILTHY RAGS” (Isaiah 64:6). God sees “all our good works as filthy rags” that should be thrown away. God sees “the work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross” as a perfect work that can save the sinner who believes in His finished work.  Let’s muse on three other verses that speak of “the cross of Christ.”

“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even THE DEATH OF THE CROSS” (Philippians 2:8).

“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finished of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him ENDURED THE CROSS, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

“For the MESSAGE OF THE CROSS is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1st Corinthians 1:18).

We could write a book on these three verses alone, for though they are written in simple words, there is a depth to them that we could never plumb. In the first verse we learn that the Son of God became a Man so He could go to the cross to take man’s place IN DEATH AND JUDGMENT. We (the sinner) deserve DEATH (physical and eternal), as we see in Romans 6:23, “The wages of sin is DEATH.” In the second verse we learn that He truly did “endure the cross.” He ENDURED the judgment of God that our sins deserved (Isaiah 53:5-6, 10; Lamentations 1:12-13; and 2nd Corinthians 5:21). After He exhausted God’s judgment He cried out in victory “It is finished” and then He ENDURED physical death when He voluntarily “bowed His head and gave up the ghost” (John 19:30). In the third verse we (believers in Christ and His work on the cross) rejoice in the “message of the cross,” for that is the “good news” that has saved us! The world looks upon this message as FOOLISHNESS (for who, they say, would believe that a man dying on a tree could be the means of saving their soul), but the saved sinner knows this message is “the power of God unto salvation to all who believe” (see Romans 1:16).

I trust you have seen that it is NOT actually the cross itself (the tree that Jesus died on) that we BOAST in, but in the DEATH and JUDGMENT that Jesus suffered for us on the cross so we could be saved and go to heaven. When we do get to heaven we will eternally “BOAST in the cross of Christ.” We will know that we are there based solely on the work that He did for us and we will forever praise Him for it. As we are gathered around His throne, we shall see Him as “a Lamb as though it had been slain” (Revelation 5:6). As we gaze on the marks in His hands, His feet, and His side (where He was “pierced on the CROSS;” see Psalm 22:16; John 19:31-34 and Luke 24:39-40), we shall forever be reminded of what it cost our blessed Savior to save us. This will move us to praise Him with these words, “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open the seals; for You were slain and have redeemed us to God by Your blood…Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing” (Revelation 5:9 & 12). I would like to close by quoting the words of a famous hymn that was no doubt inspired by our verse today.

“When we survey the wondrous cross on which the Lord of glory died,

Our richest gain we count but loss, and pour contempt on all our pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that we should BOAST, SAVE IN THE DEATH OF CHRIST, OUR GOD;

All the vain things that charm us most, we’d sacrifice them to His blood.

There from His head, His hands, His feet, Sorrow and love flowed mingled down;

Did e’er such love and sorrow meet, or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature ours, that were an offering far too small;

Love that transcends our highest powers, demands our soul, our life, our all.”  (DO)  (611.5)