Glory in the Lord

That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. 1 Cor. 1:31

A few verses previously, the apostle had written, "That no flesh should glory in his presence" (29). Why? We are not to glory or boast as if our wisdom were the ultimately decisive reason why we chose to embrace Christ as Lord and Savior. Human wisdom does not lead us to God; it leads us away from God. By human wisdom, we perceive the gospel as foolishness (18-22). What causes us to see Christ as the wisdom of God and the power of God is not, therefore, to be found in us, but outside of us - in the effective call of God (23-25).

This is something to boast about - how the Lord has saved us, how he has become for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption (30). For the reality is that all evil and pain and disappointment in this world is either directly or indirectly the result of sin, and Christ is saving us from that completely. There is no aspect of sin that he has not conquered. It is true, of course, that the victory over sin will not be complete until we are resurrected from the dead, but that is sure since our Lord himself has defeated death for us. He is the resurrection and the life.

Let us therefore glory. Let our lives be characterized by hope and joy and peace. Let us rejoice evermore. For the things of which we glory cannot be taken from us. God is faithful, by whom we have been called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ (9).