“But God forbid that I should glory except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified to me and I to the world” (Galatians 6:14) And so declared the Apostle Paul as he fully realized that on the Cross of Jesus Christ, the world died to him and he died to the world. Paul got to a point in his life that he was no longer interested in the fleeting attractions and pleasures of this world. For him, the Cross had become the demarcation line between the christian and the world’s system.
Paul had a plethora of things in which he could easily glory and boast in. But after he trusted Jesus Christ as his Savior, Paul concluded, “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ” (Phil. 3:7,8).
Paul also wrote to the Philippians: “Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless” (Phil. 3:4-6).
Paul “had it made” as some would say according to this world’s humanistic and secularistic standards, including all the privileges and rights by being a Roman citizen. Yet, none of these things could even compare to knowing Jesus Christ. Today, as we have seen from time to time, so many seem to glory in their education, wealth, accomplishments, or achievements, just to name a few. How relevant is that ancient hymn, familiar to many of us, “Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, Save in the death of Christ my God! All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood” (Isaac Watts 1674-1748).
There is no doubt that Paul had to see in the Cross of his Lord and Savior a vindication of divine justice. How else could he have made such a solemn and deliberate choice. There is absolutely no other place where the justice of God could be more clearly seen than in the death of Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son. The Cross can be considered as a display of God’s love. The Scripture tells us that “God demonstrates His love for us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). This means that God deliberately demonstrates His own love for us not by words, but by a holy act and a devout deed.
The only remedy for man’s sinful state is the Cross. Therefore, like the apostle Paul, my “highest glory” and priority must be in the Cross of my Lord Jesus Christ “by which the world is crucified to me and I to the world.” There is no better testimony for me and all other born again christians. Would to God, that many christians around the world would come to Him truthfully and sincerely state, “God forbid that should glory except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The Apostle Peter wrote this about Jesus, “Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the cross, that we, having died to sin, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Peter 2:24). This means that the finished work of Jesus Christ on the Cross has the power to change lives, that is, a fresh beginning with a new nature and a new spirit. Hence, “anyone in Christ is a new creation. Old things are passed away, behold all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Without the Cross, there is neither salvation nor forgiveness. Trust Jesus Christ as your Savior and then you can Glory in His Cross in appreciation of what He did for you on that cross.