Romans 15:17 – All God’s Doing
Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God.
Truth to Learn
We should take no credit for our abilities or for what we accomplish; we should give God all the credit.
Behind the Words
“Glory” is translated from the Greek word kauchēsis, which means, “boasting (properly the act; by implication the objective), in a good or a bad sense.”
The phrase “in the things which pertain to God” is a technical phrase in Jewish liturgical language that refers to the functions of worship performed by a priest.
Meaning Explained
Paul starts out this verse with, “Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus” or as some translations have it, “Therefore I have boasting in Christ Jesus.” The immediate reaction that many of us have to this is, “But I thought that boasting and bragging were wrong!” As we see from the Greek word kauchēsis above, the boasting can be in a good sense or a bad sense. So, let’s look at what the English word “boasting” means. According to The Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Random House, Inc. 2006:
“boasting – to speak with pride. It usually refers to a particular ability, possession, etc., that may be one of such kind as to justify a good deal of pride.”
Now, if we are boasting about ourselves, it usually is called bragging, which is an act of personal pride that takes the focus off of God and puts it on to self. This kind of boasting is wrong. Paul’s boasting is not about himself, however. In fact, he says that his boasting is “in Christ Jesus,” and his boasting is about “the things which pertain to God.” Paul is boasting about what God is accomplishing through his ministry of bringing the glorious gospel message to the Gentiles. Paul was not claiming credit for what he was accomplishing; he was giving the credit to God in the person of Jesus Christ!
This might be a good time to ask ourselves, “Am I proud of what I am, or of what I have accomplished?” If so, instead of boasting about what we have accomplished or of what we have become, we need to recognize that everything we are and everything we have are a direct result of the gifts of God, as we see regarding the skills possessed by Bezalel and Aholiab:
And Moses said to the children of Israel, “See, the LORD has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; … And He has put in his heart the ability to teach, in him and Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. He has filled them with skill to do all manner of work of the engraver and the designer and the tapestry maker, in blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine linen, and of the weaver—those who do every work and those who design artistic works. (Exodus 35:30, 34-35)
All Christians have spiritual gifts, skills, and abilities that are given to them by God. We can choose to be proud of what we have or we can choose to humbly use them for His glory.
Application
Taking personal credit for what God has done is selfish and sinful, but giving glory to (boasting in) God for what He has given us or for what He has accomplished through us is well pleasing to Him. Which do you choose to do?
In God’s service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.
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