Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith.
Romans 3:27 (ESV)
What becomes of our boasting? The assumption with this rhetorical question that Paul raises is that all of us will struggle with boasting in our life. Our pride and our arrogance will produce within us a boastful heart when we are living by a law of works instead of faith. A boastful heart is contrary to a heart living by the law of faith. A boastful heart seeks self-promotion and wants everyone to know the reasons why. A boastful heart is not content to be secondary to anyone, including Jesus. Yet, Paul tells us that there is no room at all for boasting in the life of faith. He goes even further by telling us that is excluded. Boasting goes against the life of faith bound together with Christ.
Where does this leave me? It leaves me in a state of conflict. Although I know this truth is essential to the life of faith and I fully acknowledge and agree with all that Paul is saying, I find it difficult to not see the marks of boasting in my life. I see it in my thoughts and often in my very deeds. I find myself wishing and hoping and praying for God to change my situation. I want something new and different. I want something more important. I tell myself that I want to better use the gifts that God has given me, but behind this kernel of truth is a darker realization that I think I deserve more from God. Deep down in my heart, I yearn to be known and remembered.
It is easy to be swayed by a culture that continually measures you by what you are doing, who you know, and what you have. People in our society care more about your profession of employment than you profession of faith. This is how we measure ourselves and see how we are doing in life. Do I have the right friends? Do I live in the right neighborhood? Do I go to the right kind of church? We even measure our service to Christ. We compare how dutiful and upfront our service is to everyone around us. Yes, we Christians have brought the culture of boasting into the service of Christ.
This is what concerns me. For I too have fallen into this trap and I consistently let me mind live in a state of boasting and pride. I seek out the more upfront areas of service. It’s not enough that I serve on a missions committee, I must lead the team. It’s not enough that I am asked to teach, I must teach multiple classes. I feel this tendency in my heart to not just excel at my role, but to prize it and make it a part of who I am. My identity becomes wrapped up in what I am doing instead of who I am serving.
This is what Paul is trying to get us, me, to focus on in this passage. Humility. A humble heart filled with faith. Jesus calls me to various opportunities to serve and lead in his righteous wisdom and I should be content with where he calls me. I should seek to be excellent at wherever it is he places me. I want to be an excellent humble teacher. I want to be an excellent humble committee leader. I want to be an excellent humble coffee preparer. I want to be content in whatever area the Lord places me and I can only do this when I am content in Jesus alone.
This is the key. A humble heart of faith is resting in the finished work of Jesus and understands that he has nothing to boast in other than Christ. Without Jesus, I am nothing. Without Jesus, I am lost and condemned. Without Jesus, I am a God hater. It is Jesus who changes me. It is Jesus who rescues me. It is Jesus alone who is worthy. So I will boast in him and nothing else. All these other things are nice and they have their place, but without Jesus they are meaningless.