“… just as it is written, ‘Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.’”
(1 Corinthians 1:31)
The narrative in 1 Kings 16 recounts a tragic period in Israel’s history detailing the reign of a series of wicked kings who led the people deeper into idolatry. Among them, Ahab stood out as the most degenerate, earning the terrible distinction of having “done evil in the sight of the Lord more than all who were before him” (1 Kings 16:30). His life exemplifies the depths of human depravity when left to its own devices, a reality that the Apostle Paul describes in Romans 3:
“There is none righteous, not even one.
There is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God.
All have turned aside, together they have become useless.
There is none who does good, there is not even one.
Their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they keep deceiving.
The poison of asps is under their lips, whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.
Their feet are swift to shed blood, destruction and misery are in their paths,
And the path of peace they have not known.
There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Romans 3:10-18)
These verses do not only describe Ahab—they describe all of mankind apart from Christ. Every person, left to himself, is no better than the worst of sinners. The natural heart is wicked and rebellious; without divine grace, no one seeks after God. If salvation depended on human righteousness, all would be lost forever. But “by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30 NASB).
If our standing before God is entirely by grace—and it is—then the only proper response is humility and praise. As the early church preacher Chrysostom declared, “Humility is the foundation of Christian virtue. Humility … is a part of virtue.”[1]
Any spiritual progress a believer makes is therefore not of his own doing, but the work of God’s Spirit within him. His Spirit alone produces the fruit of righteousness. It is, in fact, “the fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22) and not the product of human effort that sanctifies the Christian. There is no place for pride when every virtue, every good work, and every act of faithfulness is the result of His power at work.
Praise be to God, who in His abounding grace and infinite mercy made Christ—who knew no sin—to be sin for His people, that they might be made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). Knowing that salvation is entirely by the grace of God (1 Corinthians 15:10), the only right response is to boast in the Lord alone (1 Corinthians 1:31).
Contemplations
- The Humility of the Redeemed. Apart from God’s grace, I am no different from the wicked rulers of Israel. “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10). My heart, left to itself, is corrupt, and I would never seek after God on my own. Do I truly understand the depths of my unworthiness? Does this reality humble me before the Lord, reminding me that all my righteousness is in Christ alone?
- The Futility of Self-Reliance. Salvation is entirely the work of God, not something I have achieved. “By His doing you are in Christ Jesus” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Any spiritual growth or good I have is not of myself, but of Him. I live in dependence upon His Spirit, recognizing that apart from Him I can do nothing.
- The Danger of Pride. If all I have is from God, then there is no room for boasting in myself. “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:31). Yet, how often do I long for recognition, crave admiration, or take silent pride in my own accomplishments?
- A Life That Glorifies God. The purpose of my salvation is to display the glory of God’s grace. “To the praise of the glory of His grace” (Ephesians 1:6). But does my life reflect this purpose? Do I boast in the Lord daily, declaring His greatness, or do I reserve my praise for certain moments? May my heart be so full of gratitude that I cannot help but speak of His goodness.
Prayer
O Lord, You alone are worthy of all praise, for You have redeemed me by Your grace. I bring nothing to You but my sin, yet in Christ, You have given me righteousness that is not my own. You took a heart that was dead and made it alive. Who am I to boast in anything but You? Let me never glory in my own strength, wisdom, or goodness. For apart from You, I have nothing and am nothing.
Forgive me, Father, for the pride that so easily creeps into my heart. How often have I sought the approval of men rather than exalting You? How often have I thought of myself more highly than I ought, forgetting that every good thing in me is a gift from You? Search me, O God, and remove all self-exaltation from my soul. Keep me from the arrogance that blinds and the presumption that leads to ruin.
I thank You, Lord, for the immeasurable grace You have shown me. I was lost, and You found me; blind, and You opened my eyes; dead, and You made me alive in Christ. You have clothed me in His righteousness and called me Your own. How could I not praise You? Let my lips be full of thanksgiving, and my life a continual offering of worship.
Lord, teach me to live in a way that magnifies Your name. Let my boasting be in You alone, so that all who see me would see only the glory of my Redeemer. Let me decrease that Christ may increase. May I live humbly before You, exalting Your name in all that I do. Be glorified in my life, Lord Jesus, for You alone are worthy. Amen.
Further References for 1 Corinthians 1:31
Jeremiah 9:23-24; 2 Corinthians 10:17; Psalm 34:2, 44:8; Isaiah 45:25; Galatians 6:14
[1] John Chrysostom, “Homily LXIV,” in The Homilies of S. John Chrysostom, (Oxford; London: John Henry Parker; F. and J. Rivington, 1851), 870.
