AM 26 April 2026
19 Boasting Only in the Cross
Galatians 6:11–18
Text: Galatians 6:11–18
Setting: Morning Worship Service
Theme: True Christian glory is found not in outward religion, but in the cross of Christ, which brings new creation.
Paul closes his letter to the Galatians as he began it: with urgent concern for the truth of the gospel. These final verses are not mere formalities. They are the apostle’s concluding testimony, written with large letters from his own hand, as though to underscore the weight of all he has been saying.
Throughout this letter, Paul has contended that sinners are justified not by works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ alone. He has exposed the danger of false teachers who would add circumcision and outward observance to the finished work of Christ. Now, at the close, he gathers the whole matter into one great contrast: the false religion that boasts in the flesh, and the true faith that boasts only in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
That contrast is not confined to the first century. The flesh still loves a religion that can be seen, measured, praised, and displayed. Fallen man still wants something in himself to glory in, something to present before God and man as a ground of confidence. But the gospel cuts across all such boasting. The cross strips us of pride and declares that our only hope, our only righteousness, and our only glory are found in the crucified Son of God.
So let us come to this text asking the Lord to search us. What is our boast? In what do we glory? What are we trusting in? Paul would teach us this morning: true Christian glory is found not in outward religion, but in the cross of Christ, which brings new creation.
I. The False Boast: Religion That Glories in the Flesh
Galatians 6:12–13
Paul begins by uncovering the heart of false religion:
“It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.”
Beloved, Paul is not dealing with a small misunderstanding. He is exposing a deadly counterfeit of the gospel. These false teachers were not openly irreligious men. They came with biblical language. They spoke of the law. They appealed to circumcision, the ancient sign given to Abraham. They seemed serious, disciplined, and devout.
But Paul looks beneath the outward appearance and lays bare the hidden motive: they wanted to “make a good showing in the flesh.”
They wanted a religion that could be seen, counted, displayed, and admired. They wanted visible proof of success. They wanted converts who bore their mark. They wanted to say, “See what we have accomplished. See how many we have brought under our influence.”
Here is one of the great dangers of religion without grace: it can appear serious while remaining proud. It can look holy on the outside while still being ruled by self-glory within.
The flesh loves a religion it can manage. The flesh loves a religion that gives it something to boast in. It loves to say, “Look what I have done. Look what I have achieved. Look how disciplined I am. Look how many follow me.”
But the gospel speaks another word: “Look away from yourself. Look to Christ. Look to the cross. Look to the One who has done for sinners what sinners could never do for themselves.”
That is the difference between fleshly religion and saving faith. Fleshly religion uses even holy things as platforms for self-glory. Saving faith receives everything as mercy and gives all glory to Christ.
Paul says these teachers desired to have the Galatians circumcised “that they may boast in your flesh.” They were not chiefly concerned for the souls of the Galatians. They were not jealous for the honor of Christ. They wanted trophies. They wanted men and women whom they could point to as evidence of their own success.
How sobering this is. It is possible to use religion, ministry, doctrine, and even people themselves as instruments of self-praise. A minister may boast in numbers. A church may boast in reputation. A believer may boast in knowledge, discipline, morality, tradition, service, or outward seriousness. These things may have their proper place when sanctified by grace, but none of them can ever be our confidence before God.
Then Paul presses deeper. He says they acted this way “only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.”
Here is the hidden fear beneath their outward zeal. They did not want to suffer for the offense of the cross.
The cross was offensive then, and it is offensive still. It tells man that he is too sinful to save himself. It tells the moral man that his morality cannot justify him. It tells the religious man that his religion cannot cleanse him. It tells every sinner that salvation is found only in a crucified Redeemer.
That humbles man, and man does not like to be humbled.
So the false teachers tried to soften the offense. They wanted Christ, but not Christ alone. They wanted the cross, but not the reproach of the cross. They wanted enough Christianity to appear spiritual, but enough fleshly religion to remain acceptable.
Beloved, that temptation remains with us. We may be tempted to hide the sharp edge of the gospel. We may speak of Jesus as teacher, example, comforter, and friend, yet shrink from declaring Him as the crucified Savior before whom all men must repent and believe. But there is no faithful Christianity without the cross.
Christ did not avoid shame. He bore it. He was despised and rejected by men. He was numbered with transgressors. He endured the curse, the nails, the mockery, the darkness, and the wrath of God due to His people. And He did it willingly, lovingly, triumphantly.
Shall we then be ashamed of Him?
Paul then adds another charge: “For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law.”
Here is the hypocrisy of legalism. It demands from others what it cannot fulfill itself. It speaks loudly of obedience, but it cannot produce the righteousness God requires. It can mark the body, but it cannot renew the heart.
The law is holy, righteous, and good. But sinners cannot use the law as a ladder into heaven. The law exposes sin. It shuts every mouth. It tells us what righteousness is, but it cannot give us righteousness.
That is why Christ had to come. He came under the law. He obeyed where we disobeyed. He fulfilled all righteousness. He bore the curse for lawbreakers. And by faith in Him, sinners receive what they could never produce: a righteousness not their own.
So let this word search us.
Do you desire to appear holy more than to be holy? Do you grieve more over being exposed than over offending God? Do you serve in order to be seen? Do you fear man so much that you soften the gospel, avoid obedience, or hide your allegiance to Christ?
These questions go to the root of the heart.
But here is the mercy of this text: Paul exposes the false boast so that we may be delivered from it. The Lord wounds pride in order to heal the soul. He strips away false confidence so that we may rest upon Christ alone.
False religion says, “Look at me.”
True faith says, “Behold the Lamb of God.”
False religion says, “See what I have done.”
True faith says, “It is finished.”
False religion boasts in the flesh.
The Christian boasts only in the cross.
II. The True Boast: Glorying Only in the Cross
Galatians 6:14
Paul now turns from the false religion of the flesh to the true faith of the gospel:
“But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
Beloved, feel the force of that opening phrase: “far be it from me.” This is not mild preference. It is the language of holy abhorrence. “God forbid,” Paul says, “that I should boast in anything else.”
In a world full of boasting, Paul has found the one and only ground of true glory.
1. The Exclusivity of the Christian’s Boast
Paul says, “far be it from me to boast except…”
That word “except” shuts every other door. It allows no rival glory, no shared throne, no divided confidence. Paul will not permit even the smallest boast to stand beside the cross of Christ.
This cuts against every instinct of the natural heart. We want to add something. We want to preserve some ground of confidence in ourselves. We are willing to say, “Christ is necessary,” but the flesh still whispers, “Christ is not all. My obedience matters too. My sincerity matters too. My usefulness, my knowledge, my discipline, my reputation must count for something.”
But Paul will not allow it.
Not Christ and works.
Not Christ and morality.
Not Christ and reputation.
Not Christ and religious performance.
Not Christ and ministry fruit.
Not Christ and doctrinal knowledge.
Christ alone.
This does not mean Paul despises obedience. God forbid. The same apostle who glories only in the cross also commands believers to walk by the Spirit, bear one another’s burdens, sow to the Spirit, and do good to all. He does not set the cross against holiness. He sets the cross against boasting.
Good works have their place. Obedience has its place. Doctrine has its place. Service has its place. But none of these can become the ground of our confidence before God. They are fruits of grace, not foundations of acceptance.
Beloved, test your heart here. What do you rest upon when your conscience accuses you? What do you cling to when you think of standing before God?
Your sincerity cannot save you.
Your service cannot justify you.
Your doctrine, though precious and necessary, cannot atone for sin.
Your improvement cannot satisfy divine justice.
Your suffering cannot reconcile you to God.
Only Christ crucified can do that.
2. The Object of the Christian’s Boast
Paul does not merely say, “I boast in Christ,” though that would be true. He says, “I boast in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Why the cross?
Because the cross is the place where the saving work of Christ reaches its great accomplishment. It is the center of redemption, the altar of atonement, the place where God is both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Consider Paul’s words.
“The cross.” Not an idea. Not merely a symbol. The cross was real wood, real nails, real blood, real agony, real curse. It was the public death of the Son of God in the place of sinners.
“Of our Lord.” The One crucified is no helpless victim. He is Lord. He lays down His life of His own accord. His death is not accident, but appointment. Not defeat, but victory.
“Jesus.” This is the incarnate Son, true man, born of woman, born under the law. He takes our nature, enters our misery, stands in our place, and dies as the representative of His people.
“Christ.” This is the anointed Messiah, the promised Seed, the Lamb of God, the Priest who offers Himself, the King who conquers by dying.
Here is the glory of the cross: the eternal Son of God, having taken to Himself our nature, stands in the place of sinners, bears the curse of the law, satisfies divine justice, and reconciles us to God.
At the cross, sin is forgiven.
At the cross, wrath is satisfied.
At the cross, righteousness is secured.
At the cross, Satan is defeated.
At the cross, death is conquered.
At the cross, the sinner is justified.
What can compare with this?
Your best works cannot remove one sin. Your greatest efforts cannot silence one accusation of the law. Your deepest sincerity cannot cleanse your conscience. But the cross has done what none of these could ever do.
There the Savior cried, “It is finished.” And faith must not answer, “It is nearly finished.” Faith must not say, “It is finished, if I add enough.” Faith hears the word of the crucified Redeemer and rests.
Beloved, the cross is not merely the doorway into the Christian life. It is the center of the Christian life. We do not begin with the cross and then move on to deeper things. We go deeper into the cross.
We never outgrow the cross. We grow into it.
3. The Effect of the Cross
Paul then adds:
“by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
The cross not only justifies the believer. It separates him from the dominion of the world. It changes his relationship to everything that once ruled him.
By “the world,” Paul means that whole system of life organized in rebellion against God: its values, desires, ambitions, definitions of success, praise, threats, promises, and idols.
Before conversion, the world defines us. It tells us who we are. It shapes our desires. It teaches us what to love, what to fear, what to pursue, and what to avoid.
But when a sinner is united to Christ in His death, something radical happens.
The world is crucified to him. Its charms lose their old power. Its approval loses its old sweetness. Its threats lose their old terror. Its treasures lose their old glory.
And he is crucified to the world. He no longer belongs to it. He is no longer governed by it. He no longer seeks his identity from it. He lives in the midst of the old world, but he is no longer of it.
This does not mean perfection. The believer still feels the pull of the world. But something fundamental has changed. The old mastery is broken. The old allegiance is severed.
Beloved, has the cross changed what impresses us? Has it changed what we envy? Has it changed what we fear? Has it changed what we call success?
The cross redefines everything: our identity, our affections, our ambitions, and our perspective. It humbles us, strips us of self-confidence, and gives us boldness before God. It kills our old boast and gives us a better one.
So to the proud: lay down every ground of self-confidence.
To the fearful: do not shrink from the reproach of the cross.
To the weary believer: take comfort. Your standing before God rests not upon your performance, but upon Christ’s finished work.
To the church: let this be our central boast, not our numbers, programs, influence, traditions, history, or plans, but Christ crucified.
Beloved, imagine yourself standing at Calvary.
The world sees weakness.
Faith sees power.
The world sees a man dying.
Faith sees the Savior saving.
The world hears mockery.
Faith hears, “It is finished.”
There, hanging upon that cross, is our boast.
So let us say with Paul:
“Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
III. The Result: The New Creation and the True Israel of God
Galatians 6:15–16
Paul now moves from the cross to its glorious result. If the cross is the ground of our boasting, then the new creation is the fruit of that cross in the life of the believer.
He writes:
“For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.
And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.”
Beloved, Paul has already stripped away boasting in the flesh. He has already taught us to glory only in the cross. Now he tells us what truly matters in the sight of God: not outward marks, not religious reputation, not human distinction, but the mighty work of God by which sinners are made new in Christ.
1. What Does Not Count
Paul begins with a sweeping denial:
“For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision…”
These outward distinctions have no saving power. They cannot justify. They cannot cleanse the conscience. They cannot reconcile the soul to God.
Circumcision had been given to Abraham as a covenant sign. But now that Christ has come, the shadow has given way to the substance. To rest in the sign now, as though it could complete what Christ has finished, is to turn from the Savior to the sign.
But Paul is careful. He does not say merely, “Circumcision counts for nothing.” He also says, “nor uncircumcision.”
The legalist may boast in having the mark. The Gentile may boast in being free from the mark. One may glory in strictness. Another may glory in liberty. One may say, “I have kept the traditions.” Another may say, “I am not bound by traditions.” But Paul sweeps both boasts aside.
Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything.
This cuts against every form of external confidence: baptism without regeneration, church membership without union with Christ, doctrine without love for the Savior, morality without repentance and faith, liberty without holiness.
Beloved, the flesh can boast both in having and in not having. But Paul says none of these things possesses saving strength.
The great question is not, “What outward mark do I bear?” but, “Has God made me new?”
2. What Does Count: A New Creation
Paul gives the great affirmation:
“…but a new creation.”
Here is what counts. Paul is not speaking of self-improvement, religious polish, or becoming a better version of yourself. He is speaking of divine re-creation.
The same God who said, “Let there be light,” and brought the world into being by His word, now speaks into the dead heart of the sinner and brings forth life.
This is the miracle of regeneration.
As Paul says elsewhere, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” The old has passed away. The new has come.
The sinner who was dead in trespasses and sins is made alive together with Christ. The heart of stone is taken away, and a heart of flesh is given. The mind that was darkened begins to see the glory of Christ. The will that was enslaved begins to bow gladly to the Lord. The affections that once loved sin begin to love holiness.
A new creation means a new heart, new desires, new affections, a new direction of life, a new grief over sin, a new hunger for God, a new love for Christ, and a new longing to obey.
This does not mean perfection. The believer still struggles. The flesh still wars against the Spirit. But something decisive has changed. The old dominion has been broken. The ruling principle of life is no longer the flesh, but the Spirit.
Beloved, this is what it means to be a Christian. Not merely to believe certain truths, though we must believe the truth. Not merely to belong to a church, though believers ought to be joined to Christ’s visible church. But to be made new by the power of God.
Without this, there is no salvation. With this, there is everything. The weakest believer, the newest convert, the one who feels his frailty most deeply, if he is a new creation in Christ, has eternal life.
This humbles us because we cannot make ourselves new. No dead man can raise himself. Salvation is of the Lord.
And it comforts us because what God creates, God sustains. He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
3. Walking by This Rule
Paul continues:
“And as for all who walk by this rule…”
The word “rule” refers to a standard, a measuring line, a principle by which life is ordered. Paul is speaking of the gospel principle he has just declared: outward distinctions do not save, but the new creation in Christ does.
To walk by this rule is to live according to the gospel. It means we no longer measure ourselves or others by fleshly standards. We do not ask, “How impressive does this person appear?” We ask, “Is there faith in Christ? Is there repentance toward God? Is there the fruit of the Spirit? Is there evidence of new life?”
This walk is not careless. The new creation is never barren. The Spirit who gives life also produces fruit. The grace that justifies also sanctifies.
But gospel obedience is different from legal striving. It is obedience flowing from life, not an attempt to earn life. It is the obedience of a son, not the labor of a slave. It is gratitude, not self-purchase.
So the Christian walks by this rule: Christ crucified is my only boast, and new creation is God’s gracious work in me.
4. Peace and Mercy Upon the Israel of God
Upon those who walk by this rule, Paul pronounces a blessing:
“peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.”
Mercy is the fountain. It is God’s compassion toward sinners who deserve judgment. Peace is the result. Peace with God through the blood of Christ, the end of hostility, the quieting of the conscience, the restoration of fellowship.
These belong to all who are in Christ, all who are new creations by grace.
Then Paul adds, “and upon the Israel of God.”
Here he names the true people of God. Throughout this letter, Paul has made clear that those who are of faith are the sons of Abraham, and those who belong to Christ are heirs according to promise. The people of God are not finally defined by ethnicity, outward circumcision, or ceremonial boundary markers, but by union with Christ, the promised Seed.
Christ is the true Seed of Abraham. In Him, Jew and Gentile are gathered into one redeemed people. In Him, the promises of God find their fulfillment.
This gives the church both humility and unity. Humility, because we are here by grace, not by right. Unity, because all who belong to Christ share one Savior, one Spirit, one promise, and one inheritance.
So examine your confidence. Are you resting in outward things, or are you resting in Christ? Look for the evidences of grace rightly. Do you see repentance, faith, grief over sin, hunger for Christ, love for the brethren, and desire to walk by the Spirit?
And let this shape our mission. Our message is not, “Improve yourself.” It is not, “Adopt our customs.” It is not, “Join our group and become respectable.” Our message is, “Come to Christ. Be reconciled to God. Be made new.”
Beloved, the cross does not merely pardon. It recreates.
The same voice that said, “Let there be light,” now speaks into dead hearts and says, “Live.” And when He speaks, the sinner lives.
For in the end, nothing counts but this:
A new creation.
IV. The Mark of the Cross and the Benediction of Grace
Galatians 6:17–18
Paul now brings his letter to a close:
“From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.”
Beloved, here is the gospel embodied. Not merely doctrine confessed, but truth lived. Not merely theology proclaimed, but grace endured and grace received.
1. The Apostle’s Plea
Paul begins:
“From now on let no one cause me trouble…”
This is not the petty irritation of a man who has simply lost patience. It is the solemn weariness of a faithful servant who has contended earnestly for the truth of the gospel at great personal cost.
He has written strongly. He has rebuked error. He has exposed false teachers. He has pleaded with the Galatians not to abandon the freedom they have in Christ. And now, as he closes, he draws a line: “Let no one trouble me any longer.”
The word “trouble” recalls what Paul said earlier in the letter, that there were some who “trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.” False teaching had unsettled the church. It had disturbed consciences. It had robbed believers of peace. It had turned their eyes away from Christ and back toward the flesh.
Paul longs for that troubling to end.
Beloved, how often the soul is troubled when it turns away from grace. Legalism troubles the conscience. Pride troubles the heart. Fear of man troubles obedience. Trying to earn what Christ has accomplished troubles the soul with endless weariness.
But the gospel says, “It is finished.”
And the soul that rests in Christ finds peace.
So Paul’s plea is not merely, “Do not bother me.” It is, “Do not keep unsettling the church with a false gospel. Let the matter be settled: Christ is enough.”
2. The Apostle’s Proof
Paul continues:
“for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.”
Here is his answer to any who would question his sincerity, authority, or allegiance. He does not point first to credentials, reputation, numbers, influence, or earthly success.
He points to scars.
The “marks” of which Paul speaks are the visible wounds left by suffering for Christ. His body bore the evidence of beatings, imprisonments, stoning, hardship, and persecution. These were not marks of shame to him. They were signs of belonging.
What a contrast with the false teachers.
They wanted marks placed on others.
Paul bore the marks in himself.
They sought to avoid persecution.
Paul had suffered for the cross.
They desired outward signs for display.
Paul carried wounds received in faithfulness.
They used religion for self-glory.
Paul’s life was spent for Christ’s glory.
Beloved, true Christianity bears the imprint of the cross.
Not every believer will suffer as Paul suffered. Not all will bear physical scars. But all who belong to Christ will, in some measure, share in His sufferings. There will be cost: the cost of resisting sin, standing for truth, being misunderstood, losing the world’s approval, forgiving when the flesh wants revenge, and obeying when disobedience would be easier.
Our Lord has told us plainly:
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
These are the marks of Jesus.
And yet these marks are not signs of defeat. They are signs of belonging. They testify that we are united to the One who was crucified for us.
And consider this: our Lord Himself bears marks. After His resurrection, He showed His disciples His hands and His side. The wounds were not erased. They were glorified. They remain the eternal testimony of His redeeming love.
So it is with His people. Every trial endured for His sake, every wound borne in faithfulness, every cost paid in obedience will not be forgotten. It will be honored. It will be redeemed.
3. The Benediction of Grace
Paul ends where the Christian life must always end: with grace.
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.”
This is not a mere formality. It is the final word of the gospel in this letter.
Grace is how the Christian life begins.
Grace is how the Christian life continues.
Grace is how the Christian life ends in glory.
“The grace” — not something earned, purchased, or deserved, but freely given. God’s favor to the undeserving, His kindness to the guilty, His help for the helpless.
“Of our Lord Jesus Christ” — this grace is not abstract. It comes from the crucified and risen Redeemer, the One who loved us and gave Himself for us.
“Be with your spirit” — not merely outward blessing, but inward strength. Grace reaches the deepest part of our being. It comforts the conscience, steadies the heart, strengthens faith, revives hope, and sustains the weary soul.
“Brothers” — after all the rebuke, correction, and urgency, Paul ends with affection. Grace not only saves sinners. It binds the people of God together in Christ.
Beloved, this is our hope.
Not our strength, but His grace.
Not our consistency, but His faithfulness.
Not our performance, but His finished work.
Not our grip upon Christ, but Christ’s grip upon us.
The law commands, but grace enables.
The law exposes, but grace restores.
The law condemns, but grace justifies.
And this grace is for every step of the way. We live by grace. We grow by grace. We suffer by grace. We die in grace. And we will enter glory by grace.
4. Marks and Grace Together
In these final verses, we see something beautiful.
Paul bears the marks of Jesus in his body, and he rests in the grace of Jesus in his spirit.
The outward life is marked by suffering.
The inward life is sustained by grace.
These two belong together. Without grace, suffering would crush us. Without the cross, grace would become sentiment without substance. But in Christ, suffering becomes meaningful, and grace becomes powerful.
This protects us from two errors.
First, it protects us from a comfortable Christianity that expects no cost. Paul’s body tells us that belonging to Christ may bring wounds.
Second, it protects us from a grim Christianity that speaks only of cost and forgets grace. Paul’s benediction tells us that Christ never sends His people into suffering empty-handed. His grace is with our spirit.
So let us take this to heart.
To the comfortable: do not expect to follow Christ without cost.
To the weary: take courage. The same grace that sustained Paul will sustain you.
To the church: let us be a people marked by both truth and grace.
To the doubting: grace is not for the strong, but for the weak; not for the worthy, but for the needy.
Come, then, to Christ.
Bring your sin.
Bring your weariness.
Bring your fears.
Bring your failures.
Bring your troubled conscience.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is sufficient.
Beloved, Paul’s closing words gather up the whole Christian life:
We bear the marks of Christ.
We live by the grace of Christ.
Marked by the cross.
Sustained by grace.
So let us go from this passage with this prayer upon our hearts: that we would not boast in ourselves, that we would not shrink from the cross, that we would gladly bear whatever marks faithfulness may bring, and that we would rest every day in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For in the end, only one mark matters: belonging to Jesus.
And only one word will carry us safely home:
Grace.
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.”
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, crucified and risen Redeemer, write Your cross upon our hearts and Your grace upon our spirits. Deliver us from boasting in ourselves. Teach us to glory only in You. Let the world’s favor not entice us, nor its threats alarm us, for we are Yours, marked by Your love and kept by Your grace. May peace and mercy rest upon us, Your Israel of God, until faith becomes sight and grace gives way to glory. Amen.