Works – Boasting and Proof of Salvation?

Works – Boasting & proof of Salvation?

Boast in “Understanding & Knowing the Blessed LORD” is ‘allowed’.

This is the chief meaning of the infamous phrase “boast in the LORD”.

Verses:

(i) Boast in the LORD by Declaring your understanding & in knowing Him, Declaring His Greatness!

“but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises loving kindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 9:24)

“and he who is boasting — in the Lord let him boast;” (2 Corinthians 10:17)

“that, according as it hath been written, ‘He who is glorying — in the Lord let him glory.'” (1 Corinthians 1:31)

“My soul will make its boast in the LORD; The humble will hear it and rejoice.” (Psalm 34:2)

(ii) No boasting in our abilities or achievements

“Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches;” (Jeremiah 9:23)

(iii) We may boast of our weaknesses and fall Declaring ‘how the LORD saved a wretch like ourselves’

“But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Galatians 6:14)

“And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

“If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness.” (2 Corinthians 11:30)

(iv) No boasting due to our works done either; also, these cannot be used as a proof or justification of Salvation

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8 – 9)

P/S:

Using ‘works’ as a means to ‘prove’ that one’s Theology in “Understanding & Knowing Him” is ‘right’ is a common ‘fallacy’.

In fact, though “many Christians” (those calling him Lord) declare to do ‘many great works’ for Him (including ‘casting out demons’, ‘prophesying’), He denies them.plainly on that Great Day as the verses below state:

““Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.

“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’” (Matthew 7:21 – 22)

Let us notice carefully the ‘reason’ our Blessed Saviour gives for this ‘Great Denial’ as follows:

“Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.'” (Matthew 7:23)

The word is “lawlessness” which means “Without following His law or His Way as He revealed in the New Testament”.

The Gentile believers are excepted from the custom of Moses part except the 4 things mentioned in earlier posts (Acts 15:28 – 29, Acts 21:25). Apart from that, 1 Corinthians 11, 1 Corinthians 14, 1 Timothy 2 & many other chapters in the New Testament reveal His Commandments, traditions & practices to be followed in doing His Will.

By practicing these, we are ‘not’ saved for Salvation is not of works; however, by “not” practicing ‘what is commanded’ (e.g. 1 Corinthians 14:34, 1 Timothy 2:12) or ‘even practicing what is “not” meant for Gentile believers’ (e.g. circumcision or tithing or other parts of the excluded law of Moses, Acts 15:1, Acts 15:5,  Acts 13:39, Galatians 5:2, Galatians 3:3).

Remember, ‘rightly dividing the Word of Truth’ is to be done “with verses” stating each divide as done in the examples above:

“be diligent to present thyself approved to God — a workman irreproachable, rightly dividing the word of the truth;” (2 Timothy 2:15)

Let us remember that “lawlessness” (which is sin) is any ‘transgression’ against ‘His Written Word’ (Law, as it is to be observed in the New Testament too) & also in ‘adding it observing things not meant for us as Acts 15 & book of Galatians’ certainly discusses as pertaining to Gentile believers.

Only certain aspects remain which can be observed either way (both ways) Where both observing it & not observing it may be allowed as mentioned in Romans 14 & Colossians 2:16 for example. I dare not apply it to topics or things not mentioned in these verses either lest I be condemned as practicing lawlessness too (“not” obeying the Blessed Lord in the ‘way He Commanded’ in Scripture).

Preaching falsely is still lawlessness because it makes us ‘to lie knowingly or unknowingly. To which extent, our Blessed Saviour decides to ‘pass over our trangressions’ or ‘keep it to condemn us’ remains His Perfect Judgment alone. Indeed, “May God have Mercy upon us!”