Self-examination and boasting

Self-examination will lead to boasting.

At least that’s what Paul says.  And he says such self-examination and boasting is good and beneficial:

But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another.

Two truths dominate this verse:

• the reason for self-examination
• the object of our boasting

Paul is emphatic about what must be examined — one’s own work.  We need to evaluate work which can be objectively classified, and that work must be our own, because the measure of our progress in the faith is not in regard to others, but in regard to ourselves.  That is, when we make progress in bearing loads (v. 5) the evidence of our movement is in relation to what we ourselves once were, not in relation to what others are (or were).  The only means for seeing the manifestion of the Word of God in our lives is not to compare and contrast ourselves with others, but to compare and contrast ourselves to what we have been and are now becoming.

Then, when we have examined ourselves, we will have opportunity to boast.

Now be careful about making a faulty conclusion.

What does Paul say should be the object of our boasting?  Yes, he notes that the self-examined believer will have reason to boast in himself alone — but in what way will he boast in himself?  The mature believer, having examined himself will not boast in his own accomplishments, for they are nothing —

For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself (v. 3).

So the believer examines himself, sees his own progress in faith and then he boasts.  But if the boasting is not in himself, then in what?

He will boast in Christ and the power of the cross in his life.  This is Paul’s conclusion at the end of the chapter —

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 (v. 14).

When a man examines his life, whatever progress he makes is dependent fully and completely on the work that Christ accomplished at the cross.

When one is saved, he is saved by grace through faith in the imputation of Christ’s righteousness.  The man is unrighteous, but God accounts Christ’s righteousness as sufficient to accept that man into fellowship with the Godhead.  Salvation is based entirely on the work of Christ.  And sanctification likewise is based entirely on the work of Christ (see 3:1-3).  From the beginning of life to the end of life, salvation is the work of God.

And the more carefully a man examines his life, the more clearly he will see that all his progress in faith is and has been a gracious working of God that was procured through Christ’s work on the cross.

So let self-examination lead to boasting.  Let us look at ourselves and let us boast of Christ’s grace!