In the back of our Psalter hymnals we turn to page 8, to Lord's Day 1, and in our Bibles we're going to turn tonight to Galatians chapter 6, page 1155 in our pew Bibles. Before we read Galatians 6 beginning in verse 11, we'll read responsively that first question and answer of Lord's Day 1. Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, what is your only comfort in life and in death? that I am not my own but belong body and soul in life and in death to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with precious blood and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven. In fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to Him, Christ, by His Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for Him. In light of this, we're going to read Paul's words in Galatians 6, beginning in verse 11. This is the word of the living God. See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand. Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh. May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything. What counts is a new creation. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God. Finally, 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. It will be a help tonight just to leave your Bibles open as we look at this passage, especially verse 14. Beautiful expression of Paul's personal faith. May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. These words of the Apostle Paul lines up so beautifully with this first Lord's Day. And it is one of those beautiful, beautiful gifts that we've received from our forefathers. There are few things as beautiful as this first question and answer in the Haribol Catechism. And not only beautiful, But it is the kind of statement that has the power to carry you through all of life, wherever you find yourself, whatever circumstance. What is your only comfort in life and death? It's a question that goes to your heart. What is your joy and delight and boast in life? What is that upon which you build everything, on which everything in your life depends? What is that that gives meaning and purpose to who you are? to what you value and what you treasure in life. You see, this question is a fundamental question. And each of us answer this question in one way or another. There is no human being that does not have something that is so central to their life that anchors everything. But there is only one answer. which is truly, truly sufficient to be an anchor that can sustain us in life and death. Only one. It's to belong to Jesus Christ. Anything else? To long and to live for my own honor and glory. to live for and find hope and meaning in what I've accomplished in this life. To find hope and meaning in what is in my bank and what legacy I leave behind inheritance for my children. Whatever we want to say, all of that is worthless because none of that can go through death into the next life. It is only Jesus Christ that can carry us through. Now, I want us to reflect upon this profession that the Apostle Paul makes here in verse 14 and examine ourselves in light of it. It's important for these three young men that now publicly have acknowledged before the Church of Christ, before God Himself, here openly their faith, but it's important for all of us. For you children who have not yet professed your faith, what does it mean? You will see. And what does it mean for us? Are we living with this profession constantly before us? Some of us can't even quite remember when we stood at this point in church. I'm sure some of you do remember, but some of us might have forgotten what that was like. But the question is not what happened then. The question is what is happening right now. If this confession is a living confession in our lives, Can we say with the Apostle Paul, may I never boast except in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ? Now, first of all, notice it's a very personal confession and profession that the Apostle Paul makes here. Now, he makes it in the context of false teachers that have infiltrated the church. And these false teachers have distorted the gospel. He tells us here, He has told us, if you've read the letter recently, you will know from the beginning, that's His main burden. These false teachers that are robbing the church of the gospel, that are so undermining the faith of God's people, because they are pressing upon them that Jesus Christ is not enough. That Jesus is a good start, but He's only a start. That what you need to add now to Jesus is a whole obedience to the law of Moses, in particular circumcision. That sign and mark that says, you are now set apart for God. That sign and mark that marked the Old Testament people must now also mark the believers in Jesus Christ. Now Paul is very clear that these men who compel circumcision are only concerned about outward things. And notice in particular he makes very clear that they want to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. Now what does that mean? You need to understand that the Jews had a special arrangement with the Romans. The Romans demanded all their citizens to offer a sacrifice once a year to the emperor, to the Caesar, and they need to worship him as lord. And anyone who did not offer that sacrifice was suspect. But you see, the Jews, because of their aversion to idolatry, had a special arrangement with the Romans. They were exempt from offering that sacrifice because they will say a prayer in the temple to the Caesar. And so they were given this special status. And very early on in the church, the Christians share this special status with the Jews. But when you read the book of Acts, you will quickly see that as soon as Christianity became separated from the Jews, they were persecuted. And this is one of the main reasons. And so these men that are emphasizing circumcision were trying to escape that persecution. Because when we circumcise and they force others to be circumcised, they say, well, see, we're still Jews. We're still within the law. We can still escape that kind of persecution. But Paul is very clear these men are not really concerned about your spiritual life. They're merely concerned about what they can boast in. Look how many converts we have made. That's what he says there in verse 13. Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh. Now Paul is very clear when he says they can't obey. Paul knows, and we know it especially from his letter to Romans where he makes very clear that obedience to the law is impossible. That's why Jesus came. Jesus came because no one can attain righteousness by their own obedience. And so to go back from Christ, to seek by way of our own obedience, is to deny Christ. It's to strip away all the gains that Christ has made. And so Paul's concern is very much with the hope that is in Jesus Christ that is lost. when we add the Old Testament to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Old Testament ceremonies and obedience. No. Paul says in contrast to these false teachers, I don't boast in your flesh. I boast in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul is emphatic that there is one thing and one thing only in which he wants to glory and that is the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. And he is very clear, may I never boast may I never boast." You see, this is Paul's personal commitment. It is his own life commitment. He is committing himself to rejoicing, to glorying in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, We'll see in a moment the unthinkableness of what Paul is saying to us here. We need to ask ourselves, why does Paul boast in the cross of Christ? Why is the cross so important for the Apostle Paul? Why is this his boast? Why is he so emphatic that, may I never boast except? Why so exclusive, Paul? Now there's a lot of things we can say, but at least two things must be said. It is because of what is displayed and revealed in the cross about ourselves and about Christ. The cross reveals who we truly are. And the cross reveals who Christ truly is. And it's because of that that Paul boasts and wants to boast in nothing but the cross. Now what does the cross reveal about who we are? John Newton in one of his songs displays it so beautifully. Now it's one of those beautiful hymns, but it's maybe too long a story for us to sing. But I'm going to read it, because it displays so clearly the two things. He says, In evil long I took delight, Unawed by shame or fear, Till a new object struck my sight, And stopped my wild career. I saw one hanging on a tree, In agonies and blood, Who fixed his languid eyes on me, As near his cross I stood. Sure, never till my latest breath can I forget that look. It seemed to charge me with His death, though not a word He spoke. My conscience felt and owed the guilt, and plunged me in despair. I saw my sins His blood had spilled, and helped to nail Him there. Alas, I knew not what I did, but now my tears are vain. Where shall my trembling soul be hid? For I, the Lord, have slain. I, the Lord, have slain. What is he saying? He's saying that when we look at the cross, we see that it is our sins that drove Jesus to the cross. that He was killed because of my iniquity, my transgressions of God's law, my sins nailed Him to that tree. Do you know that reality when you look at the cross of Christ? I will say it as boldly as I can. Unless you look at Christ and see your sin as driving Him and nail Him to the cross, you are not saved. You see, it's only when we understand that it is my sin that brought upon Him God's judgment, only then do we understand the reality of what He does as Savior. It is not sin in general. It's not sin of other people. You and I need to see it's my sin that brought upon Him the judgment of God. It is my sin that nailed Him to that tree. You see, Newton saw it. And you see, when we see that, we cannot help but be convicted. And that's why the Apostle Paul says, I boast in the cross of Christ. It's for me personally. He cannot speak in mere abstraction about what Jesus did. It is a personal reality. But not only does the cross teach us the enormity of our sin, but at the same time we see the enormous love of Christ. Notice how Newton goes on. A second look he gave which said, I freely all forgive. This blood for thy ransom paid, I died that thou mayst live. This while is death, my sin displayed, in all its blackish hue. Such is the mystery of grace, it seals my pardon too. With pleasing grief, and mournful joy, my soul now is filled, that I should such a life destroy, yet live by Him I killed." What beautiful, beautiful expression as we stare at the cross. This is what every Christian experience. Pleasing grief, mournful joy. These two emotions, that's so contrary to one another, comes together. Because as we stare at our Savior, what do we see? We see our sin, and we see His love. At the same time, God's judgment that I deserve, but I now set free because of Him. There is nothing like it. The world has nothing to offer that comes close to what Christ has done. So let me ask you, do you know this mournful joy, this pleasing grief? Do you know the sweetness of knowing that Jesus died? your death, that in his death your sins are removed and you are given life. My brother and sister, do you see why Paul wants to boast in nothing but Christ? Because what is there? What is there that can be compared to what he has done? What is there? that deals with our sins so fully and give us freely so much. There's nothing. Now, not only is this a personal profession, but this is a profession produced by God's sovereign grace. It's not a profession produced by mere personal human emotion or action. You know, we have domesticated the cross. We have it all around us. We carry it sometimes on our jewelry and see it all around us. And it blunts us to the shock of what Paul is really saying here. For Romans, and I've said this before, and it's worth saying over and over, for Romans and for Greeks, the cross was disgusting. So much so that the great orator of the Romans, Cicero, was very clear that the word cross may not even be mentioned in polite company. The cross was reserved for the scum of the earth, for slaves, for those who were nobodies. They may be crucified, but Roman citizens, they may never be crucified. unless they strip of their citizenship and they've committed high treason. Because you see, the cross was a symbol of such disgust. It was a means of tremendous torture that was dehumanizing. It's part of the agony of the cross to strip the person of his humanity and to extend his death as long as possible. And so for the Apostle Paul to say to us that I will never boast in anything except the cross of Christ was an amazing shock. Who would rejoice and delight in the cross? You have to be insane to say my boast and glory is a cross. That's what it sounds like! Insanity! So why would he say it? Who would say that? No one except someone who has been gripped by a power bigger than themselves. They are driven by a reality that is divine. Notice how he puts it very clearly in verse 15, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything. What counts is new creation. Paul is saying that it is not the outward performance that matters, but what matters is the divine work of God in which we are recreated. It is the power of the Holy Spirit who breaks into the human heart and takes the dead heart, the hard heart, and breaks it and softens it and brings life into it so that now life looks totally different. That's what the Holy Spirit does. He brings into the believer's heart the ability to look at the cross and to see himself and to see Jesus for who He truly was. This is not a mere self-produced profession. It's a profession produced by the divine power. of God's Spirit. And that's a true profession, isn't it? The Apostle Paul is very clear that this work of new creation is exactly the same as the first creation. You remember, boys and girls, how God called the world into being by His words? He spoke, and there it was. Incredible thought! The power of God's Word that calls into being, out of nothing, everything that it was. And the Apostle Paul says, like God's power displayed in creation, His power in new creation, in bringing spiritual life into people's hearts, is just the same thing. In 2 Corinthians 4, the Apostle Paul says, For it is God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who was shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." Do you hear what he's saying? He's saying, like God called light out of darkness in the beginning, now He calls the light of His glory that shines in Jesus Christ's face forth in our hearts so that we may see the glory of who Christ is. So let me ask you, do you know this power of God's work in your heart? Have you seen the glory of God in Jesus Christ? That's what true profession is. A profession born not of human activity, not of my willpower, but of God's sovereign power at work in my heart that enables me to see and know what I cannot see by myself. Now, if we've experienced this, we need to be profoundly thankful. because we understand that this is all God's work and not my own. It's grace that saves and enables us to boast in Jesus Christ alone. It is by grace alone that we can say, I belong to my faithful Savior. I belong in life and death to Him. It's grace that enables us to say it. Now, if you can't say that tonight, don't despair. Plead with the Lord to enable you to see. But more than that, persevere in listening to the Word. because it's through the Word that God's Spirit works to open our eyes to see the glory of Christ. And if you have family members or friends who don't know and see Christ and His glory and are able to make this profession tonight, pray for God's Spirit to work. Because God's Spirit alone is the one that enables us to see Christ so that we can make this profession. It's a personal profession. It's a profession born by the Spirit of God. And finally, it's a profession that profoundly alters our lives. It makes us like Christ. Notice how Paul is emphatic. May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. The world has been crucified to me and I to the world. My relationship to the world And when Paul talks about the world here, he's not merely thinking about the outside world. He's thinking about the world that is cursed by sin. The sin-affected world. The world as in opposition against God. The world in which I was aligned before I knew Christ. The world which entertained me. Which set the agenda for my life. Which filled me with what is purposeful and meaningful. That world I have died to. The values of this world. The pride of life. The lust of the flesh. The fleeting pleasures of sin. All of that, Paul says, I have died to. I live now for Christ. I share in his crucifixion. You see, his life has been radically altered by the Lord Jesus Christ. You see this is what Christ does. He messes with our lives. Our lives can never be the same. Never be the same. Because what Christ does is he alters our relationship to the world. Now we have to be clear here. It doesn't mean that we wrap ourselves in a small faith bubble and read our Bibles and go to church and pray and sometimes we have to go to work because we need to eat, but that's not really important. What is happening here is important. That's not what Paul means. The wonderful reality that the Reformation recovered for us is the understanding that the call of God and what the Gospel brings permeates all of life. So that when we go to work, we are no longer the people we used to be and the values we pursue is not the values that reign in companies that are godless, that are all about themselves. We don't adopt their values. No, now we live for the Lord Jesus Christ, and there we seek to manifest that we have a Master that is greater than any earthly Master. So let me ask you, is your profession showing in your day-to-day life Is it evident that you have died to sin and you are alive to God? The Catechism is very clear that the Holy Spirit makes us wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for Him. Is that evident in your life? That you are ready That you are eager to live for the Lord Jesus Christ. To conduct your life in a way which displays the Lord Jesus Christ. What does it look like? Well, you'll have to work it out in your life. may look different for each of us where we are. But let's be very clear. A central part of that is a humility. A humility that is manifested in the way we relate to other people. We have to be careful that we don't exude a kind of holier-than-thou, pious attitude towards other people. That other people, when they hear us talk and when they look at us, don't feel the glory of Christ They only feel people that look down upon them and speak to them as though they are unworthy sinners. Too long a self-righteous, judgmental spirit has often been manifested by the people of God. We have learned in Philippians. that Paul calls us to have the mind of Christ. The mind of Christ, which is displayed in his humble self-negation to the point of death. You see, my brother and sister, it is in our self-denial, in putting other people above ourselves, in being truly servants to others, that we will display the glory of Christ more than any rebukes we may issue. There is a time for rebuke, but it's rebuke that always flows out of. A genuine understanding that people know we love them because Christ has loved us. I have been crucified with Christ. It's no longer I that live, but Christ that lives in me. In the life that I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. That's what Paul is saying here. He's repeating exactly what he said earlier in chapter 2. I have been crucified to the world and the world has been crucified to me. So my brother and sister, do you have this personal profession? Do you know the power of God's Spirit that has produced this profession? And is your life consistent with this profession? The wonderful reality is that God by His Spirit continues to conform us more and more to the image of Christ. We all have a long way to go, but the work has begun. Amen. Let's pray. Lord, we thank You for Your Word to us tonight. We are challenged by Paul's personal profession here. We acknowledge that at times we are so enticed by the glitter and the gold and the accolades that this world has to offer that we are easily seduced to seek joy and happiness in what this world has to offer. Will you forgive us, Lord, for any and every way in which we look away from you and seeking life outside of you. Open our eyes once again tonight to see what it cost you to set us free from sin. May we see our sin and see your love. May you enable us, O Lord, to understand the power of your Spirit that brings new life May it be evident in our lives that we are not our own, but we have been born again. And may our lives reflect the work that you have began. May we know how we have died to the world and the world to us. And may it be evident in how we live. Be especially with these young people who made profession last week and this week. May you work this profession deep into their hearts and lives, that it would be a profession to which they cling to the very end. Sustain them by your grace and uphold them by your Spirit's power, and be with each of us. Be with those who do not yet know Christ, in this way. Come by your Spirit's power even now to open their eyes to see the Savior for who He is. May they turn from sin to find the forgiveness that is in Christ and be with those who have walked with Christ for many years. Encourage us, Lord. Strengthen our faith and enable us to hold fast to the very end We pray this, Lord, in Jesus' name. Amen.