The Right Way to Brag

God's Choice of the Weak

Consider your calling, brothers. Not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise. God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong, and God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

The main idea from this passage is that if you want to brag about something, you should brag about the Lord. Any kind of boasting or bragging as a Christian should be entirely centered on the person and work of Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Paul determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. This fits the context of the Corinthian church, which experienced huge issues from departing from the centrality of the gospel. They became distracted from the Word of God and the gospel, leading to ridiculous arguments and divisions. They split into groups like “I am of Paul,” “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” all because they abandoned an obsession with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Even baptism, which in the gospel framework is a beautiful sacrament, became devoid of meaning. They turned it into a popularity contest and superiority complex, thinking, “You're an idiot if you're of Apollos, but I'm of Paul.” If they truly followed Paul, Apollos, Cephas, or Christ, they would be unified, because they all preached the same gospel.

The big issue in 1 Corinthians is what happens when people abandon the gospel as the centerpiece of their theology and life. They create divisions and schisms. To correct this, Paul centers their focus back on Jesus Christ.

You Were Nothing When Jesus Saved You

The idea from our text is that you were nothing when Jesus saved you. You were insignificant, of the lower of the low, as the world views individuals. You were not strong but weak, not wise but foolish—moronic in Greek. To have a superiority complex is to take your eyes off the gospel. There's nothing about you better than another Christian. We all come from weakness, from places with nothing to boast about.

The fundamental recognition of being a Christian is embracing the attitude: “I was scum, and Christ saved me.” Think of the Protestant Reformation—Martin Luther and others departing from Rome's glory, calling themselves worms and wretches, because they understood what God saved them from.

There's no difference between someone who grew up in church and someone saved last week from drugs, sex, alcohol, and rock 'n' roll. God chose what is low and despised. “I'm of Paul? I used to be of sin. I'm of Cephas? I used to be of my father the devil.” We all came from a horrible state of weakness—even if our earliest memories weren't of obvious sin, they were still sin.

Romans 3: All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Everyone has gone astray; each has become worthless.

If born into the human race, you're born worthless, sinful, depraved, fully capable of any sin—even inventing new ones, as Romans 1 says, “inventors of evil.”

God saves people to demonstrate his glory in their lives. Many sermons promote a man-centered gospel, as if God saw intrinsic value in humanity and saved them because they were good enough. But the blood of Jesus is infinitely more valuable than us wretched sinners. It's trillions for rags—an infinite value exchanged for filth offensive to God.

As Charles Spurgeon said, a diamond shines brightest against a black surface. God's glory shines brightest against our sin, so his magnificence is displayed. Our lives should emphasize God's glory, not our achievements, family, or birth. It's about God, not us.

Two Kinds of Wretchedness

What happens when you put wretched people together? There are two kinds: open lawlessness (drugs, sex, alcohol—no morality) and legalism (doing everything perfectly for self-glory). An atheist can build a moral religion, but it pleases no one. Biblically, that's lawlessness versus Phariseeism—boasting in tithing, fasting: “Lord, I thank you I'm not like that wretched man.” That's just as wretched, even worse, because it's dishonest self-righteousness.

Jesus called Pharisees whitewashed tombs, doubly dead, because they should have known better. When people with inflated self-views gather, you get division—they see others as opportunities to gain, not give. That's Corinth: “I was baptized by Paul,” seeking an edge for glory and praise.

To correct this, recognize where you came from—rags. Ezekiel 16 pictures Israel as a newborn choking in blood, helpless; God cleaned, raised, and married her. We were abandoned infants destined for death, but God, rich in mercy, saved us.

Preach the gospel to yourself daily: we are wretched sinners needing a great Savior. This makes it easier to accept others struggling with sin, just as you are. Every genuine Christian struggles with sin. The danger is those with no confessed sin—lone wolves or legalists pretending to be fine.

Even “small” sins like occasional lying, if truly your only struggle, would feel infinitely wretched—like Paul, who at life's end called himself the chief of sinners. He was a strict Pharisee, yet grew to see his sin deeper.

The church must be filled with people honest about sin, weakness, and struggles—there God shows his glory. God doesn't call the equipped; he calls the ill-equipped and does mighty deeds through them.

Boast in the Lord

If you're going to boast or be prideful, do it about Jesus Christ. Imagine someone bragging endlessly about their grandkids: “They're the best!” It feels good. Now imagine bragging about the Son of God who died for your sins.

Isaiah 66:1-2: Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.”

God, creator of all, looks to the humble, contrite—like dust. As our pride decreases, God's increases. John the Baptist said it best: “He must increase, I must decrease.”

1 Corinthians 4:5: Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.

Ultimate praise comes from God, like with Job: “There is none like my servant Job.” In Christ, God says that about you—not because of you, but Jesus.

Verse 30: “And because of him you are in Christ Jesus”—out from God. He became your wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, redemption. You contributed nothing; even 1% would rob God of glory. Don't boast in wisdom, strength, or wealth (Jeremiah 9:23). Boast in the Lord.

Your boast is an ongoing embrace of what Jesus did. A testimony should be: “This is what God did for me.” It spreads the gospel virally.

Challenges for Your Life

What dominates your mutual interests with your circle? The person and work of Jesus Christ should unite you as saved sinners.

What dominates the topics of your fellowship? Is the gospel discussed outside youth group—not just in easy settings, but where it's harder?

Finally, what is important to you that anyone know about you? That you're a Christian—not shyly, but eagerly.

Examine this passage: where you came from, what Jesus did, who you are now. Let God be glorified. ```