Boasting Print | Bookmark (CTRL-D) In Pauls second letter to the Corinthians, chapters 10-12 Paul was accused by what he called False Apostles. No different than today, Pauls credentials concerning the preaching of the Gospel and what right did he have going around collecting money to help out other churches became an issue of concern with many who bragged and boast on their performance. In essence, these religious, self-righteous boasters and leaches, thieves and robbers, opportunists, who were doing nothing but deceiving and taking advantage of the simple minded wanted to know what qualifications Paul had to prove that he was an apostle. We see in these chapters of 2 Cor. that Paul was given no other choice but to brag about his credentials in the Gospel. Paul trusted and relied so much on the grace of God that if he encouraged any boasting at all, it should be in The Lord. Paul wanted no credit, recognition for any of the good deeds that he had done through the time that he went around preaching the Gospel. He had no desire in wearing a sign on his back, or having his name printed on some church bulletin saying... We want to recognize brother Paul for his outstanding good works and commend him for graduating from Cemetery/Seminary with high honors. Paul wanted no part of personal worship. Everything he did, he did it not because of what he had done, but because of what Christ had done for all. Philippians 3:9. Having his own righteousness which is of the law made Paul sick to the stomach. But here in these chapters Paul became so angry with the false brethren that he went on to say... Alright, you guys want to boast, then let the games begin. In the 11th chapter Paul begins to make mention of what he had done, what he had been through, experienced and accomplished. Yet he saw himself as being nothing more than a FOOL for bragging on himself since he always bragged on the finished work of the cross and nothing else. In Romans chapter 4 we find that Abraham also had nothing to boast about when it came right down to any of his works. He was not recognized of God nor rewarded for any of his works. But such is not the case today. If there is one motivating factor that works like clock work in our so-called modern day organized religion circles, is that of Do this and God will do that. I had so many books on the How to do this, When to do this, Why not to do this, What must you do, Where to do it that I forgot who I was, what love was, and then found myself laying on a couch at the counselors office asking...Why do you suppose I find myself so confused today? She said...you are a victim of spiritual abuse, manipulation, and self-righteous high expectations. Your anxiety, fears, guilt and emotional imbalances are all the result of you trying to be pleasing to God by your own performance. The lady who gave me this advise was the sister of the New York Yankees great preacher Goose Gossage. She had a practice here in the Colorado Springs area helping people recover from religious manipulation. Anyway, I bought so many books that all of my boasting and constant strive for perfection and performance came from what I had been reading in these books. If I could add up all the money I spent on all of these books, I probably be retired. :) Friends, we are encouraged to do good works, but when those works become the primary reason why God should be obligated to respond to what we have done, then the work of the cross becomes vain. Romans 11:32-36. I am all for the doing of good works as long as those good works dont become the dominating and controlling factors in my life to the point where they will lead me once again to the counselors couch. When we become zealous in and of good works, we must be careful that we dont fall for the performance trap that will leads us into years of anguish, anxiety, pain and suffering. The fact is that God loves us with or without any of our works. Please read between the lines when you hear the sermons because it may very well be that you are sitting under a False Apostle. I speak, preach and teach these things not as an outsider, but as one who participated in it, preached it and fell as a victim to it. Take heed! Grace and Peace Eddie Narvaez
Posted on: Fri, 21 Mar 2014 16:42:18 +0000
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