GALATIANS 6:14 

“But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world,” wrote Paul. One may wonder: “why does he make this statement here?” Or, “how could Paul glory in a thing like a cruel cross?” To this writer’s mind this is one of Paul’s most glorious remarks.

first, as to why he made the statement. One of the problems Paul dealt with in the book of Galatians were teachers of Judaism who were still trying to cling to the law and persuade others, namely the Galatians, to do so. Paul had warned them that to seek justification by the law placed them in the position of falling from grace (5:4). Another thing seems apparent regarding these false teachers – they wanted to “look good” themselves, desiring “to make a fair showing in the flesh” ( 6:12 ). The more converts they could make to Judaism, the greater (in their eyes) it would make them appear. They were hypocritical, for even they did not keep the very law they were insisting that others keep (v. 13). The Paul drives his point home – the only reason they were doing this was to be able to “glory in your flesh” (ibid.).

But Paul was not interested in personal aggrandizement or fame. And this is the reason he makes the statement of our text. He had a far greater thing to glory in than anything of a personal nature. Notice that he says “God forbid …” that he should glory in the things his opponents were glorying in. He had many things that he could have pointed to and said: “Look at me; see my accomplishments; see what I am and what I have done.” He plainly told the Philippians that should he desire, he had far more to glory in than his detractors did. His “resume” along these lines was an impressive one indeed! He could have gloried in his Pharisaical background. He might have gloried in the fact that he belonged to the tribe that the first king of Israel was taken from, and even bore his name. He could have gloried in the fact that, “if any man was ever a true Hebrew, it was me” (Phil. 3:5-6). He might even have gloried in the great education he had, having sat at the feet of the great Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). No, not a one of his enemies could “outdo” Paul had he so desired to compete along these lines.

And so we see then why Paul made the statement he did in our text. All those personal things faded into oblivion when compared to the cross of Christ; the greatest thing in the world! It was by that cross that he “was crucified to the world.” The world was nothing more than a dead thing to him; it held no appeal and compared to the cross of Christ was a mere contemptible thing to him. More than that, he said the world was crucified unto him. It had no power over him; it could not induce him to renounce the Christ he had chosen to serve.

A crucified Savior; the thing that the world had no regard for and wanted nothing to do with – and this was because of the cross of Christ. To them it was a shameful thing; to Paul it was a glorious thing. No, he was not interested in any personal popularity like his enemies were. But this thing called the cross that could save men if they would allow it; that was what he gloried in!  - Bill Moseley