Paul's Only Glory

Galatians 6:14 KJV

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.

The apostle claims that the false apostles desire to assimilate and convert these friends of Paul's to their way of thinking that they may glory in their flesh. In other words, they want to promote themselves in claiming these as their prize and in reporting them among their numbers. The glory of the false apostles was that

• Of earthly success
• Of large numbers, and
• Of the evidence of their influence by means if the many who they had influenced

Paul said his only glory was in Jesus Christ. He did not attempt to make a name for himself. He was not concerned with reports and statistics and evidence of his success in the ministry (except in that there were souls saved). He obeyed his calling. He won lost men and women to Christ. He preached and he taught truth. And He trusted God to keep his own records. 

There is too much glorying in the flesh these days. I realize recording and reporting numbers is often done with the goal of winning more and effectively retaining more for the glory of God. But it has turned into a flesh-fest. Keeping records of numbers has led us to keep track of who has the most and to lift those men into positions that are not far from flesh worship. 

The answer is to get back to just one thing; glorying in Christ alone. We obey our calling unto the Lord and let Him keep track of the numbers.