Boast Only in the Cross
1) The core of education for the next generation is Jesus Christ
“But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31, NIV)
The Bible is a book written solely about Jesus Christ, and its purpose is to lead us to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and to receive life through His name. Therefore, the core content of the education God gives us—as the true educator—is Jesus Christ. And the goal of this education is that we would believe in Jesus and, through union with Him, receive eternal life.
The educational method we focus on is the one God Himself carries out. God’s purpose in education cannot fail to be fulfilled, because He is both the one who sets the purpose and the one who executes it. His method of education is not something that changes from person to person or era to era. Rather, it has been applied without exception to every person who has been saved. Therefore, there must be God’s way of completely achieving the purpose of education. That is the method we seek to understand and follow.
》Scripture Prayer
(Colossians 1:20–29,NIV) 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. 21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. 24 Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. 29 To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.
》Pray that the Word may become the Conclusion.
1. God was pleased to give His Son, Jesus Christ, to the cross to save sinners. In doing so, He showed that every person made in His image is deeply loved and precious to Him—so much so that He gave Jesus to save them. It is called glory when all creation reflects God’s love just as they are. For sinners who were once dead in their sins, God gave the glory of being united with Christ through faith in His cross, where His love was fully revealed. The core of education for the generation to come is Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit gives them the grace to be united with Him in His death and resurrection. Let us pray that the next generation all over the world will hear and be taught the Bible so they may understand and believe in Jesus Christ and His cross.
2. How could creatures claim to fully know God, the Creator? Yet God has revealed to the Gentiles the glorious mystery that was hidden for ages and generations. That mystery is Christ in us, the hope of glory. Those who are born again in Him are, like Paul, servants of the gospel. Let us pray that in our families, schools, churches, workplaces, and even in prisons or on the streets—wherever we are—we may proclaim Jesus Christ and become vessels of faith who counsel, teach, and help each person grow into maturity in Him.
2) Win by believing the Word
When Moses died and Joshua stood on the edge of conquering the promised land, God spoke to him: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” The same God who had been with Moses promised to be with Joshua, assuring him repeatedly that He would never leave or forsake him and that every place Joshua set foot would be given to him. The way these promises became real strength and power for Joshua was by not letting the Book of the Law depart from his mouth, by meditating on it day and night, and by carefully obeying everything written in it. Through this, Joshua was able to overcome every battle ahead by faith in God’s Word.
》Scripture Prayer
(Joshua 1:1–9,NIV) 1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. 5 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. 7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
》Pray that the Word may become the Conclusion.
1. God gave all the words of the law to Moses and raised up Joshua and the next generation to live by faith. Whether it was with Moses, Joshua, or the generations that followed, God worked through His Word and gave them grace to stand in faith. In the same way, living by faith in God’s Word is the place of grace given to us today. Let us reflect and pray whether our faith is based on a vague belief in God or firmly grounded in every word He has spoken.
2. Joshua was standing before the very real task of conquering all the land God had promised, facing the reality of battle. From beginning to end, war meant facing life-and-death crises. To be given the key to victory and the strength to endure in such a situation is a profound grace. The true power for victory lies in God being with us, meditating on His Word, and faithfully obeying it. This is the same method God teaches us today. Even when the parents, like Moses, eventually fade away, we must raise the next generation like Joshua to have the faith to overcome the world. Let us pray that our children will be filled with the grace and power that come from believing and obeying every word of God, knowing that He is with them.
3) Only boast in the Cross
“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.” (Galatians 6:14,NIV)
Paul came to understand the way and mystery of the cross and confessed the grace of being united with Christ’s death and resurrection as written in Galatians 2:20. He earnestly longed for both Jews and Gentiles to partake in the mystery of the cross, which is the power and wisdom of God. Paul tirelessly preached and taught the gospel, praying without ceasing. However, when he saw the churches that had begun in faith return to relying on circumcision and works of the law—falling back into sin and their former way of life—he proclaimed the gospel all the more simply and clearly.
“Hold fast to the cross. Boast only in the cross!”
》Scripture Prayer
(Proverbs 5:1–8, 21–23,NIV) 1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom, turn your ear to my words of insight, 2 that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge. 3 For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; 4 but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword. 5 Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave. 6 She gives no thought to the way of life; her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it. 7 Now then, my sons, listen to me; do not turn aside from what I say. 8 Keep to a path far from her, do not go near the door of her house, 21 For your ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all your paths. 22 The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them; the cords of their sins hold them fast. 23 For lack of discipline they will die, led astray by their own great folly.
》Pray that the Word may become the Conclusion.
1. In Paul’s time, the Gentiles pursued knowledge and the Jews sought signs, distorting the gospel to fit their own standards and leading others astray. Paul sternly rebuked and even cursed those who taught and spread any gospel other than that of Jesus Christ and His cross. What about the gospel I believe today? Like Paul, have I truly been crucified with Christ, and does Christ now live in me by faith—both in the beginning and even more so now? Let us honestly reflect and pray over this.
2. Today, our children—or the next generation—who are trying to live by the gospel are being seduced by Satan like a prostitute, dragged into lust, violence, and addiction. Many fall before they even get a chance to stand in faith, overcome by sin and worldly desires. Let us pray that parents, teachers, and church leaders would seek the Lord’s wisdom and understanding on how to teach the gospel effectively to our children in this fierce spiritual battlefield. Let us teach them a gospel that is clear and simple so they may become a generation of glory who declares that the gospel is enough and that we boast only in the cross.
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