Boasting is Sin, the Opposite of Godly Love and Humility, a Reflection of Unregeneracy

It is revolting and cringey to see professing Christians boasting of the “great” deeds they perform to their fellow man, whether it be towards their spouse, child, sibling, co-church person, neighbour, stranger, etc. The boast is made of how wonderful they are in doing this or that for people in their family, church, or community. Sometimes (or many times, often disguised in some form of piety), teachers and preachers are guilty of this from the pulpit.

Boasting is entirely incongruous for a born again child of God. In fact, boasting is a sin that more often than not reflects the true nature of the person behind it, typically combined with other worldly and unscriptural fruits and failed tests of faith.

Boasting is an attitude born out of pride and discontentment, and pride is the foundation of unregeneracy, the hallmark of Satan. It is no small sin. It is one of the three chief characteristics of the natural man (“the pride of life,” 1 Jn 2:16). The pride of life is an earmark of modern culture, pop music, professional sports, and the movie and television industry, which is why you have neo-evangelicals and other contemporary professors boasting, vaunting and displaying other characteristics of pride. Satan is the “god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4) and the unsaved walk according to his evil spirit (Eph 2:2) regardless of their so-called profession. The Bible says God hates pride. It was the first sin of the devil (1 Tim 3:16), for it is the very transgression that characterizes everything he is and does: pride, arrogance, boasting, vainglorious display, the desire for admiration, self-confidence, self-ambition, self-exaltation. One cannot be born again without humility and humbleness, without a poor, broken and contrite spirit, and once born again, Christians are to be examples of humility in this haughty world, so those who boast and thus demonstrate pride on a regular basis must realize it is a direct reflection of their unregeneracy, and of their desperate need of true conversion, to turn from their faux and counterfeit "faith" that they have adopted and exemplified, and turn to the truth of God's Word and what it says about them, the true gospel of genuine repentant faith and surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ. Below are reasons why this is a fact.

Boasting is No Minor Sin

“Boast” and its suffixes in the English Bible of the KJV are found 37x. The word is translated from the Hebrew "halal" in the OT (which I find interesting considering the Arabic use of this word to define the barbaric and Satanic Islamic ritual of animal slaughter, with boasting being kin to pride, and Moslems the very embodiment of Satanic pride). "Halal" is found well over 100x in the OT and translated also into other words such as "praise[d]" (most commonly), "glory," "mad," "commended", "foolish," "fools," "gloriest," etc. In the NT it is translated from the Greek "kauchaomai" which is found nearly 40x, and translated further into "glory[ieth][ing]" (most commonly), "rejoice," "joy," "myself," and others, and once “boasting” (2 Cor. 9:3). As one can ascertain, boast can be used in both a negative and positive manner, and is interpreted according to the contextual and grammatical sense.

The noun "boast" in its most basic definition means to glory, vaunt and brag, to praise greatly, whether of self or someone else in superlatives, emphasizing ones (or others) achievements, abilities, or possessions, with a sense of superiority or self-importance, to impress others or elevate ones status in vainglorious speaking, or ostentatious display. To talk or write about oneself or something related to oneself in a proud or self-admiring way. Its an action that involves expressing pride in ones achievements or possessions, or in someone close to them. It can come across as arrogant. The Bible speaks of two kinds of boasting. The most obvious kind is that which is wrong and sinful, which is the exaltation of self or other sinful man, or a prideful confidence in man apart from God, warned of in Scripture including: 1 Ch 25:19; Ezk 35:13; Ps 10:3; 49:6; 52:1; 94:4; 97:7; Pr 27:1; Jam 3:5. This kind of boasting is a great sin before God (Rom 1:30; 2 Tim 3:2). There is yet another manner in which "boast" is used, diverse from the above definitions, which is in the process of describing to have or possess (a desirable feature). For example, "a net that boasts 120 fish."

From whence cometh sinful boasting and vaunting of self?

Jam. 3:5,

"Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!"

The tongue, though it be small, is an unruly evil full of deadly poison untameable by man, yet the tongue is not the container or foundation of the thoughts and intents of man, merely the tool that brings forth the thoughts and intents of man's deepest being. To find out what governs the tongue, we must dig deeper. And there we find the answer to the true foundation of man's boastings, self-love and pride. The Lord Jesus Christ tells us in Mk 7:21-23,

"For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man."

The tongue boasts great things, but it is the heart that guides and superintends the behaviour of the tongue. It is the heart that actually defiles the man, while the tongue is the tool used to accomplish the debased deed.

Vaunting is kin to boasting, furthering described as bragging while making a vain display (Jud 7:2; 1 Cor 13:4). A Biblical example of this is Jud 7:2, where God diminishes the size of Gideon's army to prevent Israel from vaunting, or boasting that it was by their hand that they were saved, thus robbing the LORD of His glory.

"And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me." (Jud 7:2).

The seriousness of this sin, when found in the negative, is illustrated in its listing among the 23 sins of the reprobate in Rom 1:29-31, which is an ungodly Christ-rejecting immoral wicked sinner. "Boasting" is listed alongside great evils such as "fornication," "wickedness," "full of envy," "murder," "deceit," "malignity," "haters of God," "despiteful," "proud," "inventors of evil things," "disobedient to parents," and so on.

This sin is not divided into some “little” or “minor” sin category. We can see here in Rom 1 that God does not divide sins into little and big, deadly and less than deadly, mortal and venial. As seen through the eyes of an infinitely holy God, all sin is vile and must be punished. In this listing of sins, boasting is considered as evil as murder, fornication and hating God. And what is the punishment for these sins? Death! “For the wages of sin is death.” (Rom 6:23a). “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” (Ezk 18:20). And right at the end of the listing of the sins of the reprobate, we have Rom 1:32a, "Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death."

The judgment and destruction of the greatly arrogant and boastful Assyria is an illustration to all who will have such haughty and ungodly attitude, even though it may be of a lesser degree:

"Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks. For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man: And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped. Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood. Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire. And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day; And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standardbearer fainteth. And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them." (Is 10:12-19).

Boasting is Contrary to True Biblical Love

The very same people guilty of boasting are very frequently parading their corrupted version of “love,” while transgressing the very act of love described in Scripture. This is especially common among “evangelicals” and much of contemporary Christianity.

In the chapter that is often called the love chapter, we read,

"Charity [love] suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up," (1 Cor 13:4)

Three descriptors are used here to describe the sin of boasting. Vaunting of self, puffed up, and envy (a major precursor to boasting, and thus the sins dovetail). The Bible’s “love chapter” (1 Cor 13) indicates that “charity vaunteth not itself” and “is not puffed up.” Charity (true Biblical love, "agape") does not vaunt itself, i.e. boast itself. It is not puffed up with pride, boasting of fleshly and worldly things or any form of self exaltation that leaves out the glory of God. Yet many of these same boasters will hypocritically extol the 1 Cor 13 passage, "faith, hope and love, the greatest of these is love," not recognizing their own hypocrisy in the process.

Charity, godly love, is not proud, while boasting derives out of pride. Godly love does not exalt itself above others. It does not seek to trample on others in order to “get to the top.” It does not boast and brag, measures of self-exaltation, attempting to portray themselves or their spouse as someone great. It is not vainglorious. It is not self-righteous like the Pharisee who prayed, “I thank thee, that I am not as other men” (Lk. 18:11). It does not treat others with contempt. Rather, it is humble and has a servant’s attitude. It does not “think of himself more highly than he ought to think” (Rom. 12:3).

The reason of course why people habitually practice boasting is because they don't actually have the love of God in them, but a love for self, and you can't have both ever residing in the same temple. It's one or the other. They pretend to however, but they actually don't, which is further evident in many other areas of their lives (e.g., carnality, worldliness, love for ungodly worldly music which includes CCM, their worldly appearance and immodesty and gender indistinctive clothing confounding the garment that once differed the sexes for us, tolerance and allegiance to error and false teachers, etc). Their boastfulness derives from a feeling of contempt or disregard for others.

The love described in 1 Cor 13 is found only through salvation, which is why most contemporary professing Christians come with a false definition and description and philosophy of love. True Biblical love is not found in man’s fallen flesh. It is only as the individual sinner is in Christ through regeneration that he can reflect this divine love in his earthly life. Love is the “fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22), just as false love is a fruit of the flesh. This is why they sidestep and attempt to argue away clear and simple Biblical truths to keep their own programs, agendas and narratives running.

Boasting about self or others is not loving thy neighbour as thyself, the second of the two greatest commandments (Matt 22:28-29; Mk 12:30-31; Lk 10:27), which "love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." (Rom 5:5). That love results in the saint being able to love his enemies in genuine truth (Matt 5:43-48), but impossible for false "believers," genuinely, sincerely, impartially. Loving our brethren is a major evidence of salvation, since it is God Himself that teaches His children in whom He indwells, to love in such a manner: "But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another" (1 Th 4:9), in the same manner that it is God Himself that teaches us to love Him (De 30:6; Rom 5:5) -- so fakes and counterfeits cannot love in this same manner, hence why boasting overrules genuine affectionate regard and esteem for others. True Biblical love, which, as pointed out, comes from God through salvation and the indwelling Holy Spirit, produces a state of mind just the opposite of a disposition to boast. Hence our charge of many that profess Christ but habitually boast, are in fact unregenerate. It reveals what dominates their life: the natural man.

Godly love receives endowments with gratitude and as gifts from God, and is disposed to employ them not in vain boasting, but in purposeful utility, by doing good to others.

Neo-evangelicalism, mainstream contemporary Christendom, Protestant and other denominations and groups are very confused about what true Biblical love is. The "love" most of these have embraced is akin to lust, and at best, sentimentalism. Sappy emotionalism, humanism, worldly “love” at best which loves to tolerate error, sin and disobedience, while feeding the self-esteem. Since true love “Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth” (1 Cor 13:6), truth is everything. In scripted fashion these counterfeit peoples and groups --the "love" gurus-- are unable to rationalize and acknowledge sound truth so that their "love" is to be divorced from perspicuously plain Biblical truths such as “bible versions,” “method of baptism,” “what church you attend,” “type of music you listen to,” “clothes you wear,” and other critical but controversial subjects. To speak of love at the expense of truth and obedience, is not Biblical love. At best it’s sentimentalism. Love is never divorced from obedience and truth. The neo-evangelical is very confused, but is it any wonder? So much perversion and heresy on every hand, truth is no longer absolute, and as noted, inability (or refusal) to discern simple Biblical truths. Sadly even love has become a casualty of evangelical and contemporary Christian heresy.

Biblical love is not an emotion. Emotions are unstable and undependable. Love is not broad-mindedness. It is not non-judgmentalism. It is not non-critical tolerance. It's not boasting over self. Love is certainly not disobedience to God’s Word. God gives us the definition of love in multiple places in Scripture and as you’ll note, love is never divorced from obedience. Love is to obey Gods Word, His commandments, His will.

“And THIS IS LOVE, that we walk after his commandments” (2 Jn 1:6a).

If someone says they know God but keep not His commandments, they are a liar and the truth is not in them, nor are they in Christ (1 Jn 2:3-5). That means they don’t know God and they certainly don’t love Him.

“And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.” (1 Jn 2:3-5)

Those that disobey God’s Word prove they don’t actually love the Lord Jesus Christ, regardless of the lip service those that profess Him give to Him. The “Jesus” they love is “another Jesus” (2 Cor 11:4). Obeying, keeping God’s Word is the ONLY means whereby we love God. People that are truly born again will love God by keeping His commandments. It is the hallmark evidence of true conversion. There is a lot of Scripture that speak to this (e.g., Num. 15:39-41; De. 12:32; 13:3-4; 26:16-19; 1 Sam. 15:22-23; Ps. 103:17-20; Ecc. 12:13; Matt. 7:20-21, 24-27; Mk. 4:21; Lk. 17:10; Jn. 8:31-32, 51; 10:25-27; 14:15-24; 15:10-14; 17:6; 2 Cor. 2:9; Eph. 2:10; Jam. 1:22-25; 2:14-26; 1 Jn. 2:3-6; 3:22-24; 5:1-3; 2 Jn. 1:5-6; Rev. 22:14-15). Love is based entirely upon truth. And you can’t demonstrate love without obedience to the truth. Love is walking in the truth toward God and people. It is fulfilling God's law toward God and people. God couldn't love us if He was contaminated by falsehood or error.

How then do we know we love our brethren?

“BY THIS we know that we love the children of God, WHEN we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” (1 Jn 5:2-3).

Boasting is not loving our brethren. It's not loving God to begin with, so it's a double fail on the love test. People that are truly saved will pursue obedience to God’s Word in all things in a characteristic manner. And it’s not grievous to them either (1 Jn 5:3). And by obeying Gods commandments, they can love the brethren in truth (1 Jn 5:2).

2 Jn 1:5-6 says more of the same:

“And now I beseech thee, . . . that we love one another. AND THIS IS LOVE, that we walk after his commandments.”

If we don’t obey God, we don’t love God. If we don’t obey and love God, then we don’t love our brethren. This is the process of Gods simple commandment of love (1 Jn 5:1-3; 2 Jn. 1:5-6) and it’s just that simple. It is the cascade effect of what the Bible clearly teaches. One can also evaluate ones own and someone else's profession of love by this God ordained criteria: do they (or I) actually obey Gods Word and thereby demonstrating their love for God, and therefore loving their brethren according to truth (1 Jn 5:2-3) or are they not. If they aren’t obeying and keeping God’s Word, they aren’t loving God or their brethren. And what that demonstrates, if habitually demonstrated (we are speaking of habitually, which is the sense of what God is saying, and not merely making occasional mistakes or disobeying sometimes or sinning sometimes, because saints can and do still sin), as Scripture so clearly tells us, is a false professing "believer." A fake. A counterfeit. A hypocrite.

Boasting is Not in the Will of God

James reproves boasting in Jam 4:13-17, exhorting and warning us not to boast about tomorrow and to acknowledge at all times the sovereignty of God, that He is in control of our lives, and not us:

“Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

This is not merely a component of the new covevant. James was referring to Pr 27:1,

“Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” 

It is the attitude of boasting and self-reliance without acknowledging God’s sovereignty that is particularly condemned (Jam 4:16). To say, 'I am planning to do this or that,' is not wrong, but to boast about what I am planning to do or to make my plans without submitting everything to God and acknowledging His control of these situations and my life is wrong. Pr. 16:9 tells us,

“A man's heart deviseth [plans, invents] his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.”

The believer learns to commit his way unto the Lord and not to trust his own plans and not to boast of tomorrow, to be ready and willing for God to overrule and direct according to His will and not according to ours (Pr 16:9; Matt 6:10; 2 Cor 12:8-10; Jam 4:14-15).

The unsaved wicked on the other hand:

"For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth." (Ps. 10:3)

There is no room for envy and boasting in the church of God and in the service of Christ. If a believer has some kind of special gift it is only because God has given it to him, so he has nothing to boast of and others have nothing to envy, for though the individual believer labours he or she cannot actually take the credit because they know that “it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Phil 2:13). Boasting of your own accomplishments, or that of your spouse or children or someone else, has absolutely no place in God's will.

Boasting is the Opposite of Humility

Phil 2:1-8 in grandeur fashion lays out what true humility really is:

"If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, [2] Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. [3] Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. [4] Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. [5] Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: [6] Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: [7] But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: [8] And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."

Humility refers to a freedom from pride and arrogance and boastfulness, to an embracement of likemindedness. It is a humbleness of mind and heart, derived from a modest estimate of one’s own worth. Biblically it consists of a lowliness of mind, a deep sense of one’s own unworthiness in the sight of God, self-abasement, penitence for sin, and submission to the divine will (Webster's Dictionary 1828). Humility is the very opposite of pride, vainglory, haughtiness, being puffed up, boasting, self-will, self- glory, self-promotion. Humility is not seeking or demanding personal recognition but rather esteems others better than oneself in lowliness of mind (Phil 2:3). It is caring for others, not just for self (Phil 2:4). It is reverent submission to God and His will (Phil 2:5-8; Jam. 4:6-7). It is refusing to seek greatness for oneself (Phil 2:7; Mk. 9:35). It is being mindful to not condescend to the weak (Rom 12:16), such as children (Mk. 9:36-37), the poor (Jam. 2), the weak-minded (1 Th. 5:14), those with few talents (1 Cor 12:23-24), and those that be weak in faith (Rom 14). Humility is to reverently submit to the will of God, even to the death (Phil 2:8).

Consider some of the many ways humility is described in the Bible:

• Humility is “not to think of oneself more highly than he ought, but soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith” (Rom 12:3).

• Humility is to be obedient to God’s will (Phil 2:8) and walk in consciousness of God (Jam 4:10). The expression “walk before me” in the OT (e.g., Gen 17:1), depicts a humble submission to God’s will, a life lived in consciousness of God and doing His good pleasure (Gen 17:1; 1 Ki 2:4; 8:25; 9:4).

• Humility is to give all glory to God (2 Cor 10:17).

• Humility is not self confidence but total dependence upon God (1 Cor 2:3-4).

• Humility is to be kind and gentle and patient towards others (2 Tim 2:24-25; Ti 3:2).

• Humility is to genuinely receive all the words in the Word of God (Jam. 1:21).

It is crucial to understand what humility and humbleness is not, in contrast to what pride and boasting is. Many have the wrong impression of what humility is, often through a misguided impression of the Lord Jesus Christ. Indeed Christ was meek and lowly in heart (Matt 11:29; Is 53:7), and by observing Him we can see what humility is, and what it is not. Looking at Christ's life, we see that humility is not cowardice or timidity as expressed by Christ in Jn 2:13-17; 8:44; 10:31-39; and Matt 23:1-12. It is not an apologizing, sorry, self-degrading attitude (Jn 6), nor quietness in the face of unrepentant evil (Matt 23:13-33). It is certainly not uncertainty (Matt 7:29).

Boasting opposes humility but the born again Christian is to be characterized by humility (Col. 3:12; 1 Pet 5:5), for it is precious in God’s sight (1 Pet 3:4), whom God exalts (Matt 23:12; Jam 4:10) and honours (Pr 15:33; 18:12; 22:4) and makes great in His kingdom (Matt 18:4). Humility ties into gentleness (2 Cor 10:1; Ti 3:2) and involves patience (Eph 4:2), but is impossible without grace (1 Pet 5:5). To exercise it truthfully and characteristically requires the new birth, for it is a product of God's grace (1 Pet 5:5) and the Spirit of God (Gal 5:23).

Besides the Son of God, we have many other examples of humility in Scripture, including Moses (Num 12:3), David (2 Sam 16:11), Jeremiah (Jer 26:14), Stephen the Deacon (Ac 7:60), Paul the Apostle (2 Tim 4:16).

Boasting is Incompatible with Christ, God's Grace, Humility and Thus Salvation

If there is any man in the history of the world that could boost, that could actually own boosting, it would be the Lord Jesus Christ. He not only is the Creator of everything, He also knows everything, is everywhere at once, and owns all power. He could've always been one up on anybody in any situation. Yet, search the gospels deep and wide in vain to find a single example where Christ boasted or vaunted Himself. It doesn't exist. Matter of fact, in every instance where Christ does boast it is in exaltation of the two other Persons of the Godhead, God the Father and God the Spirit. And vice versa, in the vis-à-vis Godhead, every example of the Father and the Spirit we find exaltation of the two other Persons of the Trinity. This is the very nature of God, every possible boast of goodness in the history of the world could be made by Him but it never occurs even once, for He was “meek and lowly in heart” (Matt 11:29), the embodiment of humility (Phil 2:5-8). His supreme character of absolute humility, humbleness and lowliness of mind nullified any potential (or possibility) to boast or insist His own rights and dues, as did His perfection of love (cf. 1 Cor 13). Though He was in the form of God and was equal with God, he “made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant” (Phil 2:6-7). This is the mind of God the Son, which is to be the mind of His children:

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." (Phil 2:5-8)

We could call this the very definition and benchmark of humility, the antonym of boasting, taking upon Himself the weakness and frailty of man, when He really didn't have to. There was nothing that forced Him to humble Himself in the likeness of man, even made lower than the angels, to forego the worship He received in heaven due His glorious name in manifest equality with God the Father and God the Spirit, to enter a sin-cursed wicked world, where "being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." (Phil 2:8). This was not just any death that Christ humbled Himself unto! It was the death of the cross, which wrought the curse of the divine law of God, "Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:" (Gal 3:13),"(for he that is hanged is accursed of God;)" (De 21:23). As if His life and manners did not already exemplify humility to perfection, how about His death! Yea, His death even more so, as the sinless and blameless Son of God became a curse in the place of sinners, "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree," (1 Pet 2:24). In every element of Christ's fulfillment of the gospel, His incarnation, His perfect and sinless life, and then His bloody substitutionary death revealed the wholesale humility and denial of self and embodiment of self-abnegation of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thus the very effect of true salvation, the new birth is the very opposite of boasting, it is self-denial (Lk 14:15-15:32; Mk 8:34-38; 10:17-30), thus the expression of boasts is incongruous with the new birth.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Eph 2:8-9)

"Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith." (Rom 3:27)

From the position of man, justification leaves no place for boasting (Rom 3:27; Eph 2:8-9). All of the glory belongs to God. Contrast this to the self-righteous pride resulting from false religion. Unsaved man with his false religion is blind and deceived, even to their condition of blindness and deception, as noted with the Jewish audience of Christ, who boasted "We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God" (Jn 8:41), but God the Son had just told them that they were the servants of sin and not free from their sin (Jn 8:31-36), and that God's Word had no place in them, and that they were "seek[ing] to kill" Him, the bearer of truth, and that their father was not God but in fact the devil (Jn 8:37-41). Yet in all this, they boast, "We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? . . . Abraham is our father. . . . We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God." (Jn 8:33, 39, 41). The self-righteous boasts of the lost religious is painfully real.

Abraham was justified by faith before the law was given (Rom. 4:1-4). The fact that Abraham could not boast proves that his salvation was entirely by God’s grace.

"For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness." (Rom 4:3-4; cf. Gen 15:1-5 and this report)

This is why the wise or noble are not called, and why God chooses the foolish and weak things of the world to confound the wise and mighty:

"For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." (1 Cor 1:26-31)

Though man is required to repent and believe—God also giving him the ability to do so (Rom 2:4)— "Salvation is of the Lord" (Jon 2:9; Is 64:6; Lk. 18:13-14; Rom. 3:27; 4:2), and it is a sheer gift of God's grace (Rom 5:12-21; 6:23). At our very best, in our natural condition, we are but sinful flesh. On his own, man could never achieve salvation, fully depraved and desperately wicked (Jer 17:9; Rom 3:10-21) and God not in any of his thoughts. Yet God’s Spirit strives with men to bring them to repentance (Gen 6:3; Jn 16:7-11; Pr 1:20-25). It is God that enlightens (Jn 1:9), draws (Jn 12:32), convicts (Jn 16:8), reproves (Pr 1:20-25) and then regenerates those that repentantly believe. Men are dead in trespasses and sins, but God seeks after sinners and reproves them, to save them. Without God working in man's life and opening their heart to the truth, sinful man would not even seek after God. For man’s part, all sinners have to do is respond and agree with God’s conviction, and the terrible state of their sin and wickedness and merit of death and hell, and then repent and lose their own life for Christ and the gospels sake, placing their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The sinner thus has nothing to glory of. Therefore, receiving the gift of the gospel is not a work and it is nothing to boast of from man's perspective; all the boasting and glory and power and grace is given to the Lord Jesus Christ!

True salvation leaves no boasting in self (Rom 3:23-28; Eph 2:8-9), but it does produce a matter of confidence and rejoicing (Heb. 6:6). These are not terms that describe something that is uncertain. The word “rejoicing” is translated from the Greek “kauchaomai,” meaning “a boast.” It is translated “glory” and “glorying” x 5 (e.g., 1 Cor 5:6) and “boasting” once (2 Cor. 9:3). It refers to the believer rejoicing in Christ in the sense of boasting of and glorying in His salvation. It is God’s will that the believer have perfect confidence in his standing in Jesus Christ and in his eternal destiny because of what Christ has done (atonement) and is doing (intercession), and that will lead the born again believer to rejoice and boast in the Lord.

Boasting of self or someone else besides Christ has no place in true conversion, or the life of true Christians:

"For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?" (1 Cor 4:7)

Not only is this true in salvation, but also in every single element of the Christians life, from life itself, to one's spouse, children, family, material, food, jobs, and so forth. It has all been given by the sheer generosity and lavish blessing of the Lord. Boasting, as noted here, is glorying after something that was received (and everything is received), but reeks of the attitude that it wasn't received, that somehow man conjured up the thing without receiving it.

The born again believer is saved by God's grace (Ti 2:11), and lives by God's grace, but boasting is the very opposite of God's grace. Any ground for boasting is totally undermined by man's helpless estate and God's wonderful grace. Boasting is indeed utterly foolish (2 Cor 11:17) and preposterous, as Paul tells us:

"That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting." (2 Cor 11:17)

God doesn’t save the proud or boaster. He resists the proud. Gods gift of eternal life is offered to those that will humble themselves with a poor and broken spirit, repenting of their sin and self and placing their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. God doesn’t choose the strong, proud, exalted, worldly wise, noble, mighty or high minded, but the foolish, weak, based, humbled, despised, and things which are not, so that no flesh should glory or boast in His presence:

“For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea , and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.” (1 Cor 1:27-29)

Leading by example, Jesus taught that the greatest in the kingdom of heaven is one that humbles himself like a little child (Matt 18:1-4).

Gentiles, be reminded: tread carefully. Boast not against the natural branches, the Jewish people, who are indeed the chosen of God, while Gentiles were the dogs: 

"For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee." (Rom. 11:16-21)

This wicked boasting of the Gentiles, the wild olive tree, against the natural branches (Israel), the natural olive tree, is perfectly exemplified in the ungodly anti-Zionist, anti-Semitism demonstrated by Christian groups such as many within Reformed Calvinism, and other groups within contemporary Christendom. These liars boast themselves of not only being greater than Israel, but having replaced Israel as God's new chosen ones. How pitiful and pathetic, as they arrogantly boast in their diabolical pride, but God's eyes aren't hidden from their hideous conceit, and will spare them not, casting them into the eternal furnace of fire. We cover this subject here: Replacement Theology (Supersessionism): A Doctrine of Devils and The Land of Israel, the Jew and the Covenants of God vs Replacement Theology (a Doctrine of Devils).

Boasting is The Fools Speech, Thus the Speech of Unsaved Fakes

Boasting is the behaviour and confidence of a fool, which is ALWAYS an unsaved person in Scripture. A foolish person is proud and doesn’t receive instruction, and without instruction they simply cannot be saved (Pr 1:7, 22; 10:8; 12:15; 15:5, 31-32; 17:10; 23:9). This is the fool’s chief characteristic and this is the reason why he is a fool. If he were humble and received instruction and correction, he would fear God, repent in godly sorrow over his sin and offence towards God, deny himself, lose his life for Christ and the gospels sake by taking up his cross, and believing in the Lord Jesus Christ , and then would he be wise. Because of his foolishness, the fools pride leads to his tongue speaking proudly, boastful and full of self-importance (Pr 14:3). What is in the heart will come out of the mouth (Pr 14:33; 23:7), "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:" (Pr 23:7a).

The portion of Scripture in 2 Cor 11:16-12:10 is known as “The Fool’s Speech.” It’s been known by this title because Paul decides to speak as a fool and imitate the boasting of the false teachers influencing the Corinthians—something many of the Corinthians had become enamoured with. Some form of the word boast ("boast" and "glory") appears no less than 11x in The Fool’s Speech, which means 11 out of the 38x "kauchaomai" appears in Scripture, it is found in this text of Scripture, and thus there are lessons to learnt on boasting in this passage of Scripture.

Paul starts this with explaining that boasting is the act of foolishness by a fool.

"I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little. That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting." (2 Cor 11:16-17)

There is no place in Scripture where the "fool" is he remotely considered a saved person, but quite the opposite (cf. Pr 9:6; 26:11; Matt 23; 25:1-13; 2 Pet 2:22; etc).

Paul expresses here in 2 Cor 11:16-12:10 how foolish it is to boast of ones attributes or accomplishments, for the true believers boast alone is in the Lord Jesus Christ, also made clear by him:

"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." (Gal 6:14)

Boasting is commonly connected to the behaviour of the rich, the ultimate fool. The Bible warns,

“They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him” (Ps. 49:6-7)

The foolish, strange woman is clamorous and boastful, and invites men to stolen waters (Pr 9:13-18). Though she is clamorous and boastful, she is actually simple and knows nothing (people labelled as "simple" in Scripture, by the way, are naive, gullible, and lack discernment, and always unconverted: Ps 19:7; Pr 1:20-32; 8:5; 14:15, 18; Rom 16:18). The voice of foolishness is proclaimed by those who do not have the wisdom of God’s Word. They know nothing of the truth. What they know of God, salvation, religion and Jesus Christ is wrong, though they often pride themselves in their knowledge.

Boasting is a Marker of the End-Times False Professing "Believer"

Boasting is incongruous with that of Biblical Christianity and the born again believer. It may well be a hallmark of unregeneracy. A marker of a false “Christian” who has no actual true, genuine, and lasting joy but has to drum it up through their fleshly deeds. This is why it is expressed in a habitual manner and why it must be preached against.

2 Tim 3 is a description of end-times Christianity, with a generalization we could say on a focus of self. Verse 5 refers to those who have a “form of godliness” but their lives deny its power. This is a perfect description of neo-evangelicalism, illustrated by the mennonite evangelical denominations of EMC and EBMC. One of the sins mentioned in these passages is “boasters,” translated from the same Greek word “alazon” found in Rom 1:30 (the only two occurrences in the Bible), the apostate reprobate. The boasting flows from their position of self-esteem theology and psychology and man-centred gospels, music, movements, methods and manners. Felt needs, feelings, personal problems and other needs are the boasters priorities, NOT God’s glory or strict obedience to God’s Word. They are enamoured with psychology and heretics, such as the ungodly psychoheretic James Dobson, whose chief objective is to “point the pathway toward greater self-esteem and acceptance.”

The behaviour of these false professing "believers" doesn’t end with v. 2 however. They live worldly and ungodly lives (2 Tim. 3:2-4). This is true for a large portion of Christianity today. There is little to no separation from the world. There is little difference between the way professing Christians live and the way the world lives. They draw lines but the lines aren’t God’s lines but compromised lines that blend the world and Christianity, which we know as spiritual adultery. They watch the same ungodly movies and TV programs; they are crazy about vain professional sports just like the world; they dress immodestly like the world; they love the same sensual music as the world, etc. Their objective is to adapt the cultural language. Many of these professing Christians support abortion, homosexuality, and other such evils. Once a sin enters the home through their children who have all their life been exposed to hypocrisy in the home and apostasy in the “church,” then the parents in the name of “love” have to tolerate and accept them for who they are. This we see repeatedly occurring in Neo-evangelical and contemporary “Christian” environments. Even if they do not tolerate their abhorrent behaviour in so many words, they however by their actions and words embrace them, don’t condemn them, do not preach to them, and act as “lovingly” as possible to them, in the fear of losing them altogether to the world. Newsflash: you lost them already to the world, which is all they know because of your adulterated and corrupted perversion of Christianity. They have professions and rituals but they deny the power thereof (2 Tim. 3:5). They have much education but no settled truth (2 Tim. 3:7). Again, one of their characterizations is “boasters,” right alongside “proud” and “highminded.”

The reason these people —which is, again, almost all of “evangelicalism” and contemporary “Christianity” whatsoever label it comes with— are “never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” is because they have rejected the Bible as the infallible and inerrant Word of God and the sole foundation for all truth. They have rejected the words that God inspired and their meanings, embracing rather the rationalistic philosophy of “thoughts” and “ideas” of Scripture which glorifies doubt and uncertainty. They treat the words that God gave by inspiration and then preserved for every generation (that is every single word down to the jot and tittle), like they treat Biblical commandments and doctrine for their personal lives: by apostasy. They wilfully deny the words that God gave, deny the meaning of the words and deny the application of the words. The big issue is rebellion of course, while professing some form of Christianity. They unwisely seek for truth in the writings of big Eva gurus or the “church fathers” and in church councils and in visions and mystical experiences and other places or peoples opposed by the Word of God. They reject and resist the truth (2 Tim. 3:8), and those who hold to the old paths. They want liberty, to do their own thing, and somehow argue it away through some form of rejection of truth.  Uncertainty is a gateway to doing what you want. You can't tell someone they're wrong when you're not sure, so it's imperative that you're not sure, ironically. Of course, it nibbles around the edges of truth like a school of piranhas. And it's a cop-out.

The essence of worldliness is in the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes, and the boasting of what he has and does. This is the essence of the natural man, which is the man who only has an unsaved nature (1 Cor 2:14). All three of these characteristics dovetail demonstratively in the life of the false professing “believer,” though there is subtlety and deception.

Boasting is a source of pride, which is the opposite of humility, which is in direct contradiction to the effects of the new birth.

As noted already, one of the sins the reprobate is given over to in Romans 1, by God, is boasting:

“Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful. Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them” (Rom 1:29-32)

In like manner, the spiritual reprobate of 2 Tim 3:5-8, whom is an extension of the perilous times false professing “Christian” in vv. 1-4.

Thus boasting is a major characteristic of the last days “Christian” described in 2 Tim 3:1-5, whose affection is for self rather than God (though he or she professes to belong to Him as a Christian), exacerbated by their alignment with worldly, tolerant, compromised and heretical neo-evangelical type churches, explaining why the false gospel of self-fulfilment is so readily embraced by these same people while the true gospel of self denial is rejected.

Boasting is a Characteristic of the Laodicean Church, Which is an Unregenerate Organism

The Laodicean unregenerate end-time church is described for us in Rev 3:14-22, as physically wealthy but spiritually wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked (Rev 3:17), unregenerate in other words. The Lord Jesus is standing outside of this unregenerate church with its unregenerate pastor, inviting individuals to come to Him to be saved, and those that are saved to repent of their association with this madness. This church makes great boasts of how rich they are, of their increased in goods, how they are in need of nothing, but are blind to their lukewarm (apostate) condition of blindness, of wretchedness, of poverty, of nakedness, and unregeneracy. They hide behind their wealth, size, grandeur, "great preachers" and "great power," "charity," but they are in fact pathetically dead. They are not hot (saved) nor acknowledge they are cold (lost), but profess the One that they don't actually know (lukewarm). God will spew them out of His mouth.

Majority churches today are Laodicean in nature. Though majority are much worse, some also have similarities with the Corinthian church, where many of the professing believers were in fact unsaved (cf. 2 Cor 12:10-3:5; 1 Cor 6:1-10 -- in contrast, neo-evangelical churches today are almost entirely unregenerate, much, much worse than Corinth) where church discipline was neglected and boasting was celebrated. Rather than mourning and establishing Biblical justice concerning a man caught in fornication, they were puffed up:

"And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you." (1 Cor 5)

They were boasting of their liberalness and compromise and not being narrow-minded, but rather tolerant of this man's gross sin of fornication. They didn't remove him from their church membership but rather boasted of his immorality and their tolerance. Their own will was their authority, not the Word of God. They thought and spoke much too highly and to meanly of themselves (Lk 18:9, 11; Rom 12:16; 1 Cor. 4:6; Ac 12:22, Ex 4:10-14). They followed after their own will and desires and defied those who would in any way cross them. In 2 Cor 10 onward Paul responds to some of the attacks on him by people in this church, likely some of the very same individuals that were puffed up.

Boasting of Greatness Among Religious but Lost Churches and Professors

The religious lost make their "boast of God" about knowing His will and instruction of the law and approval of excellent things and confidence that he is a guide of the blind, a light to them in darkness, "An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law" but they are in fact unregenerate hypocrites (hypocrites are always unregenerate), who "makest thy boast of the law," but "through breaking the law dishonourest thou God." (Rom 2). They boast of their religiosity but they are hypocrites. This does not just apply to the Pharisees and other legalistic churches and groups, who attempt to earn their salvation through some deed or merit, but also to "evangelical" and contemporary Christendom in general who do the same through turning the grace of God into lasciviousness (Ju 1:4). The domino effect of hypocrites and their vain boasts is the following: “For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.” (Rom 2:17-24). Balaam is such an example. Balaam was a very religious man. He cross all the 't's and dotted all the 'i's when it came to a profession of faith. In fact God even used him to deliver a magnificent prophecy in Num 23-24, including the grand Messianic prophecy of Num 24:17-19. Yet Balaam was an unsaved man. He was an anti-semite (Num 31:16; Rev 2:14), like so many so-called "Christians" today who reject Israel and replace her with the "church." Moreover, he was a hypocrite. who boasted that he would not ”go beyond the word of the Lord” for any amount of money (Num. 22:18) but actually “loved the wages of unrighteousness” (2 Pet. 2:15). His boasting tongue exposed him for who he really was.

There is great boasting today among churches of how great they are, how great their churches are, of their accomplishments, of their great service to God, of their preachers, of the great multitudes of people they preach to, of the masses of people saved through them, and so forth. Many absolutely love it when such praise and vaunting is piled upon them, as highlighted in the first part of the Michael Sullivant and Pembina Valley Baptist Church Report, where such disgusting man-centred praise was consistently heaped upon Jack Hyles, and also Michael Sullivant when he preached at the Hyles-Anderson college, lapping up the wicked thunderous praise that went on for minutes, like an ecclesiastical rock star.

Jack Hyles, First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana's former pastor would carry on man-exaltation and bragging matches with the congregation, crying out, “Which is the greatest soul-winning church?” to which the crowd would scream in reply, “First Baptist Church!” and, “Who is the best-known preacher that stands for soul winning?” with the shouted reply, “Brother Hyles!” This circus spasm of boasting would end with, “WE ARE THE GREATEST!” Hyles once boasted, “This is the greatest church in the history of Christianity; we must protect it at all cost; without us, America is gone.” He was a cultish wolf that forced church members, college students, and associated churches to wear pins that stated, “100% for Jack Hyles,” after his sins had been found out, and those that didn't were blacklisted. One man wrote,

“A cursory sampling of his [Hyles’] sermonic output betrays his hopeless propensity to make himself the hero of every story and illustration and depict himself in his sermons in the legendary proportions of his carefully crafted person around which he has built a personality cult rivaling that of Jim Jones” (“On Tootin’ One’s Own Horn,” Biblical Evangelist, July 1, 1992). 

The church wasn’t only the thing that the super-egotistical Hyles bragged about but also numbers and himself. Like most false teachers, their philosophy is bigness and jumboism, with a craze for numbers. He strived to have the biggest church, biggest Sunday School, biggest conferences, biggest Bible college, biggest promotions, and the largest numbers of salvation professions. He claimed to have led over 750,000 souls to Christ. W😳W! How utterly ridiculous. But “Dr.” Bob Gray Sr. over in Longview Baptist Temple in Texas just had to out do him. He’s claimed to have won 1,116,887 people to Christ!!! Yep, thats over a million people, in a city with less than 82,000 people and a county of less than 124,000 people. W😳W! Over 10x the town population, and 10x the county population, have been won to Jesus in the deluded world of this ravening wolf in sheep’s clothing. I guess every person has been “borned again” 10x over in Greg County. Less than 0.2% of the "converts" attend his church on Sunday mornings. Yet practically nothing has changed in this town or county with over a million people “converted,” while Biblically had that happened, the entire town, county and state would have been dramatically changed, which is by the Bible way to the Biblical God, by means of the Biblical true gospel. But they don’t even believe that man will necessarily be dramatically changed, so there you have it with their so-called “gospel.” No true born again believer, knowing how frail and utterly dependent upon God believers are in this present world, would ever allow his congregation to be called “a great church,” or himself, “a great man of God.” Or allow his students to treat him as a rock star. This is the man who authored a book amazingly and blasphemously called “When Principle Was King: The Life Principles of Dr. Jack Hyles.” Let him be accursed (Gal 1:6-9).

Here is an example of a 1993 advertisement to IFB churches for a planned meeting, of Hyles wicked, conceited bragging and love for greatness:

"I plan to have the largest baptismal service in the history of the independent, fundamental Baptists in America, with five baptistries being used at the same time. Each delegate will receive a picture of this historic gathering and a souvenir with which to remember this amazing service. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity--do not miss it! Pastors, do not deprive your people of being present at this great gathering. They will always be able to say, ‘I was there.' There has been nothing like it in the past; perhaps there will be nothing like it in the future. Pastors' School begins Monday, March 15, and closes with THIS gigantic, supercolossal historic gathering on March 18.”

Consider the following amazing statement in an advertisement for a Bible conference in April 2012 featuring Bob Gray, Sr. (of Longview Texas) at Faith Baptist Church, Oak Creek, WI, which is pastored by Dean Noonon, an honorary undergrad from Hyles-Anderson College. The flyer reads as follows:

“There is not a man alive who has personally won more souls to Christ than Dr. Bob Gray Sr. He has been in the ministry for 39 years and daily wins souls. Last year he personally led 404 folks to Christ with 107 of those following the Lord in baptism. He has been used of God to see 1,116,887 souls come to Christ while pastoring the Longview Baptist Temple of Longview, Texas. It grew from a low of 159 to averaging 2,047 the last year he pastored, with his high days of 10,000. They ran 40 bus routes and had a large Sunday school program. He led the church to give $9,328,835.69 to missions.”

It is utterly wicked and once more reflects the heresy and perversion of false teachers such as the Jack Hyles and the Bob Gray Sr.'s and the cults they build in the name of God, who only know the natural flesh thus must be puffed up to gain their emotional ecstasy upon the earth, for after the grave is nothing but sorrow. These wicked false teachers with their boasting blow wide open the gates of hell in their destructive ways and anticipated reunion. None of this of course is found in Scripture, only condemned. Not one place in Scripture do we ever find churches called “great!” When Jesus addressed seven of the early churches, He did not call any of them great and mostly reproved them, even though He never spoke anything negative about the church at Philadelphia. Some might argue that it is alright to report numbers because the Bible says 3,000 were saved on the day of Pentecost and 5,000 were saved shortly after that (Ac 2:41; 4:4), but these statistics were reported by the Holy Spirit rather than by some ungodly, bragging, conceited, full of himself preacher. The Hyles and masses more like him boast and pursue bigness with their false gospel, while the true believers in Scripture preached a true gospel and NEVER boasted of numbers or even talked about numbers at all. They knew very well what God thinks about the seriousness of numbering the people (e.g., 2 Sam 24:3-17). Furthermore, only God knows the true spiritual reality behind the professing converts and thus the numbers mentioned by the Spirit of God actually represented true spiritual conversions! Those saved on the day of Pentecost were genuinely born again and gave immediate and ongoing evidence of this by “continu[ing] stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Ac 2:42). The numbers presented by the Hyles and the Grays and the plethora of other "preachers" are almost entirely false converts, who have been duped into believing a false gospel of easy believism, quick prayerism, no-repentance, no-Lordship, no-change necessary, and the effect is empty professions and dead faith.

What these men really are, is false teachers, ravening wolves in sheep's clothing and abominable liars, and all such will find themselves in the lake of fire when they slam into eternity:

"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life." (Rev 21:8, 27)

This man-exaltation and wicked conceit through boasting is pure man-worship and reveals how depraved and lost these individuals really are. If there ever was a church or people that could've been exalted as "great," the apostles and early church in Jerusalem would have been it, but never is such praise heaped upon them at all, and rather the very opposite as noted by Paul:

“But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man's person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me” (Gal. 2:6).

In the very same chapter and context, he shows how "untouchable ecclesiastical rock stars" are treated when they sin and error and have not genuinely repented, singling out and then rebuking the apostle Peter before them all (1 Tim 5:20), not only before them at Antioch but before billions of people who have read the account in Gal 2, where we read these words of Paul:

“But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews” (Gal 2:11-14)

Peter reaction was miles different than the "great men of God" today, who boast and boast, but wrathfully reject any and all forms of testing, judging, criticizing, admonishing and reproving. They hate the one that is negative and critical towards their teaching in any fashion, and it really doesn’t matter how much you attempt to sugar coat the criticism or reproof. Peter however wasn't anything like that, even though we could he was a great man of God. After this scathing reproof, he called Paul “our beloved brother” (2 Pet 3:15).

Many preachers, if they are truly born again, need to learn the wise words of Elihu:

“Let me not, I pray you, accept any man’s person, neither let me give flattering titles unto man. For I know not to give flattering titles; in so doing my maker would soon take me away” (Job 32:21-22). 

We should have godly respect for authority figures. Godly church leaders should be honored. They are to be “esteemed very highly in love for their work’s sake,” (1 Tim 5) but they should be honoured within the bounds of Scripture and not be exalted in an ungodly manner, after a worldly fashion, above the example of God’s Word. Boasting about preachers and churches and how great they are is a great sin.

There is a Boasting that is Godly and Right — The Born Again Believer's Boast is in the Lord

The boaster must cast aside all his former confidences and boastings, and come to Christ as the worst sinner, for every truly repentant sinner realizes that they are the worst sinner who ever came to thee, an utterly lost, undone, bankrupt sinner, and turning from these all things contrary to the will of God, and with self-denial, look to the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the salvation of their soul.

Not all boasting is wrong. True salvation leaves no boasting in self (Rom 3:23-28; Eph 2:8-9), but it does produce a matter of confidence and rejoicing (Heb. 6:6). It produces godly boasting, which is boasting and glorying in the Lord. This is the proper and only direction of boasting, which is praise to and confidence in God and in His work (Ps. 34:2; 44:8; 2 Co. 7:14; 8:24; 10:15-16; 11:16).

1 Cor 1:31,

"That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."

Glory is used in six ways in the Bible:

• It refers to boasting in both the negative and positive sense of the word (1 Cor 1:29,31; 3:21; 4:7; 5:6; 2 Cor 5:12; Gal 6:13).

• It means praise (Lk 2:14; 17:18; Ac 12:23; Eph 1:6).

• It refers to God's holiness, exalted magnificence, and divine perfection (Jn 1:14; Rom 1:23).

• It refers to the splendour and wealth of a king and his kingdom (Matt 6:29; 19:28; 25:31; Jn 12:41; 17:5, 22, 24; Rom 9:23; Col 3:4).

• It refers to the brilliant light which surrounds the presence of God (Ex 16:10; 40:34-35; Lev 9:6,23; Num 14:10; 1 Ki 8:11; 2 Ch 7:1-3; Ezk 10:4; Mk 9:2-3 [this event is referred to glory in 2 Pet 1:17]; 13:26; Lk 2:9; Rev 1:16; 21:11, 23).

• It refers to beauty (Is 28:1; 63:1).

Paul the apostle is a good example of the right type of boasting, and by default, what boasting shouldn't be. Paul never boasted of himself. To the contrary, he debased himself. He called himself the chief of sinners (1 Tim 1:15) and the least of the apostles (1 Cor 15:9). Paul did not come with excellency of speech or human wisdom. He didn’t try to impress his hearers with grand oratory or with brilliant reasoning powers or captivate their ears by eloquent expressions or boasts of accomplishments. Divine wisdom needed not to be set off with such human ornaments. He was no boaster, nor did he proudly vaunt himself, like his opposers. He never sought his own glory but God's. Paul’s glorying was always centred in Jesus Christ. It was gracious glorying, not vain glory, that gives all honour and praise to God (cf. 1 Cor 1:31; 2 Cor 10:17; Gal 6:14; Ps 115:1). Neither his speech, nor the wisdom he taught delighted in human skill, both of which he had learnt in another school. Paul could glory in the things that God did through him (Rom 15:17). He knew that all things are of God and that he could accomplish nothing apart from God, but he also knew that God uses willing instruments. He specifically addresses this type of behaviour of great humility in 1 Th 2:1-8,

"For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain: But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention. For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness: Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children: So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us."

True Christians "rejoice in Christ Jesus" (Phil 3:3), which is stated in this chapter immediately preceding Paul's testimony of salvation (Phil 3:3-10). Their boast is in Christ, in the Triune God.

“That, according as it is written, He that glorieth [boasts] let him glory [boast] in the Lord.” (1 Cor 1:31; 2 Cor 10:17).

Psalm 33 begins like Paul in Phil 3, when he describes his own salvation: “Rejoice in the LORD.” Paul may have been quoting Ps 33, which is the chapter proceeding the one where the sweet Psalmist of Israel describes his own salvation (Ps 32; cf. Rom 4:5-8). Habbakuk later writes: “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” (Hab 3:18). He relates joy to the salvation of God. With the Apostle Paul, rejoicing in the Lord meant not boasting in himself or putting confidence in his flesh, counting as dung and loss all things concerning his blood lineage, religious state, accomplishments, or exaltation by man in his pre-conversion life, which were all things he would consider as "gain to me," but "those I counted loss for Christ." (Phil 3:7). Though he had more reason than the average man to put "confidence in the flesh," he stated explicitly he "ha[d] no confidence in the flesh." (Phil 3:3). In other words, everything he had accomplished in his previous life, i.e., "Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless" (Phil 3:5-6) — were counted as loss and "but dung, that I may win Christ" (Phil 3:8). Therefore, he "rejoice[d] in Christ Jesus" (Phil 3:3) and not in some fleshly dunghill accomplishments.

"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." (Gal 6:14)

Ps. 44:8,

"In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah."

Ps 34:1-3,

“I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.”

David is “bragging” about God. He is broadcasting his boast of God so that everyone will know of his joy, because to be a child of God is the greatest joy mankind can experience on this side of heaven. The Hebrew word translated “boast” in this passage is “halal,” as mentioned earlier on, from which the word “hallelujah” is also developed. "Halal" is most often used to convey the idea of excitement or delight.

Our boast is designed to magnify and exalt the Lord so that we can halal together. “Magnify” (Hebrew gadal) is an imperative verb that demands us to “make great” or elevate to “great importance” the memory of the Lord.

“Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.” (Ps 104:1)

With similar emphasis, “exalt” (Hebrew ruwm) demands that we “raise up” the name of the Lord above everything else.

“I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth” (Is 25:1).

The born again believers boast is of God (Rom 5:11), of His lovingkindness, goodness, grace, and benevolence, which are manifested in the received benefits. The word “joy” in Rom 5:11 in Greek is “kauchaomai,” and it is usually translated “boast” (Rom 2:17, 23; 3:27; 2 Cor 11:16) but also “glory” (Rom 5:3; 1 Cor 1:29) and “rejoice” (Rom 5:2). It is not referring to emotional joy but to glorying and boasting about God, in what He has done and what He promises, His salvation, His goodness, His glorious character. We can boast of Him because of the great confidence that we have in Christ. Those outside of Christ have no basis upon which to boast of God.

"And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement." (Rom 5:11)

To boast or glory in Christ and the promises of God is rejoicing!

2 Cor 10:17-18,

"But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth."

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet 2:9)