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Reaching Out with the Gospel… “Bragging Rights”

Many people like to brag to others about what they have or what they’ve done.

The child on the playground may brag about what his dad can do. He may even get into a “My dad’s better… stronger than your dad” argument with other kids.

As adults we are inclined to brag about our children or grandchildren and their accomplishments. If one proves to be better than others, or has cuter grandkids than others, it might be said that he has the “bragging rights.”

As Christians we are somewhat reluctant to brag about ourselves, for in His Word our God warns about the destructiveness of pride. However, we do have the greatest bragging rights when it comes to our God. We truly have a God and Father who is greater than all.

We can rightfully and proudly brag and boast about our God!!

Think of it! Isn’t that what Christian witnessing is really all about—bragging about how great our God is?! We will not want to do it in an obnoxious way, yet we can proudly tell anyone and everyone, “Look what my God can do!” More than that, “Look what He has done FOR ME!” And “Consider what He has done FOR YOU!”

Boasting With St. Paul!

From my birth of sinful parents, I was lost and going astray. I was sinning against God every day. Yes, I was His enemy, but still I (and you!) can say, “He loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

Yes, my God loved me so much that He came into this world to suffer and die FOR ME! Jesus endured the punishment of His Father for MY SINS!

The Apostle Paul is often considered to be the most dedicated, zealous missionary of Christ. Read the book of Acts to see how many churches he started and how much torture and abuse he endured for the sake of the gospel.

Humanly speaking, Paul may have had bragging rights as the greatest missionary of all time—a man who sacrificed more for the sake of the gospel than all others.

Yet he did not boast in any of that. Listen to what he tells us he had to boast in: “God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14)!

You, dear reader, as well as I have every bit as much reason to boast alone in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ; on that cross He shed His holy and precious blood for all people and endured the torment of hell so that each of us could live with Him forever in paradise.

Can you think of anything greater about which to boast?! My own accomplishments by themselves are really nothing compared to this gospel of Jesus which tells what He has done for me!

Yes, rightly understood, we Christian believers have the “bragging rights”! No other god and no other religion on Earth can begin to compare.

Let us proudly tell our friends and neighbors—let us boldly tell the world—what great things God has done for each one of us.

What a joy to be able to tell them: “He has done FOR YOU the same thing He has done for me!”