“that no flesh should glory in His presence.”
Verses 29-31 explain why God chose ignoble to confound the noble, why He chose the weak to render inoperative the strong, and why He chose those with less academic credentials to confound those with high academic credentials. The reason? God will receive glory for God’s work, not man.
that no flesh should glory in His presence.
“That” is a term for strong purpose and ultimate end. God shows that by rendering inoperative the philosophical systems of this world and choosing lesser powers for his purpose, all glory should go to Him. He is totally self-sufficient and needs nothing. Man is finite and needs God.
God negates human pride. The word “glory” means pride in self-confidence, self-glory. It carries the idea of to brag. That is why we do not glory in the messenger but in the message. Everything in our society points to human achievement and pride. God takes full responsibility for His system of truth. Man’s pride rests on the illusion that man can find the ultimate truth. Man cannot come to God independently, so God does not give him the option of doing so. God shatters all pride and self-sufficiency of man.
PRINCIPLE:
If God does the doing, God gets the glory.
APPLICATION:
If God does the doing, God gets the glory. If a man works for his salvation, then He gets the credit. If God provides Jesus as the sacrifice for our sins, and He paid the price wholly and sufficiently for them, then God gets the glory.
Eph 2:8-9, 8For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not of works, lest anyone should boast.
There is no place for human glory in the grace of God, whether in salvation or sanctification.
