Introduction:
Is it possible to know a kind of pride in God’s work through your life that is not sinful?
Is it possible to look at what God has been pleased to do through your efforts, and count that to be a reason for rejoicing, for a kind of glorying, and yet it not be sinful?
Our text tonight demonstrates that it is. Our text demonstrates that there is a kind of boasting in God, that gives Him thanks and praise for what He has done through your own life. Or, we could even say, THAT YOU GET TO DO WHAT YOU GET TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE.
It a joyful recognition regarding God’s choice to use you that can exist in humility.
AND, as we see elsewhere in Paul’s writings, taking note of God’s work through a person, might also be used as a proof of legitimate ministry — as a defense.
ESV 1 Corinthians 9:1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? 2 If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
What we have in these verses seems to be a bridge.
It is a bridge that joins Paul’s explanation for being very bold, and his explanation for why he has not yet been to Rome.
BOTH ARE EXPLAINED BY HIS WORK IN THE LORD.
Tonight, we will see three truths about godly joy in God’s work through your own life.
• THE REALITY OF GODLY JOY IN GOD’S WORK THROUGH YOUR LIFE (vs.17)
The first thing that we see is that such a thing can exist.
Paul has just described his ministry in priestly terms. He has described his ministry in terms of what he communicates to men — God’s gospel. But he has also described his ministry in terms of what he gives to God — the fruit of his labors in the form of people.
He sees the Gentiles reached through his efforts as a worship offering. His work in the Lord is a worship offering.




John MacArthur – “As Paul ministered figuratively as a priest the gospel of God to the Gentiles, he did so in order that his offering of believing Gentiles to God, as it were, might become acceptable to Him, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In faithful fulfillment of his unique apostolic calling, Paul’s supreme offering to God was a multitude of Gentiles, who by virtue of the Holy Spirit’s power had been sanctified and thus made acceptable for fellowship with the Father. Like Paul, every believer who is instrumental in winning a soul to Jesus Christ presents that convert, whether Jew or Gentile, as a priestly offering to the Lord.”
What Paul now makes plain is that such an offering is something he takes great pleasure in. This is something that he exults in, rejoices in, — in the right kind of way is boasting in it.
Καύχησις - ① act of taking pride in someth., boasting (Jer 12:13) Ro 3:27; 2 Cor 9:4 v.l.; 11:10, 17; Js 4:16; IEph 18:1. In a list of vices Hm 8:3. στέφανος καυχήσεως crown of pride, i.e. to be proud of (Ezk 16:12; Pr 16:31) 1 Th 2:19. κ. ὑπέρ τινος pride that one has in someone 2 Cor 7:4; 8:24. ἡ καύχησις ἡμῶν ἡ ἐπὶ Τίτου our boasting in the presence of Titus 7:14. ἐν κ. ἀπολέσθαι be lost because of bragging ITr 4:1. ἔχω τὴν κ. ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τὰ πρὸς τὸν θεόν I may boast in Christ of my relation to God Ro 15:17; νὴ τὴν ὑμετέραν κ. as surely as I may boast of you 1 Cor 15:31.
I think the best way to express what he is saying would be something like this. “Look at what God has done!” “I stand in wonder at what God has been able to do through my efforts.” “I stand in wonder that I have the privilege to do such things.”
It is not the false humility that acts as if you have not worked.
It is not the false humility that acts as if God has made no use of the instrument.
It is not the pride, however, that would take the credit to oneself.
It is glorying in God for what He has amazingly done through a clay jar like you.
ESV 2 Corinthians 3:1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? 2 You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. 3 And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God,
So, there IS an appropriate kind of boasting, rejoicing, exulting, over what God has done through your efforts. This is woodenly rendered, as the NASB has it, “boasting in things pertaining to God.”