Glorying in Jesus of Nazareth

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.—Galatians 6:14.

God forbid that any man upon earth, all the devils in hell, all the lusts in our nature, or unbelief of our hearts, should corrupt our minds from the simplicity of Christ, or prevent our glorying in our ever dear, ever lovely Jesus of Nazareth; for he hung on the accursed tree, with all our guilt, and sin, and shame, in his naked, exposed body. Was he ashamed to own our vile characters, or love our sinful persons? No: shall we be
ashamed to own and confess his innocent person, his glorious name, his gracious words, his accursed death, his perfect salvation? Surely then the very stones in the street would cry out against us. And Jesus says, "whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."—Mark 8:38. To expect salvation from no other, and all salvation from this man JESUS, this fellow, this malefactor, as the Jews accounted him, as suffering, dying on the cross, a gibbet, a gallows; this is the very essence of the gospel, the glory of God's grace, the wonder of angels, and the envy of devils; this is the only hope of a poor humble sinner, and the triumph of faith.

Who can fully describe the blessedness of Jesus-glorifying souls! As they find and feel new life from his cross, they experience a crucifixion and death to all legal hopes and vain confidence, which a self-righteous world glory in. From the cross of Jesus they view the world with all its pomps and pleasures, riches and honors, glory and happiness, as accursed, sentenced and devoted to destruction. Therefore, as crucified persons by the faith of Jesus, we die daily to the world. "Christ is our life."—Colossians 3:4.

- excerpt from William Mason's A Spiritual Treasury for the Children of God, Volume 1, August 2