“Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith."
Romans 3:27
True humility before God is not a virtue we manufacture by striving, nor is it the result of obeying a command to “be more humble.” The law—whether it commands humility or any other virtue—can only provoke self-effort, and self-effort is powerless to produce the humility God requires. In fact, when humility is sought as a work, it becomes just another occasion for pride or despair. The law of works leaves us either boasting in our supposed progress or crushed by our failure. Both outcomes are bankrupt.
But God, in His wisdom, has utterly excluded boasting—not by demanding more effort, but by instituting the law of faith. This is not a secondary matter. The difference between the law of works and the law of faith is the difference between death and life, between condemnation and justification, between being left outside as a stranger and being brought in as a son.
The Humility That Faith Produces
The humility God seeks is not the fruit of our discipline, but the inevitable result of seeing ourselves in the light of His gospel. The deeper our faith, the deeper our humility—because faith opens our eyes to the truth of our desperate condition and the magnitude of what Christ has done. We come to see, with clarity, what was righteously due to us: wrath, judgment, exclusion. We see the full horror of our sin and the just demands of the law. Then, we see what God has done—at infinite cost—to righteously justify us.
This is not theoretical. It is the only path to true humility. When we grasp that Christ Himself is our righteousness, that we contributed nothing but our need, and that the only thing we did was believe, all boasting is silenced. The law of faith leaves no room for self-congratulation. It leaves us saying, “I did nothing! I simply believed the blood.” This is not self-abasement, but the humility that comes from standing on holy ground, clothed in a righteousness not our own.
Christ’s Blood: The End of All Accusation
God has not compromised His righteousness to justify sinners. He provided Christ as the propitiation, the acceptable sacrifice whose blood answers every claim of the law. The blood of Jesus is not a sentimental symbol; it is the final, unassailable answer to every accusation—whether from the law, from Satan, from others, or from our own conscience. It is the only currency God accepts for redemption, and it is the only ground on which He justifies the ungodly.
Faith in the efficacy of Jesus’ blood is not a minor detail; it is the very heart of the gospel. To trust in anything else—even in our own humility or repentance—is to deny the sufficiency of Christ and to reintroduce boasting by the back door. But when we rest in His finished work, we are justified, redeemed, and every accusation is answered. God remains righteous, and we are made righteous—Christ Himself is our righteousness.
What Is Lost If We Accept the Error
If we accept the lie that humility or righteousness can be produced by our own effort, we forfeit everything. We lose justification by faith alone, and with it, our sonship and inheritance. The moment we turn back to the law of works, boasting is reintroduced, and Christ is made of no effect to us. The conscience is never cleansed, accusations are never silenced, and the door to assurance is slammed shut. This is not a peripheral issue—it is salvific. To compromise here is to abandon the gospel itself.
The Only Boast: Christ Alone
God has so ordered salvation that all boasting is excluded. The law of faith leaves us with nothing to claim but Christ and Him crucified. Our only response is worship and gratitude. We are not merely forgiven; we are clothed in the very righteousness of Christ, a righteousness that answers every demand of heaven, earth, and hell. This is the foundation of peace, the source of true humility, and the only ground of assurance.
If you would know the rest and freedom of a cleansed conscience, if you would walk in the liberty of sonship and the confidence of an heir, you must come by the law of faith. Christ is your righteousness—now and forever. Boasting is excluded. The work is finished. Believe, and stand in the light of what He has done.
For further study on Christ as our righteousness, sanctification, and reward, I encourage you to dig deeper into the Scriptures and discover the unsearchable riches that are yours in Him.
