I suppose most of us have seen men who gloried in what they were, or at least in what they perceived themselves to be. Truly wise men are not very apt to glory in their wisdom, but some men, because they have considerable formal education, equate that education with wisdom, and consequently glory in this perceived quality. Many men who have achieved some degree of authority or position in society, tend to be at least to some degree swelled with pride because of it. And many of those who have come into great wealth are quite apt to let that advantage affect them adversely and to become somewhat pompous. But neither the wise, the mighty, nor the wealthy have any just grounds to glory in anything other than the Lord.

    In First Corinthians 4:7 the apostle Paul asks three very probing and sobering questions, and the correct answer to them gives us the greatest reasons why no one should glory in who they are, or in what their position is, or in what they possess. (1) "Who maketh thee to differ from another?" (2) "And what hast thou that thou didst not receive?" And (3) "If thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?" The answer to the third question is, men glory in what they have received because they either do not realize they received it of God; they do not believe they received it of God, or else they have lost sight of the fact that they received it of Him. 

    A person who possesses wisdom, has it because God gave it. They did not produce it themselves. A person who has authority and position in the world, is in that place because God has so blessed them. And a person who has wealth, has it because God gave the increase. They may take credit to themselves and claim that it was because of their industry, good business sense, and diligent labor, and it is indeed true that these things play an important part in some people's riches, but ultimately God is due the credit for any good thing that any of us possess. It is very wrong for us to glory as though we had not received it from Him. And we make a grave mistake if we think otherwise. Paul said, "He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord" (I Cor. 1:31).