Galatians 6:4 Commentary and Bible Study

The self-deception which makes us ignore our failure to bear each other’s burdens results from a false comparison. Instead of measuring ourselves against God’s unchanging and perfect standard, we compare ourselves with other human beings. The result is that we judge ourselves too leniently, for it is not hard to find something worthy of praise if the standard is other fallen human beings. If however we raise our eyes to God’s perfection then all comparison will leave us falling far short, and we will get a true glimpse of ourselves. To interpret the verse in this way it is necessary to add words which are understood but not expressed – ‘will have rejoicing in himself, and not in comparing himself with another’, as Hendriksen suggests.‘And then shall he have rejoicing...’ As Calvin says, these words are not ironical, as if it were impossible for us to find any grounds for praise when we look soberly at our own lives. Paul readily admits that a true believer may find real cause for praise within his own conduct. Our problem is that we praise ourselves when we deserve no praise, and we do not judge ourselves in truth; it is this that he is concerned about. Here we need to be very careful, but if God will praise us on the last day, then we will not disagree with him that there is solid grounds for his reward, only we will give all the credit to him. The Christian can quite properly rejoice in a good conscience (Acts 23:1; 2 Corinthians 1:12; Matthew 6:6), and should not deny that God has given him a new nature out of which flow genuinely good works, pleasing to God. If we are more honest and objective in assessing ourselves, says Paul, then we can truly derive joy at the fruit God has given us, and that joy will be solid joy and not some fabrication based on false comparisons. Each one of us stands alone before God in judgment and not hidden in a crowd of others who might make us look better than we are. Of course when Paul says, ‘he shall have glory in himself alone’, he does not mean that the Christian should fail to give credit to the Lord. All who know God know that they would not be what they are unless the Lord had transformed them by his Spirit and put a new willingness to obey him in their hearts, therefore ultimately they owe everything to him including their good works. The word ‘alone’ is not with reference to God but to other human beings.