As for me, God forbid that I should boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world died long ago, and the world's interest in me is also long dead. It doesn't make any difference now whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we really have been changed into new and different people. May God's mercy and peace be upon all those who live by this principle. They are the new people of God. (Galatians 6:14-16)

Paul makes a bold statement here. He doesn't want to brag about anything except for what Christ has done for him, lest people think that all the work he's done has by his own strength. I hope that I will be able to say that I have been changed into a new and different person from who I used to be. I know that I'm certainly not the same person that I was when I was born, or when I was 10, or 20, or even 30, but now at 33 I hope that people will be able to tell that I draw my strength from Jesus Christ, who made me and knows everything about me. I want people to realize it is not me who is loving people, but it is the love of Christ which motivates me.

Whatever I happen to be now, it is because of God. "Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God." (Hebrews 3:12)

The author of Hebrews implies that we need to be examining ourselves to see if we are living the way Christ wants us to. However, if we find that we come up short (and we are going to come up short and sin) there is a solution:

That is why we have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to Him and never stop trusting Him. ...Let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it. (Hebrews 4:14, 16)

Amen! May my life be an example to others.