1 Corinthians 1:28-29 As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God. God has united you with Christ Jesus.
The first and immediate consequence of being called as a follower of Jesus is that I have no grounds whatever to boast and say, ‘Look what I have done.’ I can only be thankful for what God has done in me and for me. For reasons unknown to me God chose me and united me with His son, Jesus. How on earth can I boast about that? I had no part in it; I didn’t lift a finger, I didn’t sign some statement of belief, I didn’t work my socks off to help the poor and homeless, and I certainly didn’t set out keeping all the 10 commandments. Augustus Toplady expressed it well in the old hymn ‘Rock of Ages’:
Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Saviour, or I die.