Ultimately with R.C. Sproul
Episode: Where Is Boasting?
Date: May 13, 2026
Host: Ligonier Ministries
Overview
This brief episode centers on a profound theological question: Where does boasting belong in the Christian understanding of salvation? Drawing on reflections from a lifetime of Bible study, R.C. Sproul delves into the topic of being chosen by God, tackling common misconceptions about election and pride, and emphasizing the foundational Christian doctrine of grace.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Misunderstandings about Election and Pride
- R.C. Sproul recounts a recent interaction:
“Somebody said to me recently, I told somebody that I believe that I was chosen, and the response was, well, you're very egotistical for saying that.”
(00:00)
- He addresses the misconception that believing you are "chosen" by God is egotistical.
2. The Grounds of Election
- Sproul explains that ego only enters if people believe they’re chosen due to something inherently good or admirable about themselves:
“If we think that we're chosen because we were so eminently choosable, and that God chose us for something he saw in us or foresaw in us, yes, that would be supremely egotistical.”
(00:17)
3. The New Testament Teaching: Election by Grace Alone
- He clarifies the scriptural view:
“But if the concept that the New Testament teaches is correct, that he chose us according to his purposes and his good pleasure and strictly by his grace and not by something in us, it's the end of egotism.”
(00:33)
4. Pauline Authority: Boasting Is Excluded
- Sproul references the Apostle Paul:
“Like the Apostle himself says, where is boasting? It's excluded. If my salvation rests completely on the grace of God, I have nothing of which to boast in myself. It's the end of egotism.”
(00:47)
Notable Quotes
Timestamps for Important Segments
- 00:00 – Common misconception: Chosen = egotistical
- 00:17 – Why believing you’re chosen can appear egotistical (if rooted in self)
- 00:33 – New Testament view: election and God’s grace
- 00:47 – Boasting excluded by grace; reference to the Apostle Paul
Memorable Moment
- The central, memorable assertion of the episode:
"Where is boasting? It's excluded."
(00:47)
This encapsulates the humility demanded by the Christian doctrine of grace.
Summary:
Through incisive, biblically grounded reflection, R.C. Sproul dispels the notion that belief in election is a form of pride. Instead, he points to God’s sovereign grace as the sole basis of salvation, concluding that Christian faith leaves no room for self-congratulation—“It’s the end of egotism.”
