“Therefore I have reason to boast in Christ Jesus regarding what pertains to God.” Romans 15:17, CSB

The word therefore is an adverb meaning consequently or as a result of. It’s frequently used to link two or more ideas together, indicating a conclusion or a consequence that can be logically expected to follow. 

It’s also used a lot in the Bible. 

Depending on your translation, you’ll see it 446 times (NIV), 561 times (CSB), 798 times (ESV)  or a whopping 1,237 times in KJV. One thing I’ve always been taught is that when you come across the word therefore in the scripture, always stop and ask what the therefore is there for. 

You see, the word therefore implies that the action or idea that is about to be said is a result of the actions or idea that were previously stated. And yet, many Christians don’t know what preceded commonly known and quoted verses that start with the word therefore.

“Therefore take up the whole armor of God.” (Eph 6:13 ESV) Why do we take up the armor of God? Because our battle is a spiritual one. (Eph 6:11-12)

“Therefore you should pray like this.” (Mat 6:9, CSB) Why should we pray like this? Because Jesus doesn’t want us to pray like the hypocrites and show-offs. (Mat 6:5-8)

“Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow…” (Mat 6:34, CSB) Why don’t we have to worry about tomorrow? Because when we seek first the kingdom of God, He provides what we need. (Mat 6:25-33). 

Incidentally, that section also starts with a therefore. “Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life.” (Mat 6:25, CSB) Why don’t you have to worry? Because you’ve chosen to serve God and place your treasure in Him. (Mat 6:19-24)

A LIFE FULL OF THEREFORES

We get tired, therefore we take a nap. 

We get hungry, therefore we grab a snack. 

We get hurt, therefore we lash out and hurt someone back. 

Anything we do, whether it’s good or bad, happens for a reason. Every idea we believe, every truth we claim, every lie we can’t seem to let go of was created by something we learned or experienced. 

Life is a string of therefores. 

The beautiful thing about that is when we realize how life is strung together, we can direct it. Because each therefore in life also represents a choice. 

If you didn’t do your homework as a child you could lie and say the dog ate it or you could admit you didn’t do it and ask if you could turn it in later. Each of those choices write the story in a different way. 

You didn’t do the homework therefore you created a lie about the dog. Or you didn’t do the homework therefore you got a zero or therefore you got half credit when you turned it late. Our chosen reactions dictate our therefores.  

In Romans 15, Paul talks about Christ sanctifying the Gentiles, about the gospel being extended to them as well as the Jews. He quotes several Old Testament books and shares his own experiences. He goes on to talk about that being why he is traveling and preaching. 

In the middle of that, though, is a therefore. “Therefore I have reason to boast in Christ Jesus regarding what pertains to God.” (Rom 15:17, CSB)

We have the whole Bible to tell us who God is. 

We have years upon years of books and stories and songs from people telling us what God has done in their lives. 

We know the power, mercy, and grace of God. 

THE IMPACT OF THEREFORE

What we choose to do with all that is our therefore. 

Like Paul, do we boast in Christ alone? Or do we seek our own acclaim?

Do we try to reinvent an understanding of God or do we look at the rich history of God’s works and claim Hebrews 12:1 which says “Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us… let us run with endurance the race that lies before us”?

So much of our lives are spent wondering what we’re here for, when the truth is He’s already provided the answer in the therefores. 

We were made to produce spiritual fruit (Luke 3:8), to acknowledge Christ’s lordship before others (Mat 10:32), to share the good news of the Gospel (Mat 28:19), to repent (Acts 3:19), and to live in opposition to sin (Rom 6:12). 

It’ can be a daunting task. Fortunately, like Paul, we don’t have to boast in our own abilities because we can claim the strength and purity of Christ. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!” (2 Co 5:17, CSB)

Christ has done the work we could never do and provided the strength we could never attain. Therefore, today we can make the choice to live for Him.