<p>6:4 <i>But let each man test his own work</i>- In the context of arguing about works, Paul is inviting those who trust in works to put those works through the tests he has just spoken out in his argument about works. Whilst it may be hard to believe, this says that we can prove / test / judge our own works, and thus have rejoicing in ourselves. Although self-examination is fraught with problems, and even our conscience can be deceptive at times (1 Cor. 4:4), there is a sense in which we can judge / discern ourselves now. We can judge brethren and find them blameless (1 Tim. 3:10; Tit. 1:6,7)- all the language of the future judgment (1 Cor. 1:8; Col. 1:22). We cannot personally condemn them, but we can judge their behaviour against the judgments of God as revealed in the word. Some know the judgments of God against certain sins, and yet still do them, in the blindness of human nature (Rom. 1:32). Israel chose to be oblivious of what they well knew; there was no (awareness of) God's judgment in their way of life (Is. 59:8; Jer. 5:4) and therefore they lacked that innate sense of judgment to come which they ought to have had, as surely as the stork knows the coming time for her migration (Jer. 8:7). Judas knew in advance of judgment day that he was condemned (Mt. 27:3).</p><p><i>And then shall he have his boasting in regard to himself alone</i><i>, and not of his neighbour</i>- Perhaps this is sarcasm. Given his argument about the inadequacy of works, Paul may be saying that of course nobody can boast in their works. For at the end of chapter 5 he has criticized the vainglory of legalists in their few good works. The &quot;boasting&quot; later on in this chapter (6:13) was of the Judaist brethren. And Paul teaches against all such boasting: &quot;But far be it for me to boast&quot; (:14).</p><p>But the words are also capable of being read as a statement about how self-examination brings us face to face with our essential loneliness in a healthy way: &ldquo;For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another&rdquo; (Gal. 6:2-4). It is possible to have rejoicing in ourselves alone when we know we have a clear conscience before the Father. But this can only come through being genuinely in touch with oneself; the person who is subsumed within an organization, who is totally co-dependent rather than an individual freely standing before the Father&hellip; such a person can never reach this level of self-knowledge. The N.I.V. says: &ldquo;Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else&rdquo;. We are treading a terrible tightrope here, between the deadly sin of pride on the one side, and the sin of devaluing our own God-formed personality on the other. Only a person in touch with him or herself can have the rejoicing or pride in one&rsquo;s clear conscience cleansed, of course, by grace in Christ of which Paul speaks here. Paul seems to have in mind the words of Job when he speaks of how he will in the very end behold God with his own eyes, &ldquo;and not another&rdquo; (Job 19:27).</p><p>Not only are we to perceive the value of others, but of ourselves too. Gal. 5:26; 6:4 RV make the point that we shouldn&rsquo;t be desirous of <i>vain</i>glory, but of &ldquo;his glorying in regard of himself alone&rdquo;. Secured in Christ, justified in Him, we can even glory in who we are in His eyes. We can be so sure of His acceptance of us that there is such a thing as &ldquo;the glorying of our hope&rdquo; (Heb. 3:6)- all ours to explore and experience.</p>