God Loves… Himself

Last week we focused on justification and how the Gospel of God is all about the glory of God. The Gospel is how He has manifested Himself and His glory. In fact, the Gospel is about the glory of God and how He has put that glory on display in bringing sinners to Himself. This brings to mind a very important question which is stated in differing ways. One, if a person has an intellectual belief in justification by faith alone, is that person saved? Another way to state the question would be that if a person is able to state the doctrine of justification by faith alone and profess belief in it, is that person saved? Two, if a person states adherence to a confession of faith that states the doctrine of justification well, does that mean that the person is converted?Underlying that type of question in light of the glory of God in the Gospel is an issue that people need to take a hard look at. While this issue may not seem to be related to justification, it is really at the heart of it. There is an elitism that is going on in the Reformed world today. While “elitism” may not be the best term, perhaps “arrogant” and “proud” are the best descriptive terms. Justification by grace alone through faith alone is to give God all the glory. Man has no room to boast in anything but the cross alone. The true teaching on justification should deliver man from pride and boasting and deliver him into the arms of Christ where he glories in nothing but Christ and the cross. So what are we to think when we see people who hold to the doctrine of justification by faith alone and yet seem so proud that they do? What are we to think when we see people proud of their creed and doctrines?

There are many who are Reformed in some way and yet seem to be proud of what they are. If one is proud of being Reformed, then one is not really Reformed. It seems as if there is an intellectual elitism within some in the Reformed ranks and that should be repugnant to all. Some seem pleased with themselves that they are in the line of certain men of history. Some seem to look down on others who do not know as much history and theology of certain men as themselves. Others are proud that they play certain kinds of music and look down on others who do not, whether this is hymns or contemporary music. How can one hold to such elitism and justification by faith alone at the same time?

Let me cut to the core of the issue. The Gospel of the glory of God in Christ deals a severe blow to the pride of man. If a man sees the glory of God in the Gospel and believes, then that person has been saved. If a person has seen the glory of God in Christ and has truly repented, then that person has repented of pride and self-glorying. What are Christians supposed to think when they see men full of themselves about their theology or music? What are we to think when we see men looking down on others because they are not as Reformed or as contemporary or as historical as themselves? What are we to think of this elitist mentality? The very least that we can think is that these people have forgotten what the Gospel of glory is all about and that they have forgotten what the sovereignty of God in His grace and mercy are all about.

While the Gospel saves sinners, it is really about the manifested glory of God. As long as the Gospel is dealt with as doctrine alone, the Gospel that humbles man will not be seen. The Gospel is full of doctrine, yes, but the purpose of doctrine is to set out teachings of Scripture that exalt God and distinguish between those truths and error that does not exalt God. “Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies” (I Cor 8:1). The doctrines of the Gospel can also lead to a knowledge that makes arrogant. It would seem that those who have knowledge of the facts of the Gospel without true love will indeed be led to pride. In other words, a person can be as orthodox as a human can possibly be concerning the facts of the Gospel and still be dead in his sins and pride.

The world and the Church have enough of the proud doctrinaires. What the Church needs is to get back to the Gospel as it is taught in Scripture. “Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith” (Romans 3:27). The Gospel as taught in Scripture does not leave man any room for boasting, but excludes it altogether. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast (Eph 2:8-9). Again, it is crystal clear that the Gospel delivers men from anything to boast in. So when we see proud men boasting of doctrine or music, whether by life or attitude, what are we to think? They need to be confronted with the Gospel that destroys boasting again.

The doctrines of the Gospel should destroy pride when it comes and shows man at least the following things:

1. The Gospel comes to man as a wretched and filthy sinner.
2. The Gospel comes to man who is worthy of hell and hell only.
3. The Gospel comes to man who is without power in the bondage to sin.
4. The Gospel comes to man who is dead in sin.
5. The Gospel comes to man who is at enmity with God.
6. The Gospel comes to man at the initiation of God.
7. The Gospel comes to man because Christ humbled Himself to take the form of a servant (human flesh).
8. The Gospel comes to man who is under the wrath of an infinite God.
9. The Gospel comes to man who must have grace if he is to be saved.
10. There is nothing that man can do to save himself.
11. There is nothing that man can do to pay for one sin much less all of his sin.
12. There is nothing that man can do to change his own heart.
13. There is nothing that man can do to earn one shred of righteousness.
14. Yet God saves sinners to the praise of the glory of His grace and according to His mercy.
15. Yet God saves sinners to magnify the glory of His own name.

What is there for man to boast of in accordance with who he is and what he has done? Surely, then, it is obvious that if there are so many proud pastors and people in the churches who adhere to the doctrines of the Gospel, there is something wrong. “You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE. 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time” (I Peter 5:5-6). Younger men who are being taught in doctrine whether at church or seminary need to see these things. God is opposed to the proud no matter who they are and how much they know. Any system of doctrine that claims to have a high view of God must also teach that men who see God must be humble in heart. It is impossible for a man to see the glory of God in truth and be proud. It is impossible for men who have such high feelings when singing certain types of music to have true spiritual affections if they are proud of what they are doing and it leads them to look down on others. As Jonathan Edwards shows, a true sign of religious affections is a deep humility where men lay in the dust before God in a form of self-annihilation (self as in selfcenteredness).

A theology and a Gospel that is focused on the glory of God in truth and from the heart is not one that a man can feel proud of and try to honor himself with. So do we need more theology? Yes, but a theology that includes the whole of man. We need to learn the depths of the Gospel from the heart so we can teach the Gospel to people in a way where God’s glory is seen and the pride of man is humbled. The doctrine of justification, as we have seen from Scripture, is that which tears pride from men and leaves him no room to boast at all. At the end of Galatians where Paul set out a long argument with the Gospel, he said this: “But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Gal 6:14). If man has anything of self to boast of or be proud of, perhaps he needs to visit the Gospel again.

It is to be lamented that the doctrine of justification is under attack in our day. However, one reason for that is because men have not been delivered from pride. The true Gospel delivers men from pride and any basis to boast. But where it is not taught and delivered in a way where it goes to the heart, the Gospel can even be used to build pride. As long as the Gospel is not taught in a way that delivers men from pride, there will be many adherents to various forms of false gospels as they continually spring from the proud hearts of men in an effort to maintain their pride. If Reformed theology wishes to stand firm on the Gospel, it must teach the Gospel in a way that destroys the pride of men. As long as a doctrinal form of the Gospel is taught where men may accept it by believing the facts alone, there will be much pride in the Church. Men who are full of themselves and correct doctrine will teach correct doctrine to the glory of their own names. Men who are full of themselves will sing songs only because they are old or because they are new rather than worship the God of all glory. How desperately we need to get back to the Gospel as it is taught in Scripture so men will be delivered from pride and live to the glory of God rather than their own. Men who are full of their own honor and glory have no room or delight in the glory of God other than how it honors them whether it is in the Gospel or elsewhere. The true Gospel must be proclaimed from those delivered from pride so that God would be glorified in lives and hearts.

This entry was posted on May 30, 2006 at 12:28 pm and is filed under Justification. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.