The Reformation phrase of Soli Deo Gloria in light of God’s desire for His own glory is our present topic of discussion. In the last post we looked at evangelism a little. However, we did not look at it from the biblical setting forth of God’s perspective. What is God’s perspective in evangelism? What is His intent in evangelism? Is this even set out in Scripture? Can we really know this at all? Does Soli Deo Gloria have any meaning for us in striving to understand the intent of God in evangelism? Does that have anything to do with how we practice evangelism? If Luther wrote Bondage of the Will so that our view of the will would be in accordance with the glory of God and of the Gospel, it should at least wake us up to how important this might be. It is too easy to go out and tell people a few things in the Bible and call it biblical evangelism. It is too easy to adopt a creed or some principles and then to call ourselves Reformed. Where is the glory of God in this?
The Greatest Command shows us that the purpose of evangelism is to make sinners into lovers of God. If we evangelize with a goal other than that sinners would love God, we are going in the wrong direction. The hearts of sinners must be changed so that they would love God rather than themselves. The Gospel is not all about sinners; it is all about God primarily. If God does all things for His own glory and He loves Himself within the Trinity above and in all manners and things, then evangelism must in some way take those things into account. One way to do this is to understand that God loves Himself and His love is only for Himself. A sinner, therefore, must repent of self in order to love God since the love of God is for Himself and He will only work love for Himself in the sinner. After all, the fruit of the Spirit is love and the Spirit dwells in and works Himself in His people. If there is no love for God in the sinner, then the Holy Spirit is not dwelling in that person and working His fruit.
I Corinthians 10:31 commands us to do all things for His glory. This shows us the goal that we are to have for our own hearts in evangelism as well as what we are to point sinners toward. If we do nothing but tell the sinner some facts about Jesus and a few things about his or her sin, that does nothing toward pointing the sinner to what real salvation is and of what the sinner is to expect for eternity. We evangelize people as if they themselves were the center of the universe and then wonder why they will not deny themselves and submit to Christ after they have been “converted.” The Great Commandment and I Corinthians 10:31 declare to us that sinners are saved in order to love God and to do all for His glory. If we evangelize as if it is all about and all for the sinner, we have not instructed them about who God is and we have not told them about real repentance and real faith. God’s purpose is to glorify Himself in and through sinners. God’s purpose is to make instruments of His glory and then to manifest Himself and His glory through them. Sinners are saved from the guilt of their sin and are saved from sin itself in order to be set apart for the purposes of God. His primary purpose is His own glory. Sinners need to hear that.
Ephesians 1:6, as we have seen in previous blog entries, declares that God saves to the praise of the glory of His grace. This text tells us without equivocation or shame the reason that God saves. “Well,” modern Christians think and say, “we can’t tell people that or they will be offended.” But if we don’t tell them these things they will remain in their sin of self-centeredness and pride, which is what they need to be saved from. Ephesians 2:7 also shows us the purpose of salvation when it tells us this: “so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Again we see the purpose of God in saving sinners. It is so that He might show the surpassing riches of His grace. The Great Commission tells us to make disciples by teaching them to obey all that Jesus commanded. Jesus gave us the Great Commandment. It is only by grace that we can love God.
We must understand that God saves sinners to the glory of His name. If that is true, we must evangelize to that end or we are not evangelizing in the way God intends. Why did God save Israel time after time? Hear this text from Ezekiel 36:22: “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went.” Again we see this in Ezekiel 36:32: “I am not doing this for your sake,” declares the Lord GOD, “let it be known to you.” Why did the Lord take Israel from Egypt and then into the land? “Nevertheless He saved them for the sake of His name, That He might make His power known” (Psalm 106:8). Verses like this can be multiplied many times over, but the point is already crystal clear. God saves sinners to declare and manifest His glory. He does not save sinners just to save them from hell for their own sake. If God saved sinners for no other reason than to deliver them from pain, then He would be an idolater as well. But instead God saves sinners to the glory of His own name and out of love for Himself as triune. That is, in all truth, the holiest of reasons. Our evangelism must reflect that.
God Loves... Himself 
Leave a comment