In the last two posts we looked at Solo Christo (Christ alone) in the sense that we looked at how this is true for God Himself. When we look at the teaching of Christ alone in this way, we begin to see how artificial, contrived, and even works oriented it is to command people (as Scripture does) to glorify God and leave them in their own strength, wisdom, and power to do so. The command to glorify God teaches us to be empty of self and to look to God for Him to do this in and through us. The command is really another way of commanding believers to love God with all of their being and of course they have no access or source of love but God Himself. But if Christ is the outshining of the glory of God, then this teaches us to be empty of self and look to Christ to fill us with the love and glory of God by grace alone in order that we do this by Christ alone. God will only glorify Himself through Christ because Christ is the outshining of His glory and so His command to glorify Himself in all that we do will never be at odds with receiving all by grace and doing all by and through Christ. In fact, the command to love Him and the command to glorify Him teach us to do all Solo Christo as that is the only way that they can be done.
I hope that it is clear that God’s purpose is to glorify Himself in Christ and since Christ is the very outshining of the glory of God there is no way to glorify God but God’s glorifying Himself in and through human beings by and through Christ. Human beings have no glory to give God and they can do nothing for God. We must always keep this basic teaching in mind that no human being can do anything for God. All of the commands of God are expressions of God’s own character and glory. All of the commands of God cannot be kept by human beings out of love for God and His glory unless it is God Himself who is working these things in them through Christ and the Spirit of Christ. It is not just that we are to take the name of Christ upon our lips when we preach or do things, but it is to be Christ in us that is working in us and is shining Himself through us to do the commands of God. Only then are we glorifying God in the sense that it is God’s glory shining through Christ and then human beings.
In modern America men and women are trying to come up with new ways to make God look good. They are trying all kinds of music and ways of doing church and not doing church. The problem is that they are trying to find ways of doing these things in their own wisdom. But when we look for ways to glorify God in our own wisdom we are not looking to glorify God through Christ alone. Christ is to be our wisdom and the Spirit of God alone knows the mind of God. Instead of trying to dream up ways to make God look good in our own power, we need to look to Christ as our wisdom and seek His face for a sight of God’s glory in order to be filled with Him. It is only when we are filled with the glory of God that the glory will then be manifested through us and so God truly be glorified. If it is not the glory of God shining through Christ and by that in and through believers, it is not the glory of God in the first place. It is simply human beings striving to make God look good in their own power. That is nothing but another works oriented way of trying to please God in the guise of orthodoxy.
If Christ is the glory of God in the sense that He is the outshining of the glory of God, then that has major ramifications for all of theology and life. Where do we go if we want to see the glory of God shining in His love? We must go to Christ alone to see the beauty and glory of that love. This is one reason why Christ told us that it is by our love for one another that men will know we are His disciples (John 13:35). While it is incredibly annoying to the unbelievers of the world, I John 4:7-8 is quite clear that there is no love in any human being other than those who have been born of God and know God. Let us never forget that John 17:3 tells us that eternal life is to know God. Jesus then prayed this in John 17:26: “and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” It is not just that God has feelings for those He loves, but the very love with which He loved Christ is in the believer.
What is this love of God that is in the believer? Is it some mental construction that we have or does it have to do with God Himself dwelling in the believer? If one aspect of love has to do what is best for another, then if God sets His love on a person He must give the person Himself. The love that flows within the Trinity is not a power greater than God, but is how the triune God exists in love. It is God Himself. So when God sets His love on a human being, He is giving Himself and giving a love for Himself. As the only true source for love in the universe, when God gives Himself He is giving that person a love for Himself. But since love is how the triune God exists, when God gives Himself He is sharing Himself with that person. The person is being brought to a place to share in God’s love for Himself through Christ. The person is united to Christ and so shares in the love of the Father for the Son and can only be found in the Son. That is Christ alone and nothing but Christ alone.
God Loves... Himself 
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