We have been looking at Solo Christo (Christ alone) in the last few posts and how that relates to God Himself doing all through Christ and of how this is His way of glorifying Himself. In fact, I tried to show that no one can do anything for God and cannot glorify God in his or her own strength. In fact, what must happen for God to be glorified is for the internal glory of God to become external. He only does that through Christ who is the outshining of His glory (Hebrews 1:3). It is only when a believer has Christ and the glory of God is shining through Christ who is in the believer is God truly glorified. The believer is but an instrument through which God’s glory shines in and through Christ. The believer cannot truly glorify God other than be an instrument through which Christ the outshining of the glory of God shines. This is why God hates self-righteousness and works for salvation so much. When a person seeks to work for salvation (or any part of it) along with his or her own righteousness that person is seeking self and the wisdom and honor of self rather than seeking the glory of God out of love for God. That person is also seeking to glorify God with his or her own strength rather than Christ.
When we look at things through the lenses of “meta-theology” or get to the root of God’s own God-centeredness in all things, we can see how utterly obnoxious a works for salvation scheme is. We can also see how utterly obnoxious a scheme that has men and women working for the glory of God according to their own wisdom and in accordance with their own strength is. For a Gospel or a schematic theme of sanctification to fit with who God is as He exists in love within the Trinity is a Gospel or scheme that must be according to Christ alone. In the modern day it appears as if the teaching of the Reformation (and more importantly, the Bible) on Christ alone has devolved into a practice of mentioning Christ or something about Christ in what we do. This is far from the teaching of Scripture and of the Reformation. For example, in his book The Bondage of the Will Luther said he wrote it to defend the Gospel of grace alone. Salvation is by grace alone in order that it would be to the glory of God alone and that the glory of God alone would be through Christ alone and by the grace that Christ purchased.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the Gospel of grace alone and by grace alone that it may be by Christ alone and only in that way is it to the glory of God alone. But it is only to the glory of God alone if it is by the glory of God alone in and through Christ alone. We must see that with conviction. What was the great battle between imputed righteousness and infused righteousness really over? It was over grace alone and Christ alone. The argument was never over whether Christ worked righteousness in the hearts of His people or not, but on the grounds by which God declared a sinner just. If we look at this from the “meta-theological” position, we can see how obnoxious the Roman Catholic position really was to God. When God declares a person just on the basis of Christ alone, that person really is just because that person is one with Christ who is the righteous Savior and the only truly righteous One. When God declares a person just on the basis of unity with Christ and His perfect righteousness, it is to the glory of God because it is entirely the work of God. The declaration that a person is just because of Christ is the glory of God shining forth in Christ and in His people. If we can see that the triune God will only manifest His glory in Christ because Christ is the outshining of His glory, then we can see immediately that the Gospel must be by Christ alone in order to be to the glory of God alone and by the glory of God alone.
The battle over the Gospel of the glory of God in the face of Christ should be settled over the source of that glory and of how that glory is manifested. If we think of human beings as having some abilities in doing things that glorify God, we will end up looking at things a lot differently than if we see that God only shines His glory in Christ and then to humble and broken human beings. God saves sinners to the praise of the glory of His grace (Eph 1:6) and not to the praise and glory of human beings in the slightest. God saves sinners in such a way that they have no room to brag or glory. God only saves the broken and the humble because only they receive the salvation that is the manifestation of His glory in Christ rather than their own. God wants nothing from sinners but their broken spirits which consists in contrite and broken hearts. It is these souls alone that have been so worked on by the Spirit of God that they despise their own glory and desire that of God. It is these souls alone that will receive grace alone so that salvation is truly by Christ alone and not just in name. It is the broken and humbled soul that loves the Gospel of Christ because in that Gospel s/he sees the very glory of God shining in Christ. Until we see the glory of God shining in and through Christ we will not understand the Gospel of the glory of God and of Christ alone. After all, Christ was the very tabernacle (dwelling place) of the glory of God (John 1:14) and it was that glory that was full of grace and truth. When Christ shone with that glory God Himself was displayed (John 1:18). No sinner ever understands the Gospel until the sinner sees the light of the Gospel of His glory in Christ alone.
God Loves... Himself 
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