The issue in the past few posts has been on sola fide (faith alone), but even more of why faith alone must be seen in light of grace alone and Christ alone and to the glory of God alone. Some of these have focused on the word “by” which is key to the way many try to hide a work in the phrase of justification by faith alone and make justification out to be less than grace alone. Let me try to get at the issue in a different way for the moment by giving a magnificent quote from the second volume (p. 29) of Herman Bavinck’s Reformed Dogmatics.
“Mystery is the lifeblood of dogmatics. To be sure, the term ‘mystery’ (mustjhrion) in Scripture does not mean an abstract supernatural truth in the Roman Catholic sense. Yet Scripture is equally far removed from the idea that believers can grasp mysteries in a scientific sense. In truth, the knowledge that God has revealed of himself in nature and Scripture far surpasses human imagination and understanding. In that sense it is all mystery with which the science of dogmatics is concerned, for it does not deal with finite creatures, but from beginning to end looks past all creatures and focuses on the eternal and infinite One himself. From the very start of its labors, it faces the incomprehensible One. From him it derives its inception, for from him are all things. But also in the remaining loci, when it turns its attention to creatures, it views them only in relation to God as they exist from him and through him and for him [Rom. 11:36]. So then, the knowledge of God is the only dogma, the exclusive content, if the entire field of dogmatics. All the doctrines treated in dogmatics-whether they concern the universe, humanity, Christ, and so forth-are but the explication of the one central dogma of the knowledge of God. All things are considered in light of God, subsumed under him, traced back to him as the starting point. Dogmatics is always called upon to ponder and describe God and God alone, whose glory is in creation and re-creation, in nature and grace, in the world and in the church. It is the knowledge of him alone that dogmatics must put on display.”
The doctrine of justification by faith alone must be seen in light of what dogmatics and all things are meant to do. We must look at what justification by faith alone means for who God is and the display of His glory first and foremost as the most important aspect in determining what it means. If we start or end with human beings, we will not see what the doctrine really is. Sinners are justified by faith alone must be taken into the very glories of God Himself in order to understand how sinners are really justified. Justification is what God does to display His glory. The word “by” must be seen in light of who God is and how He manifests His glory in this. The word “faith” must reflect a way that God shines His glory into the human soul that is devoid of human works. The word “alone” shows us that it is in truth God alone who glorifies Himself in the salvation of sinners. Justification by faith alone, when seen in the light of God being the one central dogma, is now turned from how we can protect human responsibility and free will at all costs to how can we show this teaching for what it is in shining forth the glory of God. Bavinck’s statement is simply beautiful in that it points us to the source and end of all things. It helps us to keep justification by faith alone in its proper perspective. When justification is seen in the light of God and His glory, many of the issues are then seen in the brightness of His glory.
The starting point for justification, or at least the point by which all things are judged relative to, is the character of God as revealed in Scripture. The truth of a doctrine is only seen and can only be judged as true relative to God Himself who is the true standard of all things. This is one important facet of Scripture alone because we can only know God as He has revealed Himself in Scripture. This leads us to Christ alone because Christ is how God has shone Himself and His glory out. This leads us to grace alone because God shines His glory out in Christ by grace alone. God does not do what He does because of sinners doing something to obligate Him by, but because He is God and does all things out of love for Himself as triune. The doctrine of justification is primarily how God justifies sinners (Romans 4:5; 8:33). God saves to demonstrate His righteousness (Romans 3:25) and so that He would be just and justifier of those who have faith in Jesus (Romans 3:26). He saves to the praise of the glory of His grace (Ephesians 1:6). Salvation is not primarily about human beings, it is primarily about the glory of God. Therefore, justification must be seen in light of the glory of God because it is primarily about God. When we examine justification as if it is primarily about man and defending his rights, we are looking at it upside down and will be deceived for eternity.
God Loves... Himself 
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