Isaiah 42:8
"I am the LORD: that is My Name: and My Glory will I not give to another."
" I am the LORD" — The name for Jehovah God. "That is my name" — Alluding back to Exodus 3:14; and Exodus 6:3. This is the personal name of God revealed initially to Moses in sending him to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. The underlying Hebrew word is made of four consonants, YHWH, and occurs over 6,800 times in the Old Testament. It is the same name applied to the LORD Jesus in the New Testament, as seen through all of the "I AM" declarations by the LORD Jesus Himself. The "I AM" scriptures in the New Testament are primarily found in the Gospel of John, where Jesus repeatedly identifies Himself using the phrase "I am," including: "I am the bread of life" (John 6:35), "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12), "I am the door" (John 10:7), "I am the good shepherd" (John 10:11), "I am the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25), "I am the way, and the truth, and the life" (John 14:6), and "I am the true vine" (John 15:1).
The Name of God is vital in understanding Who He is and how He exercises His sovereign will over all His creation. The name Jehovah is the Hebrew verb "to be." All things in creation, providence, salvation, and damnation have their existence and being in Him. He is the Everlasting, Unchangeable, Omnipotent God, and not only can but does fulfill all He has ordained without any influence or contribution from any of His creatures. "For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen" (Romans 11:36).
This is the Name by which God has purposed to save fallen sinners. He says, "My glory will I not give to another" — Idolatry is to take what pertains to God's glory alone in anything, but particularly in salvation, and to attribute anything to what the creature may attempt to contribute. God will not suffer that honor and worship belonging to Him alone, and giving it to others or even to themselves. One area where idolatry is prominent in the world is the false message of the so-called "free-will" religion, whereby sinners are told that God has done all He can do and the rest is up to them. They wrongly think that He is waiting for their decision to save them.
A common question that people like to ask is, "When were you saved?" The popular answer is, "When I made my decision for Jesus. That's when God saved me because of my accepting Jesus as my Savior." To believe that is not only to believe contrary to Scripture but to attribute salvation to something that you do as a sinner, rather than confessing that the whole of salvation is not only the work of God from beginning to end but fully accomplished at the cross when the LORD Jesus laid down His life to pay the sin debt for those that the Father gave Him to save. That’s when and where every sinner that God purposed to save was saved—AT THE CROSS!
Some make their salvation occur at the point of their belief. Others, knowing that God has chosen sinners for salvation before the foundation of the world, argue that they were saved at the moment when God decreed their salvation. Yes, God the Father elected a people in eternity past, and He purposed salvation for them in His eternal decree. Yet, in justice, He could not put away sin without a just payment. Additionally, in eternity past, there was no sin because Adam had not been created, and Adam's sin had not been imputed to all men. Also, Christ had not yet come to pay for the sin of the elect. Therefore, God could not and would not justify any, because God the Father could not absolve any of the blame, nor acquit any of the guilt without a just satisfaction first. He could not pardon or remit any sin before His law and justice were satisfied. "Without shedding of blood is no remission" (Hebrews 9:22).
When Adam fell sin was imputed to all men. "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" (Romans 5:12). In the same manner, when the LORD Jesus was obedient unto death, Righteousness was imputed there and then to each of God's elect for whom He died. Even as Adam fell in time, and there was the once-and-for-all imputation of his sin to his race, so it was necessary that the LORD Jesus come in time and fulfill in His life the perfect righteousness required of the Father, and upon completion of His work, the Father would once and forever justify (declare righteous) those for whom He died. One imputation of sin in Adam, and one imputation of righteousness at the cross.
The LORD Jesus Christ came into the world to save His people from their sins (to justify His people at His death on the cross) (Matthew 1:21). To reconcile them, He had to be the God-Man, born of a virgin. He lived a sinless life to work out a perfect righteousness as the elect's representative. He shed His blood on the cross, and because of this, He could be both Just and Justifier (Romans 3:26).
Justification is Christ's work alone. Only Christ can absolve me of all blame, acquit my guilt, pardon and remit my sin, and deliver me from the punishment I so deserve. "Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:" (Romans 3:24). He alone obtained eternal redemption for all His elect at the cross (Hebrews 9:12). He alone is The Justifier.
What then is the role of the Holy Spirit in salvation? In time, the Holy Spirit comes and quickens the elect, who are born into the world in darkness and spiritual blindness. He convicts them of guilt, causes them to see their need for God's salvation in Christ, and shows them The LORD Jesus Christ and His complete work of salvation accomplished for them at the cross. The Spirit never speaks of Himself (John 16:8-14), but guides elected sinners into all truth (John 14:6), and causes them to see that The LORD Jesus Christ alone is their salvation at the cross. It is not when the Spirit gives life to the redeemed sinner that God justifies them. No! The Spirit's work is to glorify the LORD Jesus and His shed blood unto death as all their salvation and justification before God. Justification, therefore, is not the work of The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit cannot absolve me of blame, acquit me of guilt, or pardon and remit my sin and its punishment. That was Christ's work. The Holy Spirit convicts me. All of the Glory belongs to The LORD Jesus Christ alone.
There is no faith independent of Christ. Christ obtained justification and eternal redemption at the cross (Hebrews 9:12-15). Faith is not the Savior. Faith looks outside itself to Christ and His work accomplished at the cross alone. Faith did not die on the cross. My faith can't absolve me of blame, nor can my faith acquit me of guilt. My faith is never able to pardon and remit sin and its punishment. This is not faith's work; if I believe my faith justifies me, it becomes " a work." Christ plus anything is salvation by works and will damn the soul. Salvation was accomplished at Calvary and is not conditioned on any personal belief. My works before men cannot absolve me of blame, they cannot acquit me of guilt, nor can they keep me from punishment. If I add one thing to Christ, to His work of justification at the cross, or His finished work there, it becomes salvation by works and will damn the soul. An elect, redeemed, and called sinner has no confidence in the flesh (Romans 3:4).
Some try to conclude that the justification of sinners is four-fold: in eternity, at the cross, by faith, and by works, depending on what text and verse they want to quote. But Scripture declares only ONE justification that belongs to The LORD Jesus Christ alone. He shed His blood, bearing the shame on the cross that He might be LORD of all. To believe in justification anywhere but in the finished work of Christ on the cross is to create a rival with Christ. We cannot add to Christ's work, or His work would not be finished (John 19:30). ALL GLORY TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. JUSTIFICATION IS BY HIM, AND IT HAPPENED AT THE CROSS.
I think I understand what you are saying, but there is one statement that concerns me; "The Holy Spirit cannot absolve me of blame, acquit me of guilt, or pardon and remit my sin and its punishment. That was Christ's work."--- Jesus said, "I and My Father are One"; How is it possible to separate the Godhead? Please help me understand.
Amen!
“It is finished!”
What is finished? Redemption-work is finished. And from that moment the empire of sin, death, hell, and the grave were vanquished…and that song was sung in heaven… “Thou was slain, and hast redeemed us to God by the blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.” (Revelation 5:9)
Colossians 1:19-22 KJV
[19] For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; [20] and, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
[21] And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet…