“And the Jews marveled, saying, How does this One know letters, not being taught? Jesus answered them and said, My doctrine is not Mine, but of the One who sent Me. If anyone desires to do His will, he will know concerning the doctrine, whether it is of God, or I speak from Myself. The one speaking from himself seeks his own glory. But the one seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, this One is true, and unrighteousness is not in Him” (John 7:15-18).
In the immediate context, Christ speaks of seeking the glory of the God who sent Him. Jesus Christ is the One “seeking the glory of the One who sent Him” and there is no unrighteousness in Christ who is the True One. But this also has application to those who are not sinless who nevertheless seek the glory of God alone in the face of Jesus Christ (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:6).
A prophet of certain unbelieving men had this to say:
“He now puts another mark on the doctrine itself, by which it may be known whether it is of God or of man. For every thing that displays the glory of God is holy and divine; but every thing that contributes to the ambition of men, and, by exalting them, obscures the glory of God, not only has no claim to be believed, but ought to be vehemently rejected. He who shall make the glory of God the object at which he aims will never go wrong; he who shall try and prove by this touchstone what is brought forward in the name of God will never be deceived by the semblance of right. We are also reminded by it that no man can faithfully discharge the office of teacher in the Church, unless he be void of ambition, and resolve to make it his sole object to promote, to the utmost of his power, the glory of God. When he says that there is no unrighteousness in him, he means that there is nothing wicked or hypocritical, but that he does what becomes an upright and sincere minister of God” (John Calvin).
The Calvinistic consensus is that God enables men to rob Him of His redemptive glory by causing them to meet certain “non-meritorious conditions” for salvation. This Calvinistic teaching contributes to the ambition of men by exalting them into the place of Jesus Christ as sole condition meeter. This teaching robs the glory that is found solely in the face of Jesus Christ by transferring it to the antichristian face of the sinner (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:6; 1 John 2:18-22, 4:1-3).
From Vincent’s Word Studies (definition of “antichrist” as used in 1 John 2:18):
“While the false Christ is merely a pretender to the Messianic office, the Antichrist ‘assails Christ by proposing to do or to preserve what he did, while denying Him.’ Antichrist, then, is one who opposes Christ in the guise of Christ” (italics Vincent’s).
The Calvinistic conditionalist is one who opposes Christ in the guise of glorifying Christ.
Agrammatos 