Soli Deo Gloria
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Over the last several week, we have reflected on four Latin terms that grew out of the Reformation.
Sola Scriptura - that Scripture alone is our inspired and inerrant authority - not tradition, or people - Scripture
Solus Christus - Christ alone is our means of salvation.
Sola Fide - we experience the salvation from Jesus Christ by faith alone
Sola Gratia - salvation is a free gift of grace from God - it can’t be earned.
If Scripture is the foundation of these solas and Christ is truly the centerpiece of these four (Scripture tells us of Christ, Faith and Grace are the means by which we receive the salvation the Christ made available for us), then this final Sola becomes the capstone...
Soli Deo Gloria
Soli Deo Gloria
Literally means “to the glory of God alone.” God gets the glory for Scripture - He inspired it. God gets the glory for our salvation through Christ - he ordained it and initiated faith and grace as means. Truly in all of life - God should get the glory.
According to the Dictionary of Theological Terms - ...
Dictionary of Theological Terms (Soli Deo Gloria)
The significance of the phrase is twofold: first, that God’s supreme end in planning, purchasing, and applying salvation is His own glory (Psa. 106:8; Isa. 43:25; 48:11; Ezek. 36:22; Eph. 1:6); second, that therefore the chief end and intention of those who have received God’s saving grace in Christ is to bring glory to Him (1 Cor. 10:31; Rev. 4:11).
While the focus for the reformers was on the Glory of God in salvation, there is an element of “Soli Deo Gloria” which permeates far beyond the salvation of his people. It is more, but not less than that.
Today, as we wrap up this series, we’re going to take a brief survey through the God’s Story in Scripture and what the narrative of Scripture reveals about God’s glory - especially through the lens of Psalms 95, 96.
Let’s begin by considering...
God’s Glory Intended
God’s Glory Intended
As with anything that someone creates, there is a sense in which that which is created gives glory to it’s creator. In my office, I have a little bit of artwork. One by the professional artist Thomas Kinkade - entitled “Placerville in the Snow.” I think I picked this one up from my Grandparents because they used to live near Placerville. This print is consistent with most of Kinkade’s work - the colors, the way he captures humanity, the motion - all bring some glory to him. You can clearly differentiate between the Kinkade’s work and the work of the other artist that is prominently displayed in my office - Zoe’s. The style is different, the colors are different, the media are different. In fact Zoe’s painting is an interpretation of a photograph taken by Melody. Both prints or paintings glorify their creators.
In much the same way, from the very beginning, God’s glory was intended to be displayed through his...
Creation
Creation
The Psalmists regularly return to this theme of God’s glory revealed in creation. (Ps. 96:11-13 “Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord...” )
We could talk all day to ponder the genius, wonder and beauty of God’s creation and still not exhaust all there is to consider about the glory of God.
Balance, precision, and variety in the galaxy - (Psalm 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” )
The topography of our planet - from the majestic mountains to the deepest oceans, fertile plains and desert regions. The chill of the poles and the warmth of the equator. - (Psalm 65:6-8)
Variety of seasons and weather patterns - (Psalm 135:7 “He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.”)
Peculiarities among created things that thrive on our planet - Plant life, Birds, Sea Creatures, Reptiles, Insects, Mammals
Creation compels us to respond with us a sense of awe and wonder toward the Creator, and hopefully humility. (Psalm 8:1-4)
But among God’s creation - as magnificent as it is - there is one part of creation that is special to God - that is...
Humans
Humans
Of all of his creation, we are the only ones that bear his image. John Piper has said.
“So God makes us in his image. We could argue about whether it is our rationality, or our morality, or our volition that makes us in his image. The point is, he makes humans in his image to image something, namely, himself. So our existence is about showing God’s existence or, specifically, it’s about showing God’s glory. Which I think means God’s manifold perfections—the radiance, the display, the streaming out of his many-colored, beautiful perfections. We want to think and live and act and speak in such a way that we draw attention to the manifold perfections of God. “ (New City Catechism, p. 30)
In the creation account, humans - namely Adam and Eve, were the only ones with whom God chose to fellowship - to commune, to reflect his image. (Genesis 1:26-27)
God allowed humans to have dominion and stewardship over the rest of God’s creation. In being given this role, humans were given a couple rules to follow:
Multiply - Gen. 1:28
Eat from everything except from one tree: Gen. 2:15.
We don’t get a lot of insight into those first years, but we do see tragically that God’s glory, his fellowship - was rejected...
God’s Glory Rejected
God’s Glory Rejected
Near the very beginning, Adam and Eve rejected the good word and fellowship of God with the deception from Satan. This resulted in...
The Fall
The Fall
We see this in Genesis 3:1-7.
In this encounter, Eve was approached by a serpent who caused her to question the goodness and wisdom of God. He caused her to long for the glory that should have been God’s alone - after all the serpent said that she would be “like God.” So, in an act of hubris and rebellion, Eve ate of the forbidden fruit. She gave some to Adam who was with her - and he ate. Immediately, they knew good and evil - they knew their shame and their nakedness.
As a result...
sin entered into the world.
sin entered into the world.
Humanity and even all of creation was corrupted by the stain of sin. Paul writes concerning all of those who have rebelled against God...
Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
Adam and Eve, and, by extension, all of us - exchanged the glory of God for the temporary pleasures of His creation.
A secondary result of this rebellion...
exile
exile
Adam and Eve were banished from the garden where they initially enjoyed perfect fellowship with God. Now the work and multiplication that God had commissioned for them would be filled with pain and toil.
We see this in the rest of Scripture with...
His People Israel
His People Israel
In spite of the rebellion of humanity, God demonstrated grace and mercy - showing his loving kindness. Scripture traces how God called Abraham from the stupor of his paganism and entered into a covenant with him. They walked together and the story of God’s work and his promised blessing was passed along to subsequent generations. As the people grew, God continued to show Himself faithful in spite of repeated rebellion.
God eventually initiated a system where by his fallen people could fellowship with him - in a way that gave them a bloody reminder of their sinfulness and His grace through the sacrificial system.
For centuries there was the constant tug - relationship, rebellion, repentance, return, repeat.
We see this in the Exodus as there is this nearness and distance of God in pillar of fire by night and the cloud by day. His glory went with them - they followed him - and yet they still struggled. In fact the Psalmist recognizes this tug -
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture,
and the sheep of his hand.
Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,
when your fathers put me to the test
and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.
For forty years I loathed that generation
and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart,
and they have not known my ways.”
Therefore I swore in my wrath,
“They shall not enter my rest.”
Meribah and Massah was where the Israelites grumbled against God. While God responded to their grumbling with water, the underlying damage was done - they did not trust God and wanted to replace his glory and presence for slavery in Egypt.
A few decades later, when the Israelites finally made it to the promised land, we learn that the pillar was no longer with them. Instead, God called them to establish a Tabernacle at Shiloh as a means of representing his presence. And yet, even with his faithfulness to fulfill his promise of land and patience with them through their rebellion, we continue to see cycle of relationship, rebellion, repentance, return, repeat through the judges.
Then, as the people continued to long for glory for themselves - longing to be like the other nations, they begged for a King. After just three generations of kings, the nation split in two. Eventually the cycle of relationship, rebellion, repentance, return, repeat was broken. Rarely, did the people come to repentance - and when they did it was too little, too late. Just as God removed Adam and Eve from the garden, He was left with only one recourse for the rebellion of Israel:
The result: exile
The result: exile
In two large waves - God allowed the people of Israel (the northern kingdom) and Judah (the southern kingdom) to be conquered and taken into exile. He created a void. This physical exile paralleled a spiritual exile that was happening.
Ezekiel saw this in a vision from the Lord:
Ezekiel 10:18 (ESV)
Then the glory of the Lord went out from the threshold of the house....
Eventually the glory of the Lord departed from the city.
And yet there was still hope.
Through Ezekiel and the other prophets, God continued to communicate to His people. The prophets proclaimed...
God’s Glory Promised
God’s Glory Promised
God promised to continue to redeem and restore his people. Shortly after seeing the vision of the departure of the Glory of the Lord, Ezekiel foretold the promise:
Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: Though I removed them far off among the nations, and though I scattered them among the countries, yet I have been a sanctuary to them for a while in the countries where they have gone.’ Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.’ And when they come there, they will remove from it all its detestable things and all its abominations. And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.
God promised a return. God promised continued fellowship. Ultimately, God promised...
Christ
Christ
Jesus Christ would be the means of the glory of God returning. He is the embodiment of God’s presence in the temple.
David VanDrunen notes that: “Soli Deo gloria becomes part and parcel of the gospel through the Lord Jesus Christ.”
He suggests that Jesus comes as the “true and ultimate temple of God.” Although God, through the tabernacle, then later the Temple and the sacrificial system created a way for the people to fellowship with him, Jesus steps onto the scene as the eternal temple as the last and perfect sacrifice.
VanDrunen continues:
God’s Glory Alone—The Majestic Heart of Christian Faith and Life (The Promised Messiah, King of Glory)
Jesus came as the dwelling of God among men, the brightest revelation of divine glory (John 1:14). His name was Immanuel, “God with us” (Matt 1:23).
Through Jesus life, death, burial, resurrection and ascension - the division between our sin and God’s holiness is removed.
And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.
The writer of Hebrews expounds on this...
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
What’s more, just as God promised through Ezekiel - the the heart of flesh and walking in obedience is realized through the...
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
The Holy Spirit could only come once the victory over the consequences of our sin was atoned for.
With Jesus’ victory on the cross and the Holy Spirit indwelling believers, proclamation of God’s glory takes on a new dimension, a broader dimension, a personal dimension as we see, finally...
God’s Glory Experienced
God’s Glory Experienced
So God intended that he would be glorified through his creation - most of all through his image-bearing people. VanDrunen suggests three areas of our lives where we can experience and exhibit the Glory of God - contrasting those with some pitfalls of our current age.
He begins by contrasting:
Worship and Prayer in an age of Distraction
Worship and Prayer in an age of Distraction
It’s no mystery that our age is an age of distraction. There are ads upon ads clamoring for our attention. There is the constant reminder of emails, text messages that demand our immediate attention, the social media posts to keep up with and maintain, news clips, financial updates, and more. We think that we can multi-task, but we’re ultimately just shuffling one thing to the fore front of our attention and moving other things around. If you’re still working, all of those distractions happen before, during, and all-around the pull of your employment. It makes it difficult for us to be present in conversations and in the tasks and activities that are before us - maybe even the assignments from God.
Research has revealed that the media-driven, distracted environment in which we live is actually re-wiring our brains - making it difficult to think deeply or meaningfully about the challenges around us.
We’re going to talk about one way that we can counter some of that next week as we reflect on Psalm 46:10 ““Be still, and know that I am God...”
In his book on the Glory of God Alone, VanDrunen suggests that worship and prayer are helpful disciplines in this fight with the distractions of our day.
Worship is a way for us to get our eyes and our minds off of us, away from our distractions, and onto the glorious attributes of the Triune God.
J. C. Ryle states that “The glory of God is the first thing that God’s children should desire.” Our acts of worship - whether in
private worship or our corporate gatherings
song or silence
in reading God’s word or journalling about God’s work in our lives...
…worship brings God glory and lifts our gaze from the blue-light of our electronic babysitters.
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
For the Lord is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.
Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering, and come into his courts!
Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth!
But, beyond worship, God has given us this good gift of prayer as the vehicle through which we can communicate with Him. Maybe, if you’re like me, you’re thinking - “I’m often more distracted in prayer than I am with anything else.” Prayer can be challenging - especially if you pray silently. Even though I pray through a list of people and requests (which are on my phone), it’s very easy for me to pray a bland and thoughtless prayer like “Lord be with....” and think I’ve accomplished the task. Maybe we need to re-wire our prayer. Maybe we , maybe I, need to pray my prayers out loud - so that my ears are hearing what my heart and mind are communicating through my mouth. Maybe we need to write out our prayers.
Jesus gave us a good model in the prayer that he taught the disciples to pray:
Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
God you are holy, you are glorious, your love and mercy are without end, your justice and righteousness are sure and true.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
As Jace said several years ago - “Let what’s up there be down here.” Maybe even more specifically - let your mind, your heart, your desires, your actions be in me. Think about that - if we’re doing God’s things, thinking God’s thoughts, loving what God loves, desiring what God wants - then God will be glorified and we get to experience the brilliance of His glory.
Give us this day our daily bread,
In the Old Testament - God was known as Jehovah Jireh - God the provider. In this we recognize that he provides for our needs - whether through work, through charity, through surprise blessings - he is our source.
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
The the forgiveness we receive reflects the forgiveness we give. Help us to forgive in your ways.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Guide us in your ways and protect us from the evil of the world around us.
Some translations finish off the prayer with a doxology - a glorification of God:
“For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever, Amen.”
So, we can experience the glory of God as we battle the distraction of our age with worship and prayer.
Secondly, we should demonstrate...
Reverence and humility in a culture of Narcissism
Reverence and humility in a culture of Narcissism
In our narcissistic culture, we can become so focused on us, on our glory, on how good we are, or even how bad/low/depressed we are, that we fail to look on our condition with healthy eyes. We fail to see ourselves the way that God sees us.
But when we reflect on God - being holy, just, powerful, loving, merciful… (and all of the attributes that we could include) - we see him for who he is, then our natural response is humility.
In Isaiah 6, Isaiah got a glimpse of God in that way - high and lifted up, exalted, worshiped (Isaiah 6:1-4)...
...and responded with humility.
And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
In turn, God responded with forgiveness - and ultimately a call on his life.
Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar.
And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
Oh that we would gaze on his glory - not with physical eyes - but with spiritual eyes - and see the wonder of who God is - and respond with humility.
Finally, we should keep our perspective...
Eternal in a world limited by the Temporal
Eternal in a world limited by the Temporal
It’s not difficult to see just how temporary things are. Children grow quickly. Years seem to fly by. The gadget you purchased last week is already out of date. Earthly glories like a flambé - they shine brightly, capture attention briefly, and then fade quickly.
However, when we comprehend that we live as people with a sort of dual citizenship - then we will recognize that the pleasures, trials, and events of life, while they are meaningful for a moment, are eternally fleeting.
VanDrunen suggests that we should view the eternal vs. the temporal by remembering two things in addition to our dual citizenship:
We are Sojourners - there was an old chorus that said - “this world is not my home, I’m just a passin’ through...” - we are here for the years and decades that God ordains and then we get to be present with him for eternity. Finally,
We are exiles - Do you remember what happened to Adam and Eve? The were exiled from God’s presence - from the garden. What happened to the people of Israel? They were exiled from the promised land. In both of those cases, they were exiled as a punishment. For us, because Christ, in a manner of speaking, exiled himself from heaven and became like us, he redeemed us from our spiritual exile and brought us into a right relationship with God (if we have responded to his call). We are therefore no longer exiled from God, but we are exiled from the world. The values, standards and worldview of the culture in which we live do not apply to us - we act by different values, we live by different standards, and we operate by a different worldview - an eternal one that is rooted in Scripture and in the Glory and character of God.
Closing thoughts
Closing thoughts
God intended for his glory to be revealed through his creation - especially through his image-bearers - you and me. The sinful response of our ancestors and our willful sinful response today caused us to reject His glory and pine for the temporary things of this life. In His grace and mercy, God promised His glory to his creation through Jesus Christ. Because of his humiliation and exaltation - now we get to experience and walk in his glory each day. Oh, may we never take that lightly.
J.S. Bach - a composer who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries wrote tons of music for the church and for the world at large. At the end of each of his compositions, Bach would write “SDG” - which stands for soli Deo gloria - as he wanted to remind himself and the world around him that God alone gets the glory for his work. May our lives be marked by that same attitude - Soli Deo Gloria.
Let’s pray.
Benediction:
(singing the doxology)
Sources:
Cairns, Alan. Dictionary of Theological Terms. Belfast; Greenville, SC: Ambassador Emerald International, 2002.
Strong, James. A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible 2009: 24. Print.
The New City Catechism: God’s Truth for our Hearts and Minds. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2017.
VanDrunen, David, and Matthew Barrett. God’s Glory Alone—the Majestic Heart of Christian Faith and Life: What the Reformers Taught…and Why It Still Matters. The 5 Solas Series. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2015.