Transcription: Soli Deo Gloria
So as I said, we come tonight to Soli Deo Gloria, the final sola on our list. So this is the fifth of the five solas, and we've worked through up to this point now. Sola Scriptura, that's at the foundation for everything that we've discussed, that from scripture alone, we understand who God is, we understand who we are, we understand salvation. So it all begins with the scriptures that teach us, that inform us, that drive us. So from there, we then talked about Sola Gratia, so we talked about that grace alone. So it is by grace we are saved, it is not of ourselves.
And then from grace, we talked about faith, and it is that grace that gives faith. So Sola Fide, okay? And then from faith, we then saw what is it that, who gives us grace, who gives us faith, but Christ alone, and that there is no other name under heaven by which man can be saved. So we talked about Christ alone. So Christ is our all in all, and that is where we left off last week, as we now come to the ultimate finale in Soli Dei Gloria, for the glory of God alone. So this is our topic, is for the God's glory alone.
So we'll look at this in three distinct ways tonight. So first, we'll talk about a historical perspective, we'll talk a little bit about Reformation, some of the misconceptions when people think of this term, then we'll deal with a theological understanding of the term, and then finally, we'll look at a practical or a common way that we can apply this term to our lives. So we think historically, the idea of glory, the glory of God, of God of glory. We come first, of course, to Luther again. We have the Luther rose before us here in the Reformation. And one of the things that people will critique about Soli Deo Gloria is the fact that Luther himself was against a theology of glory, okay?
So part of this will become a misunderstanding, but the theology of glory is ultimately Luther's biggest pet peeve. When he looked at the Roman Catholic Church, what he said often is that their theology was all about glory and transcendence in God apart from the humiliation of God. And so one of the things that people will pick up on is how can the Reformers be about the glory of God alone if Luther was so against God's glory? This is to clearly be a straw man argument because Luther in no way, shape, or form was against the glory of God. However, when we think of it, the glory of God must be placed in its proper context. And the proper context of God's full glory begins and ends with the salvation of mankind through the humiliation of God, through the death of Christ.
So that it is not simply about doing the proper works and God gets glory as you do great things for him, but rather the ultimate and full glory of God is revealed in his son. So this is what Luther will make his primary theology. It is through Christ alone, the death of Christ alone, that Christ and God get the fullest experience of glory. It's not in the riches, it's not in the big buildings, it's not in all the fancy architecture. That is not where the glory of God is seen. The glory of God is seen ultimately and fully in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ alone.
That, the theology of the cross or the theology of humiliation, is the cornerstone of Luther's theology which gives God glory. So again, so one of those things people will highlight, again, thinking of Luther being anti-glory, Luther is not anti-glory, but glory in its proper context. Again, so it's not about the big shiny things, not the big things that are sought for God's glory, but the son alone is what Luther will highlight. The other critique of this in a reformed perspective becomes Calvin. So people will say one of the things that Calvin often spoke about is the glory of God given to humanity, that humanity finds glory in God and therefore in themselves are glorified. That may sound confusing, but there's an emphasis that Calvin highlights a lot of the dignity of mankind.
So it's where we get the fact that the humanity begins in Genesis 1 and 2, not Genesis 3. Often people think of reformed doctrine as Genesis 3 over, like we're just worms and dust and humanity is of no value and is just, God was just nice to us. We were of nothing. Though Calvin would be what we say is Genesis 1 and 2, that mankind is made in God's image. God gave mankind image and in such he gave them a form of glory because mankind took on God's perspective. Mankind is of value, not in of his intrinsic self, but in the fact that they bear God's image thus gives them a value greater than creation.
Okay. So this will often be Calvin's argument. Okay. It's not that Christ died because he loved his image so much, but that he loved himself to gain the most glory in our salvation. So Calvin has this understanding in view. And so when we look at Calvin.Right, and he's gonna highlight things like Isaiah 43 For I am the Lord your God's okay speaking to Israel in their salvation I am the Lord your God the Holy One of Israel your Savior I gave Egypt as your ransom cush and see but in exchange for you because you are precious in my eyes and honored or Gloried is also a way that is translated and I love you I give men in return for you people in exchange for your life fear not for I am with you I will bring your offspring from the east and from the west.
I will gather you I will say to the north give up and to the south do not withhold bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth Everyone who is called by my name who I created for my glory whom I formed So gal Calvin will often connect the glory of God To his salvation of mankind that in his love for them. He is most glorified Okay, these are very similar themes but highlighting them from different directions So when people say things like Calvin and Luther were against God's glory as we understand it They were not they approached them from different directions than the Roman Catholic Church and in such we're critiquing a false understanding and As we travel through history the glory of God will become a major theme. There is one famous composer Does anyone know who signed all of his works? With to God's glory Johan Sebastian Bach signed all of his Writings with the solo SDG. So SDG is on all of his writings It's because he believed that every work of mankind should be done for the glory of God So after pouring his heart on it was simply for God's glory and fame. So this becomes a theme throughout History and again, we see it often in the arts that performance for the glory of God supremely and so everything is done for the exaltation of God's name and So that's just a brief kind of touching on some overview historical points Some of the misnomers we'll get into here in our theological understanding So when we think of the glory of God the first thing that it is not The glory of God is not the same thing when you read in Scripture the glory of the Lord Okay, so usually we saw this last week in the book of Exodus that the glory of the Lord would be shown in the morning Okay When the manna would come it said the glory of the Lord would be shown.
It's the first time it appears in the Bible The glory of the Lord shown round about them and they were greatly afraid Everyone know when we talk about the shepherds the glory of the Lord is a manifestation of glory in an actual physical sign so that's like you think of the kind of glory they're like, ah God Okay. So when we talk about solo de gloria, this is not that this is different. Okay, so usually we use the word glory of the Lord for the God knocking people down showing himself Different phrase. Okay, just so we are clear on all our terminology Sometimes people get these things mixed up. So we want to begin with this foundation So we talked about the glory of God alone. It is for his prestige for his name So when we think glory, it's that lifted high is that picture so put on a pedestal above all else So glory in that phrase not a physical manifestation of himself, so they are Different and so for our historical theological understand This is the direction that the Reformers went is that everything that happened was for God's glory alone Specifically as I think you've begun to see is salvation is the purpose Is the purpose being driven in the solace?
It's who is the one who saves how does God save? How do we understand salvation? This was what the Reformers were fighting for was a true understanding of the gospel So what do we believe and how do we believe it? And so ultimately it is that salvation itself exists to give God the most glory Okay, so each of the pieces along the way culminate here in all of those things must be true for God to be most glorified If anywhere along the way those four first steps break apart God is not perfectly glorified for in each of those other states something else can receive glory Okay, something else can be put on a pedestal as having achieved Something and so this drives the understanding of Soli de Gloria that all of this leads to this beautiful picture that God is supremely God There is no one else who can match his work. And so we begin in Romans 11 So it's the text I want to begin with thinking theologically. This is usually where most people will highlight Romans 1133 through 36.
This is the end of the theological section of the book of Romans Okay, one of the thingsthat we highlight in Paul's writing. Paul loves to do theology first, application second. Okay, and there are several points along the way where he'll end with these little doxologies or praises of God as he transitions into application. And so this is what we also see in Romans. And Romans, of course, is the gospel theological text. If you want a deep understanding of the theology of the gospel, it's the book of Romans.
Unpacks it, deep theology. There's not any really specific Romans-based issues. What I mean, when you read Paul's letter, he's not addressing any issues in Rome. He doesn't know them. He doesn't really have a relationship with them. He wants to.
He wants to go there. He wants to meet them. But I don't know you, and since I don't know you, what am I gonna give you? The thing that I'm most passionate about, the gospel. So I'm gonna give you the theology of it. I'm gonna give you the basic application of it.
That's what Romans is. And so you're not lost in any, like, well, what's the culture like? It is the gospel. It's pure and simple and beautifully written. And so this is where we go to even now as Paul finalized his theological discussion and makes this transition, he ends it this way, beginning in 33. Oh, the depth and the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God.
Okay, after giving all this theology, this is what he says. How unsearchable are his judgments. How inscrutable his ways. For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid. For from him and through him and to him are all things to him be glory forever. Amen.
All glory, all majesty to him alone. All that is said and done is to make much of him. And we see this throughout the books of Paul's writing. Paul and Peter and Jude and Revelation, or given to us by John, all have these themes and will all have these statements time and time again reflecting on God alone is the one who receives glory. Ephesians 3, 21, to him be glory in the church and in Christ throughout all generations, forever and ever. Philippians 4, which we just went through not that long ago as Sam worked through it.
To our God and Father be glory forever and ever, amen. Peter in his works in verse 4, 11, whoever speaks and whoever speaks oracles of God, whoever serves is one who serves with strength in order that everything God may be glorified through Christ. So in 1 Peter 4, he's given this list of how to live out the faith and in the end for the glory of God, that God may be glorified in everything we do, he will be made much of. And so all this begins to point to the fact of for God to be most glorified, for God to be most put on display, it is that he is the one who has done all these things. He is the one who has saved us. So the theological foundation begins with the fact that God alone is the one who causes all things to be.
Okay, so in this series, we've been looking at these individual pieces and he is the one who has brought it about. And in so doing, he is most honored and glorified throughout history. So in Egypt, we talked about the fact that he brought them alone through the Red Sea. Did anyone help him accomplish anything in the Exodus? No, he did it all. Even as we got to the fact of the last three weeks, they've hit crisis after crisis and they go to Moses and each time Moses is like, I don't know, I can't fix it.
I can't make bitter water sweet, it's a little bit beyond my pay grade. You have no food, congratulations, neither do I. We have no water, neither do I. These are not things that I can accomplish. Only God can accomplish it. And in so doing, he receives all the glory because only he has done these things.
They accomplish nothing on their own. They do not have the power and this is what is continually reminded of them. All the more we continually see this in the life of Israel. God reminds them time and time again, he acts for his glory. Isaiah 40 to eight, I am the Lord, that is my name, my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. Theological understanding highlights God is glorified alone in the world.
So even when we think about life and we think about salvation, we think about one true God, Israel, okay? When we think about Israel's worship of God, it is to be only to him, for he is the only one worthy of being glorified. For all other carved idols are worthless. Again, Isaiah's got long jokes about tossing them into the fires and there's lots of sarcastic points in the book of Isaiah. Enjoy the book of Isaiah, it's fun. So does Ezekiel.
They've got many stinging condemnations against idolatry. But we too are quick.to not give full glory to God as we turn to other things in the world. And God continually reminds us, specifically again in the life of Israel, while he is a loving God, that he is slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, it does not mean he passes over our blatant idolatry. He did not pass over Israel's blatant idolatry, but rather calls them to the mat when the time was right so that these words are true, only I am worthy of glory. Only I will be glorified. So we think at the end of all time, when we get to Revelation, all knees, every tongue will confess that God alone, Christ Jesus is king to his glory alone.
It is not anyone else that can receive this glory. For he heard every creature in heaven and earth and on the earth and under the earth and in the sea and all of them saying, to him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever. When the time ends, this is the song of the elders. This is the song of the saints. To them alone, to God alone is all glory from now until the end of time. For they alone have saved.
He alone has saved. He alone is the one worthy. He is the one who commands all of our life. No one compares to him. From beginning to end, he is the one who has created mankind. He is the one who has given life to mankind.
He is the one who's given the law to mankind. He is the one who's given resurrection and hope to mankind through repentance and faith in Christ. He is the one who's done all these things, not to make much of us but all the more to make much of him. He is our God. And so our texts continually reinforce this thing that the Apostles were clear that we must remember that everything in our lives must focus on this end. So that's why as we think about that's the theological, it transitions into our practical outworking.
So what does this mean? I think we can mentally go, yes, all glory to God. He is the one who has saved us. The Epistles repeat this, but what does that practically look like? How does this shape us? And I think this is actually the most important part when we think of Soli Deo Gloria, is how does it actually work itself out in our lives?
Because when we asked last week, Adam asked that question, what is the most ignored of the Solas? This is ultimately what I still think is the most ignored of the five Solas is Soli Deo Gloria, because it kind of becomes a passing, yes, all glory to God. And then we just move on. Like we say it, but do people actually mean it? Or is it simply just a motion people go through? It's like the Emmy speech, I'd like to thank God, my mother, everyone in the world that has helped.
Do I actually mean it? Or is like, well that's what I'm supposed to say. So we're supposed to say all glory to God, cool, it's in Scripture. But does that shape who we are? Do we think about our lives in the fact of, do our actions reflect those who live for God's glory? This takes us to 1st Corinthians 10.
So again, the book of 1st Corinthians dealing with a church that has lots of issues. Okay, 1st Corinthians, it's probably one of the most messed up churches in Scripture that we have a long epistle to. Again, you can debate some of the churches in Revelation. But 1st Corinthians has a lot of stuff going on, a lot of confusion. Okay, it's also the church Paul probably spent the most time with. He spent a long time with them.
Before he left, he wrote them a very lengthy letter addressing some of their issues. Technically, we know roughly he wrote at least three letters. We only have two of them. But he spent a lot of time with them. In the book of 1st Corinthians, it'll also say that they're the proof that he is an apostle because they came to faith. This messed up church with all their problems is proof that Paul's an apostle.
It's probably one of my most, I find the most fun statements in the book of 1st Corinthians. But this point is he goes, when looking at all the things, when all of our life come together, so whether you eat or drink, and he's talking about idolatry and how people eat and drink and how they live their lives, do whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. So be purposeful. Okay, so if the aim of our lives is to live for the glory of God, that means that our lives must be lives of purpose. Is the glory of God a passive thing or is a purposeful thing that we strive for? Again, when we talk about the Israelites of old, idolatry was a chosen, that you're choosing idolatry over God.
You're choosing to add the Asher poles and the Baal worship and all these other ones. They're willfully choosing that God is not enough. Okay, in our day and age we don't...have it that obvious. Okay, we're not usually going to random bail. I don't even know if you probably could. I'm sure there's some part in Pasco County because it's Pasco County that you can still do that.
If people have lived here long enough, you know what I mean. But just we're a weird County. So that picture, though, of idolatry in our context tends to be much more passive idolatry. Okay, we equally turn to the world for all of our answers instead of God. We just don't have graved images that we do it to. Okay, but we will look to the world, we'll look to politicians, we'll look to science, we'll look to all sorts of things to solve our problems and not to God.
And this in many ways is idolatry because part of it is we're not thinking volitionally. Again, not that those aren't good things, not that you shouldn't go to a doctor, you should. It's good to have those things. But what is our goal in all of our actions? Day by day, do you think of your life as being lived for the glory of God? Do you stop at all during your day to think, do these actions reflect those who are seeking to glorify God?
Or are we passively going through life every single day? Do we passively simply exist? And this is the admonition that we have in our text. Whatever you do, and again this isn't even like a don't do things, this is whatever you do. Whether you eat or drink, however you are choosing to live out the faith in accordance with God's rules and admonitions in Scripture, do it for God's glory. Do it with joy.
Do it to make the most of who God is. Because that's ultimately what living for the glory of God is, is living to make God most known. Okay, do we do that? When we go out the door in the morning, do we think about how we can make God known today? So I think about recently I was at a, we had a pastor's conference with some of our friends. They did a conference down here called Practically Pastoring.
And one of the guys there is a t-shirt designer. He does t-shirts. You may have seen Adam and I wear them. He's got one that says, how can I pray for you? Okay, it's become like a giant movement all of a sudden, like in the last year. But he actually started it almost three years ago.
So when it was just simply the fact that he was traveling around the country, him and his wife, he does t-shirt design. So he has a printing thing so he can travel and just meet people and do stuff. So he's got a lot of flexibility. It was just, what can I do to make the most of God while we're traveling the country in an RV? He's like, I print t-shirts. So one day he, the first he started with just putting a sign out.
He just put a sign out like, how can I use my day for the glory of God? Just a little camper sign that says, how can I pray for you? That's it. Just every, every random RV site, they just put the sign out front, go about their day. Said over a year, not one person ever stopped to ask for prayer. Every single day, put it out.
Nothing, nothing. Kept praying like, Lord, use this for something. He said they were in Texas, had been about a year, and he was pretty much done. He's like, I don't know. They were at the back of a campground. Like the person sent them to the farthest place possible.
He's like, there was no access. Nobody could see us. But he just was like, I guess I'll put the sign out. So he put his sign out out front. He's like, there's not even anyone here. But, so what have you been doing?
So he's like, this is what I feel the Lord has for me. So he puts his how I can pray for you out next to his little camper. He's like, no one's gonna see this. And he said later that night, someone knocked on his door. Very confusing. Because also people tend to leave you alone, apparently, at RV parks.
But it was actually the camp, it was actually the maintenance guy who runs the camp. And so his immediate reaction is like, this guy's gonna be mad about my sign. It's like, technically it's like it could be advertising. People have made comments. And so he's like, this guy's gonna be mad about my sign. And he's like, and that's not what happened.
The guy's actually like, hey is this your sign? It's like, yeah. It's like, will you pray for me right now? And they had a whole conversation. And the guy actually walked him back. He's like, so, like just going through his entire life.
Like he was supposed to move back home. Money fell through. His entire life had begun to fall apart. His like father had died. Like it was just a massive, everything was falling apart. Life was bad.
I just need someone to pray for me. And so he's prayed with him there. They kept walking. Kind of worked through this whole discussion. And then he took him to a tree. Which personally this still sounds like a creepy moment.
He's like, and he's like, and that's where I was gonna hang myself an hour ago before I saw your sign. He's like, I already, the ropes already there. Like it's, which is still a creepy story. But, but there is a fact he's like, and I just, he's like, there's no way anyone could see the sign. The only reason he saw it is because he was riding his bike away to do things. And it's like, I just saw it while I was going.
So, I was like.I got a shot. I'll ask this guy to pray for me. Maybe it'll do something. And so that then started a movement. He prayed with him again. He still has contact with him.
Not that the guy got saved. That's always what people want to say. But his life began to ask questions. He still apparently has conversations with him. But that began to like, clearly the Lord was doing something. And just every day, being faithful to what he felt the Lord, that I'm gonna give God glory with while we're here.
So whatever the Lord has, now there's t-shirts everywhere. It's very popular. He wears them. Airports, people stop him all the time to pray. We have them. It's become a movement of just being purposeful with your day.
That's all it was about. It's like, how can I use my day purposely to make much of God? And prayer is a very simple thing that we forget. And not just a like, oh, thank you for your prayer request. Okay. Like, but actually stopping and actively praying for people.
And doing that well. As an act of making much of God. And again, some of that sounds very super spiritual. Some of it's literally just hanging out with people. Jesus hung out with sinners. For the purpose of making his father known.
For making salvation known. He hung out with people. It wasn't just like, come to church. It was like, I'll come to your place. And we'll hang out. And we'll talk.
And we'll get to know each other. It's using the time that we have to make the most of God. And in that is also understanding that the only way people can come to salvation is by God. You can't make them come to faith. It is all the work of God alone who does that. We are just faithful with the message.
And that's where we get the encouragement that God is the one who works. And God does amazing things for his glory. To make much of himself. And that's not an egotistical thing. The one who is worthy of all glory, honor, and power is the one who has created all things. If there's anyone who, it's always something, is there anyone who can be egotistical?
Clearly it's God. He's the one who has done all things. Worthy of praise, honor, and glory. Thus, he is the one who receives all our praise. And so this is where this historical understanding has continually progressed, is the fact that the glory of God is our pursuit. Now some can abuse it.
Of course, as I said, it's been abused by people where it just becomes a passing. I had a professor in Bible college who used to say this all the time. He would quote Isaiah 42 all the time. I am the Lord, that is my name. My glory I give to no other, nor praise to carve idols. Became like a, just beat people over the head that God is amazing and you all suck.
This is recorded. But that was like his mantra. It's like, okay, everyone is bad and God is good. Awesome. Okay. That even we had one girl who's like, well, how does this change my life?
Well, God is glorified and that will change your life. Okay. It just starts becoming like this blanket statement that loses its, like the glory of God motivates our lives because it does shape us. Our understanding of everything we do is motivated by, should be motivated. Do we do this? Of course not.
We understand that that isn't how every single day goes, but the motivation is, but that is what we are called to continue to pursue. And he is the one who continues to do this for us. So we're called to grow in these endeavors. And so I hope that as we continue to push on next week, as I said, we're going to deal with the idea of Semper Reformanda. We're going to unpack each of the five and highlight some different ways that we see that continually being worked out, how each of the five still have their own work, even today, as we look back on them. Well, again, we'll talk about the idea of always reforming.
Again, always reforming is not always progressing. Those are different things. Okay. Often people think that the reformation was progress. It was not progress. It was reformation, which simply means to reform around the original.
We're going back. Okay. So it's that scripture is our guide. So we reform around the gospel. So reformed. We are reforming it back to as it should be.
And so as we see throughout history, it's very easy to get lost in tangents. And so history is full of tangents. Doctrine and theology is full of tangents. And often tangents become priorities, and then we lose the gospel along the way. So next week we'll unpack how those different, how the solos often become tangents that become their own false idols and how we need to continually be reforming back to the gospel, the heart of the faith found in Christ alone. So that is what is on deck next week as we bring our solos to a close.
So questions, comments, thoughts, charges of heresy.
