Soli Deo Gloria

     We have come to the last of the "5 Solas." These five doctrines of justification help us to remember that our salvation from eternal separation from God is on the basis of faith alone in  Christ alone. We can do nothing to earn this free gift, it is offered to us only by the grace of God. Scripture is our final authority for teaching us these essential truths. These lead us to Soli Deo Gloria, which teaches us that our justification has one purpose, and one purpose only:  To bring glory to God Alone.

    God's glory is important to Him.  It is made up of all of His many attributes and is part of the essence of who He is. "I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols” (Isaiah 42:8). Everything He does is for the purpose of showing forth His glory -- even (or perhaps, especially) the justification of rebellious, sinful man. When we realize that all of our salvation is based on the grace and work of our sinless Creator, with the sole purpose of bringing glory to Himself, there is not room for any man to get any of the credit. Boy, this really made the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church of the Middle Ages angry when Martin Luther and others began to teach this doctrine!

    A great preacher in the early days of our country, Jonathan Edwards, said this:

    "All that is ever spoken of in the Scripture as an ultimate end of God’s works is included in that one phrase, the glory of God. . . . The beams of glory come from God, and are something of God and are refunded back again to their original. So that the whole is of God, and in God, and to God, and God is the beginning, middle and end in this affair." 

    From the beginning, Creation's purpose was to showcase the glory of God.  Remember Psalm 19:1?  "The heavens declare the glory of God."  Isaiah 43:6-7 also teach us this truth: “Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made” God intends for His glory to be on display for all to see!

    God wants us to enjoy His glory!  He allows us to share in that, as long as we realize that it is His and His alone.  Romans 16:11 says, "Those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified."  Did you catch that?  He glorified us! Psalms 16:11 says,

 You make known to me the path of life;

   in your presence there is fullness of joy;

   at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. 

   Jonathan Edwards also had this to say, "God is glorified not only by His glory’s being seen, but by its being rejoiced in. When those that see it delight in it, God is more glorified than if they only see it."  

    What a magnificent privilege we have to share in His glory! He delights in showcasing His glory through us, as His redeemed creation.  Remember, though, our glorification is for the purpose of His. In Revelation 4:10-11 we see the elders removing their crowns and offering them back to the only One deserving of all glory, Jesus. "You are worthy, our Lord and God, / to receive glory and honor and power."

    There are so many things to dig into more deeply in this discussion!  I have just barely scratched the surface in my own study.  I have discovered that there is a treasure trove of riches to be found in looking into the glory of God.  I hope that this short meditation will inspire you to look into it a little more on your own and discover the joys of sharing and reflecting back to God His glory. 

 Johann Sebastian Bach signed each of his musical masterpieces, S.D.G., for Soli Deo Gloria.  I pray that we will learn to live every moment, "To the glory of God alone." 

Soli Deo Gloria