This week we wrap up our series on the five solas. We have spent the past couple of weeks looking at the tenants of the protestant reformation. We have also looked at what these solas mean for us in our everyday lives. This week we look at Soli Deo Gloria and what that means for us as the body of Christ.
Soli Deo Gloria means “God’s Glory alone.” What is the glory of God? I often hear this phrase and I am sure many of you have heard this as well, but do we know what it actually means? As many of you know, I am a huge fan of John Piper and I think he explains the glory of God clearly in a recent article he wrote:
“In speaking of God’s glory, the Bible assumes that this infinite value has entered creation. It has, as it were, shined. God’s glory is the radiance of His holiness, the out-streaming of His infinite value. And when it streams out, it is seen as beautiful and great. It has both infinite quality and magnitude. So, we may define God’s glory as the beauty and greatness of His manifold perfections.”
I think this is a great description of the glory of God. God is holy and beautiful. That’s just who he is and that means he’s glorious!
What does this mean for us as believers today?
The Word of God tells us to hope in the glory of God. “We rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:2). We can rejoice in knowing that the Lord will show us his glory and present us blameless before him in his glory. We should be striving to live a life that brings glory to God alone. Why? Because he is worthy of that glory. Piper also says that “Man is most satisfied when God is most glorified.” When we live a life that is not about us but about bringing glory to God our perspective changes and we become satisfied with the things the Lord wants us to be satisfied with! This is something we can’t do on our own. We must be praying to the Lord asking for his help in bringing him glory! We are called to live a life that brings glory to God alone. What can we do this week to bring God the glory?