What is Soli Deo Gloria?
The last of the Five Solas is Soli Deo Gloria: God’s glory alone. Soli Deo Gloria is the bold proclamation that the triune God of Scripture is the only worthy recipient of praise, adoration, or thanks—if glory is to be given, it ought to be given to God and to no one else. While Soli Deo Gloria may appear to be of a different nature than the previous Solas, often being seen as a “motivating principle” but not as a matter of doctrine, that could not be further from the truth. In fact, Soli Deo Gloria is the fundamental message of all of Scripture. The only appropriate conclusion that one can reach after encountering the God of Scripture is, “Now to the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen!” [1st Timothy 1:17]
Soli Deo Gloria is a striking idea—and it is constantly under attack. Not only is the glory of God derided directly by those who openly blaspheme Him—whether by atheism, agnosticism, false religion, or heresy—but even those of us in the Church are at danger of robbing God of glory. Indeed, it is Satan’s chief goal to rob God of the glory He so rightly deserves.
So then, it is imperative that we understand what it means that God alone deserves glory. More than that, it is crucial that we come to believe that God alone deserves glory. Not only will such an understanding place God in His rightful place, but will place us in ours, and the Devil in his. Coming to know, believe, and live Soli Deo Gloria is absolutely essential for the Christian to do. As it was so succinctly put by the authors of the Westminster Confession, or chief end is to “glorify God and enjoy Him forever”—seeing God glorified will be and must be the greatest source of pleasure for every believer.
God’s Glory: An Inter-Trinitarian Reality
Absolutely central to Reformed theology is the notion that everything has occurred for God’s glory, because God has decreed all things for the purpose of glorifying Himself. We believe that God will ultimately be glorified in all things, whether good or bad, and that God’s primary motivation for creation, redemption, and sanctification is His own glory. God takes pleasure in this world and in His people because it glorifies Him to do so.
Now, the question that quickly arises is, to put it bluntly, “How can God not be a narcissist if He only ever does things for His own glory? Isn’t the inherent sin of mankind pride and self-service? How can God be good if He does all things for Himself?” It’s a pressing question, especially when asked with a skeptical, accusatory lilt. But the question reveals a deep ignorance about who and what God is—and as such, should not call into question the doctrine of Soli Deo Gloria, or the Bible’s pervasive teaching.
What we must not forget as we examine Soli Deo Gloria (or any theological topic) is that God is Triune. There is but one God (this affirmation is central to the fifth Sola), but God is not unipersonal. Rather, God is and always has been a trinity, wherein there are three co-equal and co-eternal divine persons who eternally subsist indivisably from the divine essence. When we collapse God into a single person (making Him unitarian instead of trinitarian) we quickly fall into error, simply because when we make God uni-personal, we’re no longer talking about God at all.
Instead, when we understand Soli Deo Gloria from the Bible’s consistent teaching of the Trinity, we see that God seeking His own glory is the opposite of self-seeking or narcissistic. How? Because if we press further, we see that what is actually happening is the Father seeking the glory of the Son, and the Son in turn seeking the glory of His Father, and the Holy Spirit both glorifying and being glorified by the Father and the Son.
We see that this was clearly the mission of Jesus during His earthly ministry, as He says to the Father, “I glorified You on the earth, having finished the work which You have given Me to do” [John 17:4]. We also see that Jesus did not seek to glorify Himself in His work, but was seeking to do the will of His Father, who was in turn pleased to glorify Him, as He says to the Jews: “If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’” [John 8:54]. Later in the same book, Jesus says to His disciple about the Holy Spirit that, “He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you” [John 16:14].
Furthermore, we learn from the Apostles that it was the Father’s will to bring about the glory of His Son by raising Him from the dead [Acts 3:13, 1st Peter 1:21], even having “crowned Him with glory forever” by putting all things under His feet [Hebrews 2:7 - 8]. We also see that when the Son is glorified the Father and Spirit are glorified with Him, and vice versa—for when Jesus is confessed as Lord, it is by the work of the Spirit [1st Corinthians 12:3], and “to the glory of God the Father” [Philippians 2:11].
What we see is not a self-seeking pursuit of personal glorification, but a self-giving pursuit of the glorification of another. The glory of God is an inter-trinitarian reality that actually mirrors self-sacrifice and generosity, and must be understood as such—lest we entirely misunderstand who God is, and blasphemously accuse Him of immorality.
In Creation
If it is the case that Soli Deo Gloria describes the overarching purpose of everything, then there must be no better place to begin our examination than creation. For if indeed the very first act of God was done for His own glory, then what else must be said about the rest, but that it was done in the same way?
We don’t have to look far to find this fleshed out in Scripture. The Bible’s first declaration is that God, in the beginning, “created the heavens and the earth” [Genesis 1:1], and from that point forward God’s identity as Creator becomes central to the biblical corpus. What is it, according to Scripture, that distinguishes Yahweh from the “gods” of the nations surrounding Israel? The fact that Yahweh made the world, and those “gods” did not [Jeremiah 10:11].
But God’s unique identity as Creator is more than just an apologetic against the polytheism of the ancient near-east; God’s identity as Creator is a chief source of glory. Psalm 19:1 says that “the heavens are telling of the glory of God; and the expanse is declaring the work of His hands.” Likewise, Psalm 148 calls upon the whole of the created order, including the sky, the land, the sun, the moon, the mountains, the deeps, angels, man, and animals to give their praise to Yahweh as God and Creator. Creation—it’s beauty, complexity, and expansiveness—perpetually glorifies God.
Further, we can deduce that not only does creation happen to give God glory, but it was created to do so. That is, God’s chief purpose for creating the world and everything in it was so that He would be glorified in it. Consider the words of Paul in the first chapter of Romans. He says that God’s invisible attributes, both His eternal power and divine nature, “have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made” [Romans 1:20]. The world was made so that it could bear witness to the existence and glory of God, revealing Him day-in and day-out. This revelation is so clear that every man is said to be “without excuse” if they do not immediately turn from looking at creation to worship its Creator [Romans 1:20 - 23].
We would be wise, also, to remember that creation was a trinitarian action. It was not just the Father, or the Son, or the Spirit who created the world, but it was the Father acting through the Son by the Spirit—it was the Triune God who created the world, and therefore it is the Triune God who is glorified by it… We would not be incorrect, I believe, to say that the Father partook in the act of creation for the glory of the Son and the Spirit, and likewise in every direction.
In Redemption, Part One:
The next arena that Soli Deo Gloria comes to the forefront is in redemption. Redemption—particularly, the salvation of a particular people through Christ Jesus—is, alongside creation, the chief place where we come to see the glory of God. Unlike creation, whose revelation is constantly ignored by men who “suppress the truth in unrighteousness” [Romans 1:18], the act of redemption is a clear and effectual revelation of God’s glory. Creation, of course, is a clear and perfect revelation of God’s glory, but redemption supersedes it in this: redemption makes the character and glory of God immediately relevant to the one who is redeemed. Redemption is, by the nature of what it is, our entry into understanding the glory of God. It is only right, then, that we would see the act of redemption as one that entirely glorifies God alone.
Hold your breath for what I’m about to say next: God’s primary motivation for enacting the plan of redemption, for saving you from your sin, was not His great love for you, but rather, His desire for glorification. Now, I am well-aware that that idea cuts strongly against the beliefs of many Christians today, and that it may appear to be downright heretical to propose such a thing, but it’s true: The Father’s primary motivation for sending Jesus to live, die, rise, and save sinners was not His great love for those sinners, but actually His great desire for Him, His Son, and the Holy Spirit to be glorified.
Let’s examine Paul’s opening word to the Ephesians, starting in verse three:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him in love, by predestining us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He graciously bestowed on us in the Beloved.
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our transgressions, according to the riches of His grace which He caused to abound to us in all wisdom and insight, making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Him for an administration of the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth in Him.
In Him, we also have been made an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, to the end that we who first have hoped in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.
In Him, you also, after listening to the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.” [Ephesians 1:3 - 14]
The driving motif throughout this whole passage is the repeated phrase, “to the praise of His glory.” Paul’s repeated emphasis on this makes it clear: redemption is ultimately about bringing God glory. Note the other terms that Paul uses throughout the passage: “chose us,” “predestined us,” “according to His will,”—these all speak of actions taken by God in eternity past, before He created the world. When God decided the “good pleasure of His will,” which He would “work all things according to,” that included the salvation of sinners—that included the redemption of you, me, and everyone who comes to believe in the Lord Jesus. But what was the purpose? What was the end goal? That God would be glorified.
As we have seen, the glorification of God is an inter-trinitarian reality. It is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit glorifying each other through their various operations. In redemption, it is no different. What role the Father plays He plays for the sake of the Son and the Spirit; what role the Son plays He plays for the sake of the Father and the Spirit; what role the Spirit plays He plays for the sake of the Father and the Son. Just as the Father created the world through the Son and by the Holy Spirit—so that the three divine persons are equally responsible but distinct in role—so the Father redeems through the mediation of the Son and the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit.
Let’s turn elsewhere to see this play out. Consider Jesus’s words in John chapter 6:
“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me will never hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never cast out.
For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. Now this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.’” [John 6:35 - 40]
Jesus says here, clearly and unambiguously, that He has been “given” particular people by the Father. For what purpose? That they will come to the Son, believe in Him, and be given eternal life. Jesus emphatically declares that this is “the will of [the] Father,” which sounds very similar to Paul’s repeated use of the term “will” in Ephesians 1:5, 9, and 11. We learn later, however, that though it is the will of the Father for these people whom He has given to come to Christ, that in fact “no one” can come to Jesus “unless the Father who sent [the Son] draws him” [John 6:44]. And we can deduce from the words of Jesus in John 3:5, and the overall teaching of both the Old and New Testaments [Ezekiel 36:26 - 27; 1st Corinthians 2:10 - 13; etc.] that this drawing is made effectual by the work of the Holy Spirit.
So we see that in the redeeming of one sinner, there is clear participation from each member of the Trinity. In eternity past, the Father elected (or “predestined”) certain individuals to be “adopted” and “conformed to the image of His Son” [Ephesians 1:5; Romans 8:29]; then, the Son was both sent by the Father and emptied Himself [Philippians 2:7] so that He could give Himself as a sacrifice on behalf of those who would believe in Him [John 3:16]; then the Spirit, through the miracle of regeneration, brings someone to faith in the Son, and seals them [Ephesians 1:13] until the day of Christ’s return.
How does this amount to God’s glory? Well first the obvious answer: those who are saved begin to understand the character, majesty, and love of God, and in turn are given over in worship of Him; believers begin to live their lives in a way that clearly glorifies God. But secondly, we see that each member of the Trinity is personally glorified in the actions of another member:
The Father is glorified by the Son because the Son keeps the Law perfectly and gives Himself as a sacrifice to satisfy the perfect justice of the Father, while also redeeming the people whom the Father had given to Him; the Father is then glorified by the Spirit because the Spirit regenerates and seals those whom the Father has elected.
The Son is glorified by the Father because the Father gives Him people whom He can redeem and then raises Him from the dead; the Son is then glorified by the Spirit because the Spirit applies His atonement to the people for whom it was made.
The Spirit is glorified by the Father because that Father elects a people to regenerate and seal; and the Son glorifies the Spirit by sending Him to minister in the life of the Church and confirming His gifts beforehand.
Now consider this: God’s ultimate purpose in redemption was His own glory—that is, biblically, inarguable. However, that does not discount that redemption is a supreme act of love. In fact, when we see redemption as the Father glorifying the Son and vice versa, we see just how loved we really are. Understand: you are so loved that the Father chose you to be a gift that He gave to His Son, and then the Son accepted you and died for you, so that the Holy Spirit could regenerate and seal you. God loves you, Christian, so much that He included you in His plan of self, inter-trinitarian glorification from the beginning, “predestining” you to be a part of His eternal act of redemption. Praise be to God!
In Redemption, Part Two:
We’ve seen that Redemption is primarily an instrument of God for His own glory—that, I believe, should now be clear. But Soli Deo Gloria has still another thing to say about how we as believers should see the act of redemption: redemption is to be seen as a reality for which God alone receives credit.
You may at this point be wondering, “Where does Soli Deo Gloria fall in line with the other Solas? How is it relevant to the discussions that Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Solus Christus, and Sola Scriptura so clearly put forward?” It’s a good question, and it highlights the second way in which Soli Deo Gloria speaks to the case of redemption.
For the Reformers in the 16th century, the fifth Sola was absolutely central to understanding the doctrine of salvation (otherwise known as soteriology). Put simply, the Reformers stressed that the redemption of a sinner was brought about solely by the work of God—and by no one else. According to the Reformers, no saint, priest, church, or sacrament could ever be allowed to take credit for a man being saved. Most strikingly, the Reformers believed that not even the man himself could take credit for his salvation—redemption, they argued, is solely a work of God, and must not be attributed to anyone or anything else, lest God be robbed of glory.
Imagine that you were meeting with a group of friends, and decided to surprise them with some pizza—“lunch is on me!” So before you guys meet, you plan to order pizza, go to the store, pick up the food, drive it to where you're meeting, and pay for the whole excursion. The day comes, and everything goes exactly to plan. You get to the hangout spot, pizza in hand, and everyone goes nuts. “Awe man this is great! I love pizza!” You can’t help but smile—they are so thankful for what you’ve done for them, and they mean so much to you that it was all worth it just to share in their joy. Finally, after the pizza is gone, your friends turn around and say, with all sincerity, “Thanks, Brad!” But there’s only one problem: your name isn’t Brad. “Yeah Brad you're the man! Thanks for making this happen!”
Slighted and ignored don’t even scratch the surface of what you would likely feel in that moment. All that planning, all that waiting in line, all the driving, all the money spent—just to be only half-acknowledged by the friends you tried so hard to show your love to. Brad didn’t do anything, it was all you… but for some reason your friends don’t understand that.
Now, is this a perfect example? No, clearly not. However, I believe it does accurately represent the danger and absurdity of giving credit to anyone else other than God for our salvation. Our salvation—according to Scripture—was planned out by God from before time [Ephesians 1:3 - 5], accomplished by God in time through the work of Jesus [Hebrews 10:11, 14], and made a reality by the Holy Spirit at a moment in our lives [John 3:5; 1st Corinthians 2:10 - 13]. Redemption is God’s work—we are merely the recipients of it.
This is most clearly expressed by Paul’s constant insistence that salvation comes by grace through faith and not by works. Quite literally, Paul denies that our salvation comes from any part of ourselves when he explains, “So then it does not depend on the one who wills or the one who runs, but on God who has mercy,” and, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, so that no one may boast” [Romans 9:16; Ephesians 2:8 - 9]. Salvation, then, has nothing to do with us but is entirely about God. Even to say “I am saved because I believe in Jesus” misses the mark—such a statement is self-focused instead of Christ-focused (not to mention that faith itself is a gift [Ephesians 2:8] that is brought about by the Holy Spirit [Titus 3:5]). Instead, the more accurate statement is, “I am saved because Jesus Christ died for me, was raised from the dead, and intercedes for me; I can do nothing but receive His mercy through faith.” Such a statement shifts all the recognition, credit, and glory to Christ, and places ourselves in our rightful, lowly position of sinners who can do nothing but cling to His grace.
God is robbed of His glory when we attribute the work of redemption to anyone or anything but Him alone. In Paul’s day, God’s sole glory as the redeemer of His people was being derided by the “Judaisers” who insisted that men must earn God’s favor through keeping the ceremonial Law; in the days of the Reformers, God’s glory was being robbed by the sacredotal system that said, ‘You, sinner, are saved because, after experiencing God’s grace, you were able to maintain a state of grace and the church was able to make you good enough for God based on the sacraments.’
When we understand, however, that salvation is the work of God alone (also known as monergism), we see two things: First, we see how immensely gracious God has been to us, that He has given us the gift of salvation without requiring anything from us along the way. Second, we see that even now, after coming to know that gift of grace through Christ Jesus, our future salvation depends not upon us but upon God. Because salvation is not our work, we cannot spoil it—in regards to the blessings of redemption, we are recipients by faith, not co-workers with God. Therefore, we can have the greatest confidence that “He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” [Philippians 1:6]. God is the only one who deserves any credit for our salvation, and thus, redemption is done entirely to His glory alone—Soli Deo Gloria.
In Our Lives
Lastly, Soli Deo Gloria should be the motivating principle for the Christian life. We were created for the purpose of glorifying God, and our lives should reflect that. It is both our high duty and privilege to honor the One who has been so gracious to us, and that should motivate our every action. It is often asked, “What is the will of God for my life?” I believe Jesus would answer, “That you glorify your Father in heaven.”
Of course, any Christian would affirm that God’s glory is a high priority. But Soli Deo Gloria says that God’s glory is the priority; giving glory to God is not just one item on a to-do list, but is the to-do list. Beyond all else, your task is to live in a way that glorifies God. This is made abundantly clear throughout Scripture:
“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” [Matthew 5:16]
“My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.” [John 15:8]
“For you were bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” [1 Corinthians 6:20]
“Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” [1 Corinthians 10:31]
“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in full knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and without fault until the day of Christ, having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” [Philippians 1:9 - 11]
“As each one has received a gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God—whoever speaks, as one speaking the oracles of God; whoever serves, as one serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and might forever and ever. Amen.” [1st Peter 4:11]
Perhaps the most challenging aspect of Soli Deo Gloria is what it has to say about our pride. The only right attitude that one can have after understanding Soli Deo Gloria is that of humility. According to Scripture, your life is not your own—especially as a Christian. Your life is God’s, and as such, your efforts are not to bring glory to yourself, but to Him. The temptation to pride is strong: “I did this; I made that happen; I was able to…” But such an attitude is firmly unbiblical. Not only would it be completely incorrect to say “I did,” or “I was,” or “I managed to” in the matter of salvation, but it would be inappropriate to take credit for even mundane things without giving thanks to God.
Most dangerously, even our deeds done in service of God can become a source of pride. How many ministers have been overcome with the pride of knowledge, or wisdom, or fame, and have neglected their calling to do all for the glory of God? We will not be able to stand as Christians until we are able to repeat with the psalmist:
“Not to us, O Yahweh, not to us, but to Your name give glory; because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth.” [Psalm 115:1]
Understanding Soli Deo Gloria puts us in our proper place: loved, saved, privileged ambassadors for God’s glory. Being committed to Solil Deo Gloria doesn’t mean putting ourselves last, or depriving ourselves of something we deserve. Instead, it means putting God first, which is the most appropriate and most joy-condusive way to live. If our joy is truly in Yahweh, and in nothing else, then seeing Him glorified will be the most fulfilling thing we can do.
The Call To Worship
Soli Deo Gloria is the unanimous teaching of Scripture. Our God is deserving of all glory, praise, and honor, and one of the ways that we can give Him that glory is through worship. Below are a number of Scriptures that express what it means to give glory to God in worship. Soli Deo Gloria!
Psalm 24:7 - 10
“Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in! Who is this King of glory? Yahweh strong and mighty, Yahweh mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O gates, and lift yourselves up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in! Who is He, this King of glory? Yahweh of hosts, He is the King of glory.”
Isaiah 6:1 - 3
“In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy, is Yahweh of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.’”
Romans 11:36
“For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”
Romans 16:27
“To the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.”
Philippians 4:20
“Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
2 Peter 3:18
“Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”
Jude 24 - 25
“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, might, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”
Revelation 4:8 - 5:14
“And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within, and day and night they do not cease to say, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.’ And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ‘Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.’ …
Then I saw in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures and in the midst of the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. And He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sits on the throne. And when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slain and purchased for God with Your blood people from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. And You made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign upon the earth.’
Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.’
And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, ‘To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be the blessing and the honor and the glory and the might forever and ever.’ And the four living creatures kept saying, ‘Amen.’ And the elders fell down and worshiped.”
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