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As we close out the series on the five solas of the Protestant Reformation, we come to the final phrase: Soli Deo Gloria, or glory to God alone. This teaching credited God as the sole author, redeemer and divine power.
R.C. Sproul explained:
“God is the one who takes the initiative to bring salvation to pass. He is the sower. The seed that is sown is His seed, corresponding to His Word, and the harvest that results is His harvest. He harvests what He purposed to harvest when He initiated the whole process.”[i]
For the Reformers, mankind, dead in sin, does not seek God apart from divine intervention. The new birth (born-again) is solely at His discretion. The Reformers stood firm on this position, recognizing that salvation is entirely God’s work, not man’s efforts. This connects directly to sola gratia (grace alone) and sola fide (faith alone), for salvation would be impossible without God’s act of redemption through Christ’s atoning sacrifice.
Christ’s death and resurrection signify the importance of “glory to God alone.” Likewise, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit further emphasizes God over man.
Mankind has no claim of merit, and works do not earn salvation. Creation’s role is one of full submission, recognizing that it is God who ordains and carries out His will, including through salvation. Soli Deo Gloria declared that every aspect of the Christian life exists for God’s glory alone.
This position was not a new idea but one rooted in church history. The early church upheld the same principle, and even the Crusaders popularized the phrase Deus vult or “God wills it,” affirming the belief that divine providence governs all things. The Reformers built upon such ideas, particularly John Calvin, who emphasized that nothing in creation happens outside of God’s sovereign will. Calvin’s position was clear, salvation is not an act of human will but the work of a sovereign God who calls, justifies, and sanctifies as He pleases.
The Reformers’ emphasis denied a human-centered theological belief system and rather placed the importance always on God. To Luther and Calvin, this properly attributed God in connection to both sovereignty and providence. Hence, all glory needed to be placed upon the Lord.
Paul taught, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). The Reformers maintained that all things exist for God’s glory alone.
[i] R.C. Sproul, “What Does ‘Soli Deo Gloria’ Mean?” Ligonier Ministries, September 28, 2020, https://learn.ligonier.org/articles/soli-deo-gloria-god-alone-be-glory.