Soli Deo Gloria in the Church

by Pastor John Kim

What has been interesting to watch over the years as the Lighthouse churches have expanded is how the members of the church deal with all the changes. Some of the original members are still at their respective churches and have been faithful to continue in growing and serving the Lord. But there are also some who remain but seem to get complacent or maybe just get busy with life and their participation seems to lack passion. There are others who seem to get more critical and complain about how things are and how things were better in the past. There are still yet others who at some point get involved in significant conflicts with others and either just leave or lose heart and it shows.

Why is it that so many churches seem to start off with such vigor and enthusiasm and then see a steady downward trend where there seems to lack the kind of passion and heart that was there at the beginning? It’s almost like marriage for some people – the wedding day is the highlight and it all seems to go downhill from there.

There can be many contributing factors but there is one issue that is always at the heart of such situations. The grand purpose has been forgotten. The greatest good is no longer so great. The pursuit of the glory of God has diminished to a trickle and the pursuit of other things has replaced it.

The most tragic thing that can happen is that the glory of God has departed from a church.

During the time of the Judges in Israel, Eli, who was priest and judge over Israel, was waiting for news of the battle against the Philistines. When he was informed that the Israelites had lost, the ark of the covenant had been taken, and his two sons were killed, he fell over and broke his neck and died. His daughter-in-law gave birth upon hearing the news but she died in the process. As she was dying, she gave the name “Ichabod” to the baby, which means, “the glory has departed from Israel.”

Israel had forgotten about God. It was God who had delivered them from slavery in Egypt and brought them to the Promised Land of Canaan. It was God who sustained them to take over the land and grant them to prosper. But the Israelites were fickle people and as soon as there were times of prosperity, they would give themselves over to idols and worship false gods. The cycle of sin, judgment, and deliverance took place many times.

But this particular story really stands out because of the gravity of perspective. This was more than just the loss of a battle. It was more than the loss of a husband and son. It was even more than the loss of the ark of the covenant, which had been taken into battle almost like a good luck charm. It was the reality that the glory of God was no longer the greatest concern for the people, even for the leaders.

Our Lighthouse churches are still relatively young. It’s not like things have been so bad. But like many churches, we can allow a passive heart to grow when it comes to the pursuit of the glory of God.

If there was one thing that Jonathan Edwards pursued, it was the glory of God. Several of his resolutions reflect this devotion.

1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty, and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.

4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.

23. Resolved, frequently to take some deliberate action, which seems most unlikely to be done, for the glory of God, and trace it back to the original intention, designs and ends of it; and if I find it not to be for God’s glory, to repute it as a breach of the 4th Resolution.

27. Resolved, never willfully to omit anything, except the omission be for the glory of God; and frequently to examine my omissions.

One writer comments that it is easy to reduce the principle of God’s glory to a call for moral action, which is definitely an application to be pursued. But before we focus on what man is to do, we have to ask the question, “Do we really have a God-centered view of God’s glory?”

In other words, do we see God’s glory in relation to His nature and to see it as Richard Mueller defines as “God’s glory is to be understood essentially, as one of the divine attributes but moreover, as an attribute that eminently reflects and reveals the perfection of all the attributes.”

Edward Leigh writes, “God’s glory is the infinite excellency of the Divine essence…and that God is infinitely worthy to be praised, admired, and loved of all.”

Leigh highlighted the internal aspect of God’s glory which also has an external expression as seen in creation and in the church and God’s people. The glory of God is manifested in various ways but it is always ultimately to make much of God, not the instrument of manifestation.
It is not that we add anything to God by ascribing glory to God. But what it does for us is, as Richard Muller describes, “by taking notice of His excellency, and esteeming Him accordingly, and making manifest this our high esteem of Him.”

As we celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, I would like to encourage you to take a look back and consider the rich heritage we have received from those who walked before us.
While the reformers did not use such statements as the Solas at the time, we can see that their ministries and writings proclaimed a clear message, which is really captured in the phrase “Soli Deo Gloria” or to God alone be the glory.

  • I want to challenge you as the Lighthouse family that we not fall prey to what happens to so many churches.
  • I do not want to see a church where Ichabod reigns, where the glory of God has departed.
  • I want us to be churches where the glory of God is so clearly prized and pursued that it affects all that we do because we are drawn to a great God who is worthy of praise.
  • I want us to seek God in all that we do.
  • I want us to worship God in all that we do.
  • I want our service to be honoring God, not ourselves.
  • I want our witness to proclaim the greatness of God and that seeking first His kingdom and righteousness is of the greatest priority.
  • I hope that the legacy we pass on to the next generation will be such that those who follow us cannot help but notice as well as be challenged to pursue the glory of God with all our hearts, with all our souls, with all our minds.

Johann Sebastian Bach is known as one of the most famous composers of classical music of all time. What some might not know is that he was deeply devoted to God and in the process of writing his music, he had the convictions that it was only with the help of Jesus that he could glorify Him through the music he wrote. So before he would even start writing music, he would put the initials J J at the top of the page in the corner. It represented the Latin words, “Jesu Juva,” which translated means “Jesus, help me.” When he would finish the work he would write at the bottom of the page “SDG” which stood for “Soli Deo Gloria,” or “To God alone by the glory.”

My challenge to all the members of the Lighthouse churches would be this – can you follow in the footsteps of Bach by praying the same prayer before all you do, “Jesus help me!” and at the end of all you do to sign off with “Soli Deo Gloria” – to God alone be the glory. While we obviously will fall short at times and forget, it is my prayer that collectively we would be united with this kind of heart and mind, to always seek the help of Jesus and to commit all to the glory of God alone.