The five solas of the protestant reformation form a unified basis for a consistently Christian worldview. They act as a sort of cohesive set of first principles that ground our faith on solid bedrock. However, there is one sola that throws radiant light upon all of the others: Soli Deo Gloria.

To bring anyone up to speed who may be rusty on their Protestant history, there are five solas that marked the Reformation. They are:

Sola Scripture - Scripture Alone
Solus Christus - Christ Alone
Sola Gratia - Grace Alone
Sola Fide - Faith Alone
Soli Deo Gloria - Glory of God Alone

Together they form a common confession: We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, by Christ alone according to the Scriptures alone, to the glory of God alone.

All 5 Solas of the Protestant Reformation are intertwined. None of these doctrines stands alone as though it were in a vacuum. Each Sola both relies upon and informs the other 4 in order to establish a strong matrix of truth. Soli Deo Gloria in particular speaks to the big picture of all the other Solas, tying them together and answering the big “why?” questions of our lives.

Soli Deo Gloria and Sola Scriptura combined speak to why we believe what we do, or our epistemology. Soli Deo Gloria relies on Sola Scriptura for the authority of the doctrine itself. Indeed if it were not for Sola Scriptura, we would not know that all things were Soli Deo Gloria. It is from the Bible that this truth is explicitly revealed to us. Soli Deo Gloria informs Sola Scriptura by establishing the reason for which the Bible is our only infallible rule of faith and practice. If all things are for God’s glory, then we ought to honor and observe every Word that he speaks to us. In contrast, we ought not to ascribe that same honor and that same authority to those commands which do not proceed forth to us from God himself; thus establishing our principle of nothing more and nothing less than God’s Word.

Soli Deo Gloria and Solus Christus combined speak to why we are saved, or our soteriology. Soli Deo Gloria relies upon Solus Christus to establish the fact that Christ alone functions as our savior and that his sacrifice need not be supplemented. If there were another savior or the savior’s sacrifice needed supplements to be effectual, then those additions ought to be rendered some glory for their part in the process. This relationship also heavily implies the deity of Christ, as it can be deduced that the savior himself ought to be given glory for his sacrifice. Soli Deo Gloria informs Solus Christus by establishing the ultimate end for the atonement itself. God ordains and accomplishes the atonement primarily to manifest his glory. In the work of the cross God is glorified by maintaining his perfect justice while simultaneously being merciful to sinners. This is in addition to the glory God receives for formulating the plan of salvation and then realizing that plan by taking his wrath upon himself.

Soli Deo Gloria and Sola Gratia combined speak to the positive aspect of our salvation, or why salvation is all of God. Soli Deo Gloria relies upon Sola Gratia to establish the grounds upon which we are saved. Specifically, salvation is grounded entirely in God’s unrestricted favor. God receives all the glory in the act of salvation because it is his free gift. If salvation were in some sense necessitated God would not receive glory for being gracious, as the atonement would simply be what ought to have been done. Instead Sola Gratia calls for ascribing glory to God in a supreme way as He has gone above and beyond the “call of duty.” Soli Deo Gloria informs Sola Gratia by giving the reason that salvation is a free gift. God specifically structured salvation so that it was all of him to the end that he would receive all the glory for its accomplishment.

Soli Deo Gloria and Sola Fide combined speak to the negative aspect of our salvation, or why salvation is none of man. Soli Deo Gloria relies upon Sola Fide to assert man’s utter lack of contribution to his own salvation. Salvation is all of faith and none of works. Further, Sola Fide offers the reason for which this can indeed be the case, in particular an alien righteousness. If righteousness is not our own, and acquiring salvation is done through the empty hand of faith, then man has nothing to offer. Soli Deo Gloria informs Sola Fide by again reasoning why God has made this to be the case. Man has been particularly excluded from contribution in order that God might receive all the glory. If man had some contribution then he would have some grounds to boast in, and therefore a reason to receive some glory. Sola Fide strips man of all grounds of boasting and consequently all basis to glory in himself.

While there is certainly some unique truth in each of the Solas, they enjoy substantial overlap. This overlap is what makes them a strong and unified system of truth. Instead of loose and fragmented doctrines, we have in the Solas a central idea and motive. Soli Deo Gloria gives the other Solas purpose and direction so that indeed all things may be to the glory of God.

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Sometimes I can be a bit of a pessimist, always focusing on what's wrong in the world and in our churches. I don't mean to be this way all of the time, but I just see so much error and confusion that something makes me want to correct all of it. I was reading an old interview of Wayne Grudem, and I was greatly encouraged by his perspective on how the Church of God receives truth and accepts it over time.

The interview was done in 2006, and at the time, Grudem was writing heavily about the egalitarian and feminist movements in the churches. I don't want to debate that particular issue right now. Instead, something that drew my attention was his faith that God's people eventually are convinced of his truth and structure their lives by it. You see, liberal theology has been attacking the church seemingly since its foundation. Yet throughout history, the efforts of faithful men have proven victorious in calling the church to stand firm on each and every issue. God's Truth Prevails. Listen to what Grudem had to say:

Again, I don't want to debate Grudem's stance on Egalitarianism vs Complementarianism in this post. Suffice it to say that Grudem believes when churches accept egalitarian positions, they have capitulated to the society and culture rather than following the Word of God. He believes that this movement allows liberal theology to sneak into the church and do damage. He believes that this is a fundamental issue that the church must deal with in the same way that I believe homosexuality is a fundamental issue for us today.

What I do want to focus on is this: God's Truth Prevails. So many times in church history we see the same liberal (speaking theologically here) attacks come at us over and over again. What prominence do those positions hold any longer? By and large those movements have become irrelevant and obsolete. Our labors have not been in vain, and they will not be in vain. Jesus said "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." Jesus' sheep recognize his voice and truth and they will follow him. It is a refreshing and encouraging thought. Grudem continues:

Sometimes the media and the cultural climate that I gather from it has me so discouraged. It seems as though the society is just feeding lies and the church has capitulated to many of them. However, there truly is no reason to be discouraged. When Elijah thought that he was the only one left who trusted in and followed God, God's response was  a sharp rebuke:

God is building his church, even when we don't see it. Christ's bride is lovely and faithful to him, even though they may appear scattered and dwindling. May we continue to fight for God's truth in a contrary world knowing our labor is not in vain. What's more, may we fight with the hope and faith that God's people will be encouraged and edified by his truth. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. We don't have to concern ourselves so much about those who do not have ears to hear. Jesus preached his truths directly into a contrary culture. Sure, some rejected and reviled him. Jesus didn't have to concern himself so much with that however. God still built his church and raised up his people. God's Truth Prevails.

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1 Grudem, Wayne. "INTERVIEW – Wayne Grudem, Part Eight – What Does the Future Hold for the Church?" patheos.com. http://www.patheos.com/blogs/adrianwarnock/2006/12/interview-wayne-grudem-part-eight-what-does-the-future-hold-for-the-church/(accessed 8/24/14).
2 Ibid.

 What do you think of when you hear the name Blaise Pascal? Perhaps you have never heard the name; that is fortunate because I will tell you a bit about him today. Perhaps you have heard of his famous "wager" argument for believing in God. If you are anything like me, you know of his Scientific and Mathematic achievements rather than his life as a Christian. Regardless, there is a particular aspect of his thought that I believe is especially insightful and helpful for us today. I want to bring your attention to Pascal's thoughts on entertainment and recreation. Before I do that however, let me tell you a bit about him.

Blaise Pascal was born in France in 1623. He lost his mother at the young age of 3, and grew up with his two sisters and father. Pascal showed great academic prowess even in his youth. He grew up during a time period when Rationalistic thought was very strong. The enlightenment thinkers Voltaire and Descartes were some of his contemporaries, and he did not hesitate to interact with their writings. Pascal was also an able scientist, and his "go out and see" style of discovery ran a bit counter to the rationalism of his day; in addition to laying a foundation for the scientific method as we know it. Pascal was neither a rationalist nor and empiricist however. He saw the uses of each, but he recognized that each were to be viewed from within the context of a religious perspective. One of Pascal's most famous quotes betrays his critique of pure rationalism:

Not only was a a capable thinker, but Pascal also was an inventor. His father was a tax collector and lawyer, so Pascal set about to invent some sort of machine to help his father tabulate. At age 19 he succeeded at inventing the first functioning calculating machine. He also performed experiments involving vacuums and wrote influential material on the topic. His other various contributions to knowledge include weight and density, probability, the syringe, and hydraulic lift.2

When he was converted however, Pascal's intellect was to be forever redirected. On November 23, 1654 he experienced Christ in a special and salvific way. He described the encounter as follows:

Pascal actually recorded this event on a piece of parchment and sewed it inside his favorite jacket, which he kept until he died. Pascal was influenced by the Roman Catholic movement of Jansenism, which was tied closely to the thoughts and ideas of Augustine. Pascal would never be the same. He began to focus much of his attention and thoughts to topics regarding apologetics and theology.

Now, I want to draw your attention to an aspect of Pascal's thinking that I believe is 100x more applicable to us than it was even during his own time, That idea involves entertainment and recreation and its place in the lives of the vast majority of people in American society and culture. Listen to what Pascal had to say during his own day:

I have often contemplated similar motifs, and yet have never been able to state it so clearly as Pascal does here. The first sentence is so insightful. As human beings we all recognize the absurdity and profound vanity of life in a fallen world on some level, and yet how do we deal with that recognition? Pascal says the only thing that consoles us is diversion. Rather than facing the issue and trying to see what it is telling us (hint: it is really supposed to point us to a Savior), we instead drown out all of the feelings with manifold distractions. Yet, this very response that gives us temporary relief becomes to us the bane of our existence. Why? It instead drives us further and further away from the only source of our relief.

As human beings living in the 21st century our anthem has more and more become "working for the weekend." Why do we love weekends so much? It's because that is my time off when I get to do what I want to do, and live how I want to live. What then do 90% of Americans spend this time on? Entertainment and recreation. This perspective speaks volumes about our true passions and desires in life. As a society we are more advanced than ever and yet we spend all of our technology and skills trying to free up more time for us to entertain ourselves. Movies, television series, sports, video games, hobbies, socializing, you name it we do it. Anything we can do to distract ourselves from the real things that matter in life. Anything will do if it will muffle the sounds of our screaming consciences.

Don't get me wrong, entertainment and recreation has its place. However, the spot of #1 most important thing in the world isn't it. We are distracting ourselves to death. Indeed, Satan's most powerful weapon against us is our own passion and desire to deaden our conscience and find some "consolation." Satan distracts us all the way into Hell. Even for genuine believers, Satan distracts us into relatively fruitless walks and lives. We have bought the same lie that he is selling to everyone else, and we consume it just as feverishly.

A contemporary and insightful perspective on this topic comes from a band that I rather enjoy. I leave you with a song that speaks to this very topic. Listen carefully to the lyrics, and gives some serious consideration and prayer to the role that diversions and distractions play in your life.

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1 Ted Cabal, “Notable Christian Apologist: Blaise Pascal,” in The Apologetics Study Bible: Real Questions, Straight Answers, Stronger Faith, ed. Chad Owen Brand et al. (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2007), 1243.
2 Mark Galli and Ted Olsen, “Introduction,” 131 Christians Everyone Should Know (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 61.
3 Ibid.
4 Elliot Ritzema, 300 Quotations for Preachers from the Reformation, Pastorum Series (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2013).

Athanasius is an early church father whose impact has been felt throughout centuries. He lived from about 298-373 AD, and was a prolific author. His writings have been instrumental in the conversion of many, including the famous Augustine. The even greater legacy he has left are his works defending the doctrine of the Trinity – a doctrine hardly considered the overwhelming orthodoxy during his day.

During Athanasius’ life a particular stance on the person of Jesus was being promulgated, Arianism. Arianism is basically derived from the following argument: if Jesus was begotten by the Father, then there must have been a time when he did not exist, hence he is not very God, but instead a created being. Arianism seems very logical on its own terms, and it is even a popular stance taken by some religions during our day.

Although it seemed logical and popular, Athanasius saw that Arianism was profoundly unbiblical. He perceived that this issue demanded attention, as its attack is not on doctrinal periphery, but rather the very heart of the Christian gospel. If Christ is not God, then he is inadequate to take the sins of the world upon himself. If Jesus was created, then he is not eternal, and if he was made to become like god for the purpose of redemption, then God the Father is essentially deficient from the outset. This realization caused Athanasius to stand firmly on the conviction that Jesus Christ is just as much eternally God as the father is, even when the idea was certainly not decided in his day. Listen to his words:

It may seem like an easy thing for us today to affirm the Trinity. However, to miss the significance of Athanasius' testimony so early in the history of the Church would be horribly myopic. Athanasius was exiled 5 times spanning 17 years during his life.2 When it seemed that he were the only one defending God's Word, Athanasius refused to back down. A phrase was coined to describe his bold assurance: "Athanasius contra mundum" - Athanasius against the world. We live in difficult times. As we continue the march onward, the secular culture will repeatedly demand that we deny our Christ. May we stand as strong as Athanasius during the trials to come.

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1 Athanasius of Alexandria, “Four Discourses Against the Arians,” in St. Athanasius: Select Works and Letters, ed. Philip Schaff and Henry Wace, trans. John Henry Newman and Archibald T. Robertson, vol. 4, A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, Second Series (New York: Christian Literature Company, 1892), 317.
2 Mark Galli and Ted Olsen, “Introduction,” 131 Christians Everyone Should Know (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 17.

Church History is a vast repository of information for us today. There are so many fellow believers who have gone down before us, and it can be very helpful to learn from them. In a positive sense, we truly stand upon the shoulders of giants. I know that when I was first saved and examining the Bible for myself I really felt like I was blazing a new trail. All of these discoveries seemed new and exiting to me; surely I was the first one making these connections! It is only after I began reading material from early church fathers and systematic theologians down through the centuries that I began to realize that I am not the only one who has walked this path. That information is extremely helpful, as oftentimes many of my brothers and sisters in the faith have already done some of the "heavy lifting" for me.

In a negative sense, there truly is nothing new under the sun. So many of the errant religious viewpoints and heresies that we deal with today are simply recycled from the past. Gnosticism and Deism run rampant among liberal theologians in our day. Cults recycle old Arianism and Sabellianism and simply attach their names to it instead. Having a working knowledge of what people have erringly believed in the past can do much to inform us as to the battles we are fighting today. Today I want to point to examples of some of those who have gone down before us from whom we can learn in both the positive and negative sense.

Bernard of Clairvaux lived from roughly from 1090 - 1153 AD. He was born in eastern France outside of Dijon in the Burgundy province. His writings are insightful and touch on such important doctrines as the love of God. He is referred to by some as the “honey-tongued doctor.” Unfortunately, this man lived during the crusades, and the influence of that culture can be seen in his life. "The Abbot of Clairvaux . . . exercised great influence in ecclesiastical and political affairs. He was a supporter of the Second Crusade and preached throughout Europe to raise money for the military campaign."

Living during the early to mid 1500's, the reformers Martin Luther and John Calvin brought about great return to the true gospel of God and the reading of the Bible. However, they lived during a time period when heretics were routinely killed for their beliefs. Calvin interacted by letter routinely with a heretic named Servetus. When Servetus showed up in Calvin's city - Geneva, Calvin had him arrested by the secular authorities and he was subsequently tried. Servetus was found guilty by the authorities. Calvin tried to get them to reduce the sentence to no avail. Tweedie notes: "Thirty-five years thereafter Calvin delivered up Servetus to secular justice. Melancthon congratulated him for it, and publicly sustained the thesis 'that the magistrates of Geneva did well to burn the heretic.' . . . The Word had produced the Reformation; but to defend itself, it preferred the scaffold to the Word. The execution of Servetus was at once the fruit and the remedy of this fatal inconsistency."

Robert L. Dabney lived from 1820 - 1898 AD. He was an excellent theologian and confederate army chaplain. His work has been some of the most influential in recent Presbyterian history. Unfortunately he also wrote the following: "Our system is represented as oppressive and cruel, appointing different penalties for crimes to the black man and the white man; depriving the slave of the privilege of testifying against a white in a court of justice; subjecting him to frequent and inhuman corporal punishments, and making it a crime for him to exercise the natural right of self-defence, when violently assailed by a white man. The reply is, that the penal code of Virginia was properly made different in the case of the whites and the blacks, because of the lower moral tone of the latter."

From all of these men we have something to learn, both in a positive and negative sense. Positively, I want you to recognize the following: All truth is God's truth. So many times I have heard Christians tell me "I don't read Calvin, he was a murderer," or "Dabney was a racist, the only thing to learn from him is how NOT to do theology." Such statements are misguided at best. On that same argument I should not read Moses because he was a murderer, nor David because he was an adulterer. One of the beautiful things about the Bible is that it is honest and up front about the sins of the saints. It meets us where we are and where we live. Fellow saints down through history are no different. We need to have the biblical and theological acumen to recognize how to separate wheat from chaff ourselves when we read church history; not write off wholesale those whom we have deemed to be unworthy in advance. Really, this principle applies to all of life. We can glean special insights from Hume and Kant, Thoreau and even Oprah. All human beings are created in the image of God and as such they cannot escape his truth no matter how hard they try. Sometimes God has gifted even the most wretched unbeliever with special insight; how much more a fallible saint in history. All truth is God's truth.

Negatively, we are given an example of how not to act. I don't mean this in an elementary manner either. All of these saints have something in common: they capitulated to the society and worldview of their day to the point of compromising their Christian walk. Surely if Dabney were born during our day, he would not have turned out to be racist. Bernard of Clairvaux likely would not have supported evangelism by the sword if it were not already happening during his time. We are affected by our society and culture much more than we would like to admit, and each of these men are shining examples of why we must not compromise. There are not one, but two major issues that we must stand firm on during our day and age even in spite of great pressure and opposition from the culture. Those issues are evolution and homosexuality. Christians are defecting left and right, compromising because they have not examined the Bible closely enough on the topics, lack the understanding to effectively defend the biblical position, or have lost the spine to stand up under the pressure. Beloved, please learn from the examples of these men. We must stand firm despite what may come. These are defining controversies during our day and age, and while I would like to deal with each of them in more depth in the future, I hope today you will take the charge seriously to stand firm in the face of the opposition, even if the entire world may assail us. "Let God be true though every one were a liar" - Romans 3:4

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Mark Galli and Ted Olsen, “Introduction,” 131 Christians Everyone Should Know (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 202.
Gregg R. Allison, Historical Theology: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), 739.
W.K. Tweedie, Calvin and Servetus: The Reformer’s Share in the Trial of Michael Servetus (London: John Johnstone, 1846), 224-225.
Robert L. Dabney, A Defence of Virginia, and through Her, of the South, in Recent and Pending Contests Against the Sectional Party (New York: E. J. Hale & Son, 1867), 220.