Soli Deo Gloria: Glory to God Alone

By the Rev. Dr. Ronald Moore

www.virtueonline.org

August 12, 2025

There is a Latin phrase that thundered through the Reformation like a bell through morning mist: Soli Deo Gloria — “To God alone be the glory.” It is a phrase as beautiful as it is bracing, as comforting as it is corrective. In just three words, the soul is directed upward, ambition is humbled, and all of history is given its proper frame.The Church must recover it.

A Song Sung by Heaven and Earth

The phrase Soli Deo Gloria expresses what the angels declare and the saints affirm: all glory belongs to God, and to God alone. The heavens declare it in their wordless song (Psalm 19:1). The seraphim veil their faces before it (Isaiah 6:3). The elders around the throne cast their crowns before Him who is worthy (Revelation 4:10–11). It is not merely a slogan. It is a cosmic truth.

In the words of the Apostle Paul:"For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen." (Romans 11:36, NKJV)

This is not abstract theology — it is reality. If we understood it rightly, we would tremble.

The Crown of the Five Solas

The Protestant Reformation gave us five defining solas — five pillars of biblical faith that reclaimed the truth buried beneath layers of ecclesiastical tradition and human pride. Each sola corrected a particular abuse:

Sola Scriptura – Scripture alone is our ultimate authority.

Sola Fide – We are justified by faith alone.

Sola Gratia – We are saved by grace alone.

Solus Christus – Christ alone is our mediator and Savior.

But it is Soli Deo Gloria that crowns the rest. It answers the question: Why?Why grace? Why faith? Why Christ? Why Scripture?To the glory of God alone.

The Reformers knew this. Bach knew it — he would sign his compositions S.D.G. at the bottom of each manuscript. They understood that every note, every breath, every sermon, every life lived in Christ must echo this anthem: Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name be the glory (Psalm 115:1).

A Rebuke to Pride

Glory to God alone is also a rebuke — a necessary one. It rebukes the pride of clerics who glory in titles, the pride of churches that chase relevance instead of righteousness, the pride of individuals who make salvation about their own willpower and wisdom. It reminds us that even our best works are the product of divine grace, not personal merit.

It strips away the illusion that man is the center of the story. It brings us to our knees, and rightly so.

No saint can share in this glory. No pope can assume it. No preacher can absorb it.God will not share His glory with another. (Isaiah 42:8)

Living for His Glory

But Soli Deo Gloria is not only a theological correction. It is a life directive.

When we worship, it is for His glory.

When we labor, it is for His glory.

When we suffer, it is so that His glory may be revealed in us.

When we witness, it is not to promote ourselves, but to magnify Him.

As Paul exhorts the Corinthians:"Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31)

This is not pious decoration. It is the mission statement of the Christian life.

A Word for Our Age

In an age of social media spotlighting, personal branding, and self-expression elevated to sacrament, Soli Deo Gloria is a necessary and bracing word. It tells us:

You are not the point.Your platform is not the prize.God alone is worthy of glory.

This is not to diminish human dignity, but to restore human humility. We were not made to be gods. We were made to glorify God — and in doing so, we find our purpose, our joy, and our rest.

Let the Church Say It Again

It’s time the Church began saying Soli Deo Gloria again — not as a tagline, but as a testimony.

Let it be stamped on our worship.Let it be the motive behind our ministries.Let it be the cry of our hearts, the aim of our families, and the rule of our thinking.

Let it shape our prayers, define our preaching, and steady us when trials come.

For when all is said and done, every crown we may be given will be cast at His feet.Every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess.

And the cry of heaven will roll like thunder:

“Blessing and honor and glory and powerBe to Him who sits on the throne,And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”(Revelation 5:13)

S.D.G.

May we live in such a way that these three letters could be inscribed at the end of our days. Not to ourselves, not to our work, not to our influence, but…

Soli Deo Gloria.To God alone be the glory.

The Rev. Dr. Ronald Moore is the Vicar of St. Luke's Anglican Church in Corinth, Mississippi. You can find his books at amazon.com/author/ronaldhmoore