Today I’m pleased to have my brother-in-law, Pastor Tim Boger, as our guest blogger on “Family & Friends Friday.” Tim loves people, the Word of God, coffee, and baseball. His greatest joy is spending time with Wendy, his "sweetheart since junior high." They have two grown children: Seth and his wife Emily along with their son Levi live in Jerusalem, Israel. Sarah and her husband Ben live in Kansas with their two children, Denson and Noel.
Tim is presently the Senior Pastor at Big Woods Bible Church in Lock Haven, PA and is continuing further studies at Reformed Theological Seminary.
Etched in a piece of black walnut hanging on my office wall (pictured above) are three simple words Soli Deo Gloria, a Latin phrase that means “Glory to God Alone.” It emerged more than five hundred years ago from the Protestant Reformation as a summary statement for SALVATION, which is according to Scripture alone, by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone … for the glory of God alone.
But in many ways it could also be a summary statement for ALL of life! The Bible teaches that God has offered salvation to mankind through the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross and paid the price for all of sin. When Jesus rose from the tomb three days later, He came to life so we too could “walk in the newness of life” (Rom. 6:4) when we put our faith in Him. But God also created each of us with a purpose and gives each of us a new day, every day. Therefore, we should live each day for the glory of God alone.
This means we are to wake up each morning for the glory of God. We are to go to work or school for the glory of God. We are to think, talk, write, study, learn, drive, play, exercise, rest, read and run … for the glory of God! You and I are to carefully maneuver our way through every day … for the glory of God. The Apostle Paul said it like this: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all for the glory of God.” (I Corinthians 10:31)
At first glance, this seems logical and perhaps even doable because it, most certainly, is the right thing to do. But the problem comes with that little word “Soli,” or “alone”. It may seem easy to give all glory to God knowing that is what we were created for, but it is not as easy as you think. I have found that we love our own glory! We love to delight in our own fame. We love to center life around ourselves.
By pursuing our own glory, we are in essence trying to rob God of His glory. But God will not have this! We need to remember God does not share His glory with anyone. The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 115:1, “Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory.” We are fallen, sinful beings. It would be inappropriate for us as human beings to receive all the glory but it is more than appropriate for God. We need to remember … “all things” bring glory to God. This means all the glory of creation–all the universe, all the solar systems, all the stars, the sun, the moon–belongs to God.
All the academic glory in every library of every university belongs to God.
All the glory of the military might belongs to God.
All the glory of the weather systems — even with storms, hurricanes, winds and floods belongs to God.
All the glory of art belongs to God.
All the glory of athletics belongs to God.
All the glory of science and medicine belongs to God.
All the glory of governments — with kings, princes, presidents and prime ministers — belongs to God.
All the glory of every life belongs to God — which means it does not belong to us.
In a world filled with so many people looking for identity, purpose and joy, I am reminded of Eric Liddell, the great Scottish runner and Gold Medalist from the 1924 Paris Olympics who said, “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast! And when I run I feel His pleasure.” Today, we need to be reminded God wants us to delight in all the joys, wonders and pleasures of life that He created for us, but this will only come when we learn not to live for our own glory but instead live Soli Deo Gloria.
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways! ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor? Or who has given a gift to Him that He might be repaid?’ For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:33-36)
