Is Soli Deo Gloria a biblical principle? Pro football player Nick Foles says yes.

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Is Soli Deo Gloria a biblical principle?

  • Yes, Soli Deo Gloria is a biblical principle.

    Votes: 13 100.0%

  • No, Soli Deo Gloria is not a biblical principle.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • I don't know.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    13
UnitedWithChrist

UnitedWithChrist

Well-known member
#1
Aug 12, 2019
3,739
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#1
Is Soli Deo Gloria a biblical principle?

Soli Deo Gloria teaches that the purpose of man is to glorify God only.

I don't think many Christians understand this. Yet, it is a solid Christian principle.

They may acknowledge that God is to be glorified, but the "Soli" is the part they don't acknowledge...God ALONE, not God AND me.

This is one of the primary reasons I am Reformed, and not a free-willer..because ultimately free-willer theology will end up, logically and consistently, glorifying the person for his free-will decision, if the concept of regeneration before faith is denied.

As I have said over and over, God changes the heart of stone to a heart of flesh, and this change of heart is what produces faith and repentance as a fruit. Instead, the free-willer believes that the person must dredge up faith and repentance from a heart of stone, in order to acquire a heart of flesh...absurd.

This conviction rejects any grounds for boasting, because God changes the heart to cause faith and repentance.

Ephesians 2:1-10
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
(ESV Strong's)

Anyways, I'm thinking about this due to a video by a pro football player, Nick Foles, who does seek to glorify God in all things. I think Nick Foles is a Calvary Chapel guy, and Calvary Chapel is not typically Reformed, but some of them lean in that direction.

Here's a good gotquestions.com explanation on Soli Deo Gloria.

https://www.gotquestions.org/soli-Deo-gloria.html

I recommend listening to this video:

 
TooFastTurtle

TooFastTurtle

Active member
#2
Apr 10, 2019
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#2
I voted yes. It would be heresy to say God doesn't get the full glory.
 
Nehemiah6

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
#3
Jul 18, 2017
24,479
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#3
UnitedWithChrist said:
Is Soli Deo Gloria a biblical principle?
Click to expand...
That God and Christ should (and must) receive all glory both now and in eternity is more that just a principle. It is the foundation of the universe. And regardless of what men may do or think today, this will actually come to pass in eternity.

At the same time God is glorified TODAY only when the true Gospel of God is preached and disseminated. That is not the version presented by Calvinists.
 
D

DB7

Junior Member
#4
Dec 29, 2014
283
138
43
#4
UnitedWithChrist said:
This is one of the primary reasons I am Reformed, and not a free-willer..because ultimately free-willer theology will end up, logically and consistently, glorifying the person for his free-will decision, if the concept of regeneration before faith is denied.
Click to expand...
That's a bit of an oxymoron, or maybe, more properly Catch 22 (I'll explain later), as by free will to give God all the Glory, is thus, to Give God all the glory, ....for the only way to make that statement and have it undermine itself, that is, give the glory elsewhere, is to be insincere about it.
So, take your pick, can one by their own volition give Glory to God, or does no one have their own volition?
Or, is it all an involuntary compulsion evoked by God, which therefore, is as unauthentic as the first premise.
But rather, it's more a Catch 22 system, similar to faith, you can't say that you have it, without their being evidence. Equally, you're either giving glory to God or you're not, your attitude will either justify or incriminate you. So that again, you either have the ability to give Glory to God, or you don't.
You asked the question, either it was a trick or loaded question, or you answered it yourself. If it is a Biblical principle, then man is supposed to do all to the Glory of God. In other words, it is not God's responsibility to glorify himself!
 
Flint321

Flint321

Banned
#5
Apr 12, 2019
243
105
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#5
The bible teaches that God does everything according to his own purpose and will, which is to His glory, so i would agree with that, everything is decreed by God in eternity and brought about in time, God is motivated by his own WILL, his own PURPOSE, indeed God needs nothing, he creates and establishes all things with his Supreme Will in mind, the end being his own glory.

This doctrine is called the Sovereignty of God, that God rules and reigns over all things, since everything he made belongs to Him and works under his rule and purpose.
 
M

MattforJesus

Banned
#6
Apr 15, 2017
2,867
653
113
#6
The Bible says that many are called but few are chosen, so when God calls a person He works with them to get them to the truth but when they get to the door of truth they have to go through it for God's kingdom is love, but they would not have gotten to the door of truth unless God intervened in their life for the flesh would not accept on it's own.

Which the Bible says that no person says Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost, and no person comes to the Son unless the Father draws them.

So they had help with repenting and having faith from God before they are saved.

Some do not make it to the door of truth, and some do not go through the door, for many are called but few are chosen.

But we still have free will for we have to decide to walk through the door of truth, for if we do not have free will then God's kingdom is not true love which goes against His nature, and if we do not have free will then why is all the people God called not being chosen.

Why is God calling them but some are not chosen if we do not have free will, and if many are called but few are chosen then we must have free will, and God must be doing the calling and choosing on earth.

Not having free will goes against the nature of God that He is love, and His kingdom is love, and He is not evil to condemn people that have no choice.

The Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world although it happened in the future.

The prophets blood was shed from the foundation of the world although it happened in the future.

And so it is with the saints are predestined to salvation although it is in the future, for God said He commands all people everywhere to repent, and come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved, and the Spirit and bride say anybody can have that salvation, and Jesus lights every person born in this world which means everybody has the chance to see the light of Jesus and be saved.

My computer has no free will of it's own but I tell it what to say and do, and it says it and does it, and cannot resist for it can see no other alternative for it has no free will.

So I programmed my computer to say I love you after it boots up.

Does my computer really love me, and if I program it to say I hate you will I get mad and break it in pieces.

If we have no free will then how do we really love God and if we do not accept the truth why are we punished.
 
Flint321

Flint321

Banned
#7
Apr 12, 2019
243
105
43
#7
MattforJesus said:
The Bible says that many are called but few are chosen, so when God calls a person He works with them to get them to the truth but when they get to the door of truth they have to go through it for God's kingdom is love, but they would not have gotten to the door of truth unless God intervened in their life for the flesh would not accept on it's own.

Which the Bible says that no person says Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost, and no person comes to the Son unless the Father draws them.

So they had help with repenting and having faith from God before they are saved.

Some do not make it to the door of truth, and some do not go through the door, for many are called but few are chosen.

But we still have free will for we have to decide to walk through the door of truth, for if we do not have free will then God's kingdom is not true love which goes against His nature, and if we do not have free will then why is all the people God called not being chosen.

Why is God calling them but some are not chosen if we do not have free will, and if many are called but few are chosen then we must have free will, and God must be doing the calling and choosing on earth.

Not having free will goes against the nature of God that He is love, and His kingdom is love, and He is not evil to condemn people that have no choice.

The Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world although it happened in the future.

The prophets blood was shed from the foundation of the world although it happened in the future.

And so it is with the saints are predestined to salvation although it is in the future, for God said He commands all people everywhere to repent, and come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved, and the Spirit and bride say anybody can have that salvation, and Jesus lights every person born in this world which means everybody has the chance to see the light of Jesus and be saved.

My computer has no free will of it's own but I tell it what to say and do, and it says it and does it, and cannot resist for it can see no other alternative for it has no free will.

So I programmed my computer to say I love you after it boots up.

Does my computer really love me, and if I program it to say I hate you will I get mad and break it in pieces.

If we have no free will then how do we really love God and if we do not accept the truth why are we punished.
Click to expand...
The concept of "free-will" is an interesting one, but i believe not actually in the bible, man has a will, but not a "free-will", there is a BIG DIFFERENCE.

To understand the will of man, we have to understand that the human will is a facility of the human heart, when the bible talks about the heart of man, its talking about: your mind (the thought reality of man), your affections (the emotional reality of man) and your will (the action bit of man, the drive).

The bible declares that the heart of man by nature is desperately sick and wicked (Jeremiah 17:9) and that we are dead in sins and trespasses (Ephesians 2:1), the bible also describes in Ezekiel that we have a heart of stone, our will is wicked and dead, so this means that we are sinners who will not come to God and are accountable for our sin of not coming to God at the same time.

We have no free-will because our will is wicked, because we are wicked by nature alone :)
 
Flint321

Flint321

Banned
#8
Apr 12, 2019
243
105
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#8
Also to add more to this thought, check out Romans 3:11
None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.

The bible declares that by nature no one is righteous, therefore everyone by nature is unrighteous (in rebellion in there hearts completely against God, the will is engaged only and entirely in sin, no one will embrace God because no one wants to, this is mans only state of existence, only an outside source can save Man, which is something God does alone, to the praise of his glory as this post is about, the glory of such undeserving love upon evil creatures of wrath)

No one seeks for God, not a single person in the entire existence of man has ever been saved by there "free-will"
Romans 9:16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.
 
JaumeJ

JaumeJ

Senior Member
#9
Jul 2, 2011
21,235
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#9
Perhaps at the beginning of life people are not inclined to seek God, however when any recognize the evil of this age, many seek God in one manner or another.
 
Sackcloth-N-Ashes

Sackcloth-N-Ashes

Banned
#10
Oct 25, 2018
2,377
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#10
JaumeJ said:
Perhaps at the beginning of life people are not inclined to seek God, however when any recognize the evil of this age, many seek God in one manner or another.
Click to expand...
The Christ was conversing with a woman at a well in Samaria when He told her You worship what you do not know.[John 4:22a] She had told Him prior to that "Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.”[John 4:20] He was telling her, that even though they were worshipping on the mountain, they were worshiping something they knew nothing about. Meaning, that ppl do try to worship God, but they have no idea what they are doing. Remember, it was prohibited for Israel to worship on top of mountains, as that was where they built their idolatrous temples to worship idols. The Samaritans were doing the same thing. They were worshiping idols on the mountain, not the true God. He went on to tell her "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”[John 4:24-25]

So, it does matter how someone worships God. It matters how someone seeks God. Many go their whole life seeking for the meaning of life and die w/o ever finding out that the meaning of life is to love God and worship Him forever.
 
JaumeJ

JaumeJ

Senior Member
#11
Jul 2, 2011
21,235
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#11
JaumeJ said:
Perhaps at the beginning of life people are not inclined to seek God, however when any recognize the evil of this age, many seek God in one manner or another.
Click to expand...
Sackcloth-N-Ashes said:
The Christ was conversing with a woman at a well in Samaria when He told her You worship what you do not know.[John 4:22a] She had told Him prior to that "Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.”[John 4:20] He was telling her, that even though they were worshipping on the mountain, they were worshiping something they knew nothing about. Meaning, that ppl do try to worship God, but they have no idea what they are doing. Remember, it was prohibited for Israel to worship on top of mountains, as that was where they built their idolatrous temples to worship idols. The Samaritans were doing the same thing. They were worshiping idols on the mountain, not the true God. He went on to tell her "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”[John 4:24-25]

So, it does matter how someone worships God. It matters how someone seeks God. Many go their whole life seeking for the meaning of life and die w/o ever finding out that the meaning of life is to love God and worship Him forever.
Click to expand...

Thank you. I believe my post fits right in to what you have responded.
 
UnitedWithChrist

UnitedWithChrist

Well-known member
#19
Aug 12, 2019
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#19
DB7 said:
That's a bit of an oxymoron, or maybe, more properly Catch 22 (I'll explain later), as by free will to give God all the Glory, is thus, to Give God all the glory, ....for the only way to make that statement and have it undermine itself, that is, give the glory elsewhere, is to be insincere about it.
So, take your pick, can one by their own volition give Glory to God, or does no one have their own volition?
Or, is it all an involuntary compulsion evoked by God, which therefore, is as unauthentic as the first premise.
But rather, it's more a Catch 22 system, similar to faith, you can't say that you have it, without their being evidence. Equally, you're either giving glory to God or you're not, your attitude will either justify or incriminate you. So that again, you either have the ability to give Glory to God, or you don't.
You asked the question, either it was a trick or loaded question, or you answered it yourself. If it is a Biblical principle, then man is supposed to do all to the Glory of God. In other words, it is not God's responsibility to glorify himself!
Click to expand...
Scripture teaches that God changes the nature of the person, giving them a heart of flesh to replace their heart of stone, which cannot produce faith and repentance, therefore they have no reason to glory in themselves, but only God.

They make a "free will" choice of faith, repentance and confession but it is due to the new nature they now have, that God gave to them.

Boasting is excluded, unlike the free-willer view that the person was smart enough to respond to God using their autonomous free will (which is not a biblical position as Romans 6, John 8 and other places state that man is enslaved to sin, dead and in need of spiritual resurrection, and dwells in darkness and delusion).

God glorifies himself in his acts of salvation, by the way...he is not dependent on humans or angels to glorify him. That would imply that God is somehow deficit in himself, and needs other beings to provide some need. In reality, God is Triune, community within his very being, therefore he needs no other thing or no other being. He is self-sufficient.

Now, he does choose to share himself with other unworthy creatures..but he is self-sufficient.
 
G

Ghoti2

Well-known member
#20
Nov 8, 2019
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#20
I couldn't help seeing the word "only" as subconsciously being meant to be attached to the ends of those first two poll questions.

While it is true that glorifying God is a Biblical principle, I couldn't answer, since I read the questions as being intended to be a "Yes" or "No" proposition. I do not think glorifying God is the only Biblical principle of importance... and possibly even of equal importance to some others.

I have trouble with questions that sound a lot like "self-damning" queries...…… such as: "Have you quit beating your wife?" The current TV Impeachment Hearings have enough of that sort of thing. Don't need it here.
 
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