Archive article 26

The fifth thesis from the Protestant Reformation

is written in Latin: “Soli Deo Gloria”

In our world which is normally shaped by efforts to carve out our own happiness, this is probably the thesis which seems the least relevant. And yet, when we look into the Bible we see that man’s entire existence is to be found in God’s glory alone. In reality, the proper understanding of our world doesn’t come from “anthropocentric” anlysis but rather the “theocentric” one – from it not being  centred around ‘us’ but around God. He is the centre around which all human interests revolve and from which they take their meaning.

The fact that God isn’t at the centre of the life of many churches and Christians is, however, a wide-spread reality. It’s the tragic result of the loss of the authority of the Bible. The relationship with the living Christ becomes distant. The Gospel itself undergoes a transformation and faith becomes something quite different from the trust of which the Bible speaks. God is not really the heart and centre of our lives – we are! Everything revolves around “us” and God is simply added on so that our quest for religious satisfaction is met. God really becomes an “add-on” – something akin to the accessories we purchase for our cars, not something essential to the car, but a product which might make it more comfortable!

The result is that we try to satisfy our profound need for God without actually depending on Him and His Word. Our times of worship and adoration in Church have slipped downwards to become a type of entertainment. The preaching of the Word of God has become more like a process of ‘marketing’. A life of faith has become a technique designed to produce certain results. The heart-passion for God and the quest for holiness have become a superficial effort for overall well-being and prosperity. It’s quite tragic to see how God, Jesus Christ and the Bible have taken a marginal role, no longer shaping our lives but at best a piece of fruit on top of the Christian cake.

But God does not exist for man so that he can satisfy his ambitions and desires! Our great joy in life is found when we seek God’s glory in every corner of our lives – right in the centre of our ‘daily-ness’!  When this happens, whether it’s in private devotion or corporate worship, a personal project or a communal activity, everything is filled with deep satisfaction and enjoyment of the presence of the living God.

The Bible clearly teaches us that He is the centre of all existence and that our salvation only comes from Him. To glorify God is not to add something onto our lives – He is the  centre of our entire existence.  “In Him we live and move and have our being”.  Without Him we just can’t live at all. He is the “one” who gives meaning to all existence and our daily affairs only find the deepest richness when He’s at the heart of all we do, think and say.  

In these days of the World Soccer Championship  we are seeing the fall of so many heroes of the football field. It’s wonderful to know that God, and His glory, will never fade or fall! His glory lasts forever and throughout the ups and downs of our everyday life there’s a consistency to joy, given by His presence, which never wanes or wears out!

To the only one true God be all the glory!

                                                                                                            Pastor Paul Finch