The 5th slogan made famous by Martin Luther and his posse during the Protestant Reformation of the 1500s helps to summarise the other four.
SOLI DEO GLORIA = Glory to God Alone.
Bible Alone, Grace Alone, Faith Alone and Christ Alone show us that salvation belongs to God. His Word is our final authority. He gives us a gracious gift we don’t deserve. Our faith is in what God has done. And Jesus has done it all! He cries “It is finished” from the cross. This means that God has done everything necessary to achieve our justification and salvation.
Therefore glory belongs to him alone. Not to us. Not to Popes. Not to our works. Not to our human logic. Salvation is from God. Glory belongs to God.
Can you really steal God’s glory?
As hard as you try, ultimately, you can’t steal God’s glory! God will be glorified in both salvation and judgement. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord – to the glory of God the Father (Php 2:9-11).
Glory belongs to God. Don’t try and steal it from him. Rather recognise that that salvation is revealed in the Bible Alone, by Grace Alone through Faith Alone in Christ Alone… to the Glory of God Alone. Give God the Glory that is his alone.