* Soli Deo Gloria: Psalm 115:1–8
* I Only Brought a Spoon
Under the title “Soli Deo Gloria,” I would like to preach the Word of God. Some of you may know the Korean actor Hwang Jung-min, one of the greatest actors in Korea. He starred as the leading role in three separate films that each drew more than ten million viewers.
In 2005, he played the lead in the movie You Are My Sunshine, which became one of the most successful melodramas in Korean film history. Through this film, he gained immense popularity and received the Blue Dragon Best Actor Award.
Yet what left a deep impression on many was his acceptance speech. He said, “To be honest, I always tell people that I’m just a mere actor. Around sixty staff members and actors set such a splendid table; all I have to do is enjoy the meal. Yet all the spotlight comes to me, and I feel so sorry about that.”
This statement deeply moved people because, at the peak of his career, he did not glorify himself but gave the glory to others. In a moment when he could have lifted himself up, he instead humbled himself and honored those around him, leaving an unforgettable impression of true humility.
* The Five Solas of the Reformation
Through this fall revival, we have been reflecting deeply on the five Solas of the Reformation. These five declarations are: Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone), Sola Gratia (Grace alone), Sola Fide (Faith alone), Solus Christus (Christ alone), and finally, Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God alone).
Our Presbyterian faith, if traced back to its roots, leads us to a time when the church had become corrupted and darkened. It was an era when the pope held political power, and many clergy neither preached the gospel nor cared for the souls of believers. Filled with greed for money, they began to sell indulgences, claiming that even the sins of the dead could be forgiven through payment. Reformers such as Martin Luther rose to oppose this system because it was utterly contrary to the teaching of Scripture.
The most amazing thing is that through this process, the gospel that had been hidden for centuries in the medieval church began to shine forth again. People’s hearts started to change. Instead of relying on papal decrees or church traditions, they began to think based solely on the Word of God.
In the Middle Ages, it was taught that God’s grace alone was not enough—that humans had to add their good works in order to be saved. But the reformers rediscovered the biblical truth that salvation comes only by the grace of God. This gospel truth began to stir and awaken souls. And they came to understand clearly, according to Scripture, how salvation truly happens: that Jesus Christ alone is the righteousness of sinners, and that salvation comes only by faith in Him alone.
Therefore, the natural direction of those who are saved by faith in Christ is summarized in this final declaration: “Soli Deo Gloria” — Glory to God alone.
* What Is Glory?
When you hear the word “glory,” what comes to your mind? The Korean word for “glory” (영광, 榮光) is made up of two Chinese characters: “young” (榮) meaning honor or dignity worthy of respect, and “gwang” (光) meaning light or brilliance. So, simply put, “glory” refers to a beautiful and shining honor or dignity.
However, in the Bible, the word “glory” usually translates the Hebrew word “kabod,” which literally means “weight” or “heaviness.” Therefore, when Scripture says, “The glory of God,” it signifies that God Himself is weighty, important, and of infinite worth. In Greek, the New Testament uses the word “doxa,” which originally comes from a verb meaning “to think.” Over time, it developed into the sense of a favorable opinion, then reputation, praise, and honor.
In conclusion, the glory of God in the New Testament refers to God’s reputation, His praise, and His exalted honor. It means that His name is lifted high, His character is made known, and His majesty is recognized among all creation.
* Only God Is Glorious
Let us think for a moment. Sometimes we describe a person as “glorious”—a truly great or admirable person. But what do we realize as we live longer? The glory and reputation of human beings always change. Someone we once considered honorable and admirable may later disappoint us, and the person we thought was great turns out not to be so.
However, the glory of God is completely different. His greatness, majesty, and exaltation never change. As the Lord declares in Isaiah 42:8 (ESV):
“I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.”
Here, notice that before speaking of His glory, God first declares His name: “I am the Lord.” The name “Yahweh” means “I AM WHO I AM,” the One who exists by Himself.
We must remember how important that name is. We all depend on something—our parents, the air we breathe, water, and food to survive. Without these, we cannot live. We are also bound by time and space; we exist within limits. But the Lord is not like us. He depends on nothing. He is perfect in Himself, the Creator of the universe and of humankind, and the Lord of all. Therefore, His weight, importance, and exaltation far exceed our comprehension. The glory of God never fades and never changes.
Thus the Lord proclaims, “I am glorious, and My glory belongs to Me alone. I will not share it with anyone else.”
* Not to Us, O Lord
With this background in mind, we can now understand today’s passage in a deeper way. Psalm 115:1 (ESV) says,
“Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!”
Here we notice that the psalmist repeats the same phrase twice: “Not to us, not to us.” In Scripture, repetition always emphasizes importance. The psalmist is pleading with God, “Do not let glory be given to us.” Why? Because human beings are unworthy of glory. He is praying that people would not exalt themselves or take the place that belongs to God alone.
The psalmist then explains the reason: “For the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness.” This is a sharp contrast between human frailty and God’s perfection. Human love and truthfulness are weak and unstable, but the Lord is abounding in steadfast love and utterly faithful in all His ways. Thus, the psalmist confesses that only God deserves glory, because only He is truly gracious, true, and trustworthy.
* Look at the Reformation
How do you feel when you read this verse? As I prepared for this revival and for today’s message, the phrase “for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness” touched my heart deeply. Especially when viewed in connection with the Reformation, it becomes even more meaningful.
Think about it—though the early church once flourished and Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire, humanity gradually became corrupted, and the church began to collapse. It seemed as if the church had lost the ability to correct itself. Yet the faithful and gracious God did not abandon His church. Out of His mercy, He revived and restored it again.
There is a book called Table Talk, which is not written by Luther himself but by his students and colleagues who recorded the conversations he had during his lifetime. This collection reveals Luther’s candid thoughts and helps us understand his inner world. In one passage, Luther said:
“High church officials, idolized saints, rich moneylenders, and greedy cattle traders—these are not the servants of God, nor is it desirable that they should be. Moreover, it brings no honor to God that such people are called His servants, for they ascribe glory and honor to themselves.”
When I read this, one sentence struck my heart the most: “They ascribe glory and honor to themselves.” Through this statement, we can understand how Luther saw his times—it was an age when human beings stole the glory of God.
In other words, it was a time when people exalted themselves, claiming greatness, even saying that salvation rested in their own hands. They elevated human authority above God’s Word. That was the spiritual darkness Luther faced in his generation.
* Sinners Who Steal God’s Glory
What we must clearly understand is that the attempt to steal God’s glory and to exalt oneself is not merely a problem of the Middle Ages. It is the fundamental evil that lies at the very heart of fallen humanity. In Genesis 3:4–5 (ESV), the serpent tempts Eve, saying,
“You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
This temptation is not simply about disobeying God’s command—it is far deeper. The serpent deceives humanity with a lie that strikes at the core of worship: “You can be like God.” In other words, instead of exalting God and giving Him glory, the serpent whispers, “Take His place. Seize His glory. You can become the center.”
And what was the result? Genesis 3:6 (ESV) says,
“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.”
Thus, the fall of humanity was the tragic attempt to rise to the place of the most glorious God. Not only did that effort fail, but it resulted in complete spiritual separation from God, bringing about the most miserable consequence in human history.
* The Living God and the Powerless Idols
Then how does God respond to this human rebellion and fall? His work is truly marvelous. God did not abandon fallen humanity. Out of His mercy and steadfast love, He made a promise to save them. In Genesis 3:15 (ESV), God proclaims His redemptive plan:
“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
In other words, God did not give up on those who turned away from Him. Instead, He promised to send One who would crush the serpent’s head, redeem sinners, and lead them back to Himself. Therefore, the Lord our God is alive, working on behalf of sinners, full of compassion and grace, and never giving up on His people.
In this sense, today’s Psalm 115 has an incredibly powerful structure. The psalmist compares the living and glorious God with lifeless idols. He draws a vivid contrast between the majestic Lord and powerless images of silver and gold. The description is so detailed that it almost sounds ironic:
“Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat.” (Psalm 115:4–7, ESV)
Why did people in ancient times—and even today—make idols out of gold and silver? Because they wanted them to look glorious. They wanted to display something impressive and majestic. Yet, in reality, those idols are utterly powerless. Scripture declares that they can do nothing. But the Lord, the living God, is completely different—He alone is the One who works, shows mercy, and reveals His glory. He alone is the glorious, living God.
* The Work of the Holy Spirit
Then how can humanity—who from the very beginning sought to exalt themselves and steal God’s glory—be changed? God has a clear plan for this. He sends the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts. In Ezekiel 36:26–27 (ESV), the Lord declares,
“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.”
This means that when God saves a sinner, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within them, giving them a new heart—a tender, living heart instead of a hardened one. In other words, salvation is not simply a change in behavior, but the miraculous work of God’s Spirit who renews our hearts so that we come to believe and confess Jesus Christ as Lord.
Before, people lived exalting themselves, thinking they were great and self-sufficient. But now, through the Spirit’s renewal, they live to honor God, to recognize His glory, and to magnify Him in every moment. Titus 3:5 (ESV) says,
“He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.”
Notice the phrase “renewal of the Holy Spirit.” The Greek word for “renewal” also appears in Romans 12:2 (ESV):
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Thus, the renewal of the Spirit is directly connected to the renewal of the mind. Believing in Jesus and being transformed by the Spirit means a complete change of heart and attitude. We begin to long for God’s will, to honor His greatness, and to live for His pleasure. This is the true meaning of salvation.
* Open Your Eyes to the Glory of God
In this context, I have often realized in my ministry that many believers think of salvation in a very self-centered way. They tend to believe that salvation is merely about entering heaven. Of course, that is true—God has saved us to make us His children and to lead us into His eternal kingdom.
However, salvation means far more than simply going to heaven. The Bible shows that salvation is actually a transfer of glory. Humanity, who once tried to steal God’s glory, is now restored to give all glory back to God alone. In this way, salvation can be perfectly understood as the return of glory to its rightful place.
Therefore, the ultimate purpose of our salvation is not just personal blessing or comfort, but to recognize God’s greatness in everything He does and to live as people who exalt His name. True believers are those whose eyes have been opened to see the majesty of God and who respond with worship, praise, and thanksgiving.
* Worthy of Glory
In this light, when we look at Ephesians chapter 1, we find a repeated theme that runs throughout the passage—the glory of God. This chapter magnificently reveals God’s power and love in choosing and saving us. Ephesians 1:6 (ESV) says,
“To the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.”
This means that our salvation by grace is not the end of our story. Rather, the right response to such grace is to praise the greatness and glory of God who saved us. We cannot help but lift up His name in worship.
In Ephesians 1:12 (ESV), Paul continues,
“So that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.”
And in Ephesians 1:14 (ESV), he writes,
“Who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”
Here, the “guarantee” refers to the Holy Spirit. The Spirit’s indwelling presence assures us that God has paid the price for our sins and will surely bring us to final redemption.
Therefore, as the psalm declares, because our triune God is full of steadfast love and faithfulness, because He has completely saved us, we cannot help but praise the glory of His grace. A true believer is someone who, by spiritual sight, recognizes the greatness and majesty of God—and lives to exalt Him alone.
* Give Glory to the Lord
So then, how can we practically give glory to God in our daily lives? 1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV) says,
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
What stands out here are the words “whatever you do.” This phrase means exactly what it says—everything we do in life. And the words “whether you eat or drink” include even the smallest, most ordinary things in our daily routine.
This teaching was revolutionary for people in the Middle Ages. Back then, many believed that the best way to please God was to enter a monastery or live a religious life within the church. They thought that only those who devoted themselves to prayer or worship were truly pleasing to God, while the tasks of everyday life—working, farming, raising families—were merely secular necessities.
But Scripture teaches something very different. From the beginning, the Bible shows that every part of life is connected to God. Worship inside the church is important, but so is how we live outside the church. Every action, big or small, can reveal God’s glory when done in faith.
* How Are We Living?
When we look around today, we can see that the same misunderstanding that existed in the Middle Ages still remains in people’s hearts. Many believers unconsciously divide life into two categories—the sacred and the secular. They think that the work of the church is holy, but ordinary work in the world is not.
This dualistic mindset leads to a serious problem. Even among those who pray fervently and worship faithfully, there are sometimes people who are not respected at work, not trusted in their families, or even criticized in society. They fail to see that their everyday life is meant to reflect God’s greatness. They think, “I just work to make a living,” without realizing that their labor can glorify God.
Martin Luther strongly opposed this kind of thinking. Speaking to those who despised the everyday vocations of believers, he said:
“He fiercely criticizes those who think that a believing farmer or worker faithfully doing his job is less precious before God than monks, friars, or nuns.”
And again, addressing those who envy others instead of being faithful in their own calling, he said:
“It is truly sad that so few people are satisfied with the vocation and calling God has given them. Most of us think that other people’s situations are better than our own. Yet to serve God rightly is to stand firmly in the place where He has called us, no matter how humble or simple it may be.”
The Bible and the Reformation both teach us this truth: the most important thing for believers today is to glorify God wherever they are. People focus on how good their job is or how much they earn, but God focuses on whether His glory is revealed through their lives. Even if one’s job seems lowly in human eyes, if that person works diligently and faithfully to reveal God’s greatness, that life is truly Reformed and genuinely biblical.
* The Resolution of the Trainees
As we come to the close of today’s message, let me share one final story. Earlier, I mentioned the actor Hwang Jung-min’s acceptance speech—but there’s another part that many people don’t know. When he stepped onto the stage after being announced as Best Actor, he said, with a shy but sincere voice,
“First of all, I want to thank God. I’ve always been thankful in my heart but haven’t expressed it publicly—so today, I give thanks to God first.”
That confession deeply moved me. At the very pinnacle of his career, he wanted God to be glorified first. It revealed a man of pure faith standing in the spotlight yet humbly giving credit to the Lord.
Recently, while serving in the two-month training for newly elected deacon and deaconess candidates, I had many meaningful conversations with them. What impressed me most was their humility and deep faith. During our second session, we reflected on Romans 14:8 (ESV):
“For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.”
After meditating on this verse, the trainees shared their hearts with me. They said things like:
“I love the confession that I belong to the Lord.”
“I accept it as a fact that I am His.”
“I want to please God and love my neighbors.”
“I repent for not always living as a child of God.”
“I want to resemble the service and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.”
“I will always remember why I live—to honor Him.”
“I will trust the Lord in every situation.”
“I will lay myself down, give thanks for His grace, and grow to resemble the Father.”
“I will strive to treat every church member with love.”
Through these confessions, I became convinced that these are truly precious servants of God—people who desire to dedicate their whole lives to Him. And through them, I believe our church will be built up with even greater strength and grace.
* Conclusion
As we conclude, let us ask ourselves an important question: Whose glory are we living for? Whom do we truly exalt through our lives?
My earnest prayer is that in every moment of our lives we would lift up and glorify our Father God, who has saved us and guides us by His grace. In our homes, our workplaces, our businesses, our schools, and in every relationship, may we reveal the love, mercy, wisdom, faithfulness, and excellence of God.
May all of us live to exalt His glory alone, giving Him the highest praise with our hearts and lives. I bless you, beloved brothers and sisters, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ— that you may live every day Soli Deo Gloria, to the glory of God alone.
Let us pray.
