Theology as doxology

For Calvin...doxological theocentrism shaped everything. His compassionate concern that everyone should know God's grace was rooted in a deeper desire, namely that everyone should glorify God by a life of adoring worship for the wonder of his work in creation, providence, and salvation, fully recognizing the realities that the Reformational slogans sola Scriptura, solo Christo, sola fide, sola gratia, and soli Deo gloria, were put in place to guard. Knowledge of God as Creator and Redeemer, holy, just, wise, and good, comes to us by Scripture alone, not by our own independent insight or guesswork. The blessings of redemption—reconciliation with God, the gift of righteousness and sonship, regeneration, glory—come to us by Christ alone, not by any fancied personal merit or any priestly mediation on the part of the church. Christ and his gifts are received by faith alone, not earned by effort. That very faith is given to us and sustained in us by grace alone, so that our own contribution to our salvation is precisely nil; all the glory for it must go to God alone, and none be diverted to us. We are simply the sinners whose need of salvation is met by the marvelous mercy of him who "did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all."

J.I. Packer, A Theological Guide to Calvin's Institutes, ed. David W. Hall and Peter A. Lillback