In The Coming Ages

In the Coming Ages

God raised us up with Christ . . . in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace.

Ephesians 2:6-7

IN WORD Do you view spiritual growth as God’s intention for you? Most of us do. We want to fulfill God’s design for us, realize the plans He has for our lives, and be fulfilled. But a strange thing happens when fallen human beings begin to view their salvation and their ensuing growth as a path to their own maturity, or worse, as a self-improvement technique. When we get discouraged, we decide that the goals we have for our growth aren’t worth the extra strain or the intense devotion that they require. We take a break.

That’s a natural result when we think our fruit-bearing and our maturity are “our” issues. And certainly God means for us to have great benefits from godliness. But our growth is not just ours. It’s also His. He desires it for our good, but He also desires it for His reputation—His glory. As Paul says in Ephesians, we were saved not just so we would grow and be fulfilled people. We were saved so that “in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace.” Once again, the Scripture reminds us: Our lives are all about Him.

IN DEED What does that mean in real life? It means that God has a huge stake in whether or not we bear fruit. It means that the reflection of His image in us is affected by the level of our spiritual growth. It means that when we’re tired and decide that we don’t have the energy for any spiritual disciplines today or this week or this month, we’re overstepping our authority. We don’t have the right to decide that. Our spiritual disciplines aren’t exclusively for our own good; they’re for God’s glory.

Salvation and sanctification, the birth and growth that result as we are shaped to be like Jesus, are certainly gifts from God. But we are so used to calling them gifts—our “possessions”—that we miss their higher purpose. We are a display of God—His mercy, His image, His love. We aren’t just saved to be saved; we’re saved to be mirrors of Him. His beauty is our ultimate purpose.

The glory of God is man alive, supremely in Christ.

—LEON SUENENS