Saved For A Purpose

Saved for a Purpose

His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.

Ephesians 3:10

IN WORD From a human perspective, life is all about us—our welfare, our accomplishments, our plans, our cultures and social systems. Even when we bring God into the picture, we describe Him as being concerned for us, sacrificing for us, loving us, and caring for us. And He is concerned and loving, making His relationship with us clear throughout Scripture and our experience. But sometimes we get a little too “us-focused.” We forget that God’s ultimate goal, the very purpose of creation, is not for a fallen race to be loved and saved. It is to demonstrate His wisdom and mercy by saving a fallen race. The visible result in both cases is the same. But the ultimate purpose is His glory, not ours.

It makes sense to us to approach life from a very human point of view. That’s because we’re very human. The point of view comes naturally. But our perspective isn’t really logical in the grand scheme of things. From heaven’s view, it’s extremely self-focused. If we think the Cross was all about us, we’re right—to a point. But it’s all about us in order to demonstrate something about God: He is merciful and kind, forgiving and gentle, the Just and the Justifier. As the first chapter of Ephesians tells us repeatedly in its description of our salvation, it’s all for the praise of His glory (vv. 6, 12, and 14).

IN DEED That doesn’t mean, of course, that God is really only saving us for His own reputation and not out of a sense of selfless love. Of course He loves us. We’re promised that, over and over again in Scripture. But this whole creation—the one that fell into sin and rebellion under the watchful eye of its Creator—exists as a divine demonstration of His very genuine love. That’s why we’re saved. It’s all about Him.

The glory of God is a living man; and the life of man consists in beholding God.

—IRENAEUS