In His Image

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature;

the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. NASB

God’s great purpose in Salvation

God has many purposes for which He made the creation. Indeed everything He has made has a specific purpose to fulfill in the grand scheme of His plan for the ages. Everything has a very wonderful and significant reason for existing, and all things ultimately work out into conformity with the purposes of God, according to His Providence. In fact everything that God does has its own purpose.

Proverbs 16:4 – 4 The LORD has made everything for its own purpose, Even the wicked for the day of evil. NASB

And this includes salvation. Consider these verses in Ephesians 1…….

Ephesians 1:11-12 – 11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. NASB

Here, the salvation of the saints is seen to be “predestined according to God’s purpose,” but notice that this is not God’s highest purpose. Oh no, here it says that the predestination of salvation is “to the end that we……should be to the praise of His glory!” Learn then that the salvation of people is NOT God’s highest purpose, but it works to the higher purpose of the “praise of the glory of God!” So whenwe ask the question, what is the highest purpose of God in saving rebellious sinners, the answer is that His glory should be praised! Why did God create the earth? Why does God save fallen sinners? Why does God rule over history with a mighty Providence? What great purpose is it which makes all other purposes of God subservient to it? What is the chief end for which God created all things? I think it can be most clearly summed up in the statement……

Dear reader, God is a being of such awesome wonder and infinitely profound beauty that the expression of His being is the highest and most glorious idea or concept that can be conceived. Further, the experience of knowing God in an intimate personal relationship is the most fulfilling and exhilarating reality that exists for mankind, and it is the highest purpose for which mankind was created, because through this God displays His own glory. As the Westminster Catechism states, “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians ……

1 Corinthians 10:31 – 31 Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. NASB

Here the Apostle sums up all our human purposes, he says “whatever you do…..do it all to the glory of God!” Dear Reader, here we have purpose, here we have meaning! This is in fact also what the Lord Himself taught us when He gave us the great commandments. He said all the Law and Prophets depend on these two commandments. In other words, you can sum up the entire Old Testament in this……

Matthew 22:36-40 – 36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" 37 And He said to him, "’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 "This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 "The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets." NASB

Here Jesus tells us the chief purpose for our existence. It is to “love God”, to worship Him with everything that is within us. Consider the meaning of worship, [to ascribe worth or value to something] in relation to God’s highest purpose. God seeks to manifest or show forth the excellency of His character, and we are commanded to “love Him and praise Him and revere Him.” This is why sin is such an abominable failure on the part of mankind, because people thereby fail to glorify God, the highest purpose for which he was made and also the highest purpose God has for making Him.

Therefore whenever we consider God’s purpose specifically in our salvation, we must remember that this fits into the grand scheme of God’s ultimate purpose, to manifest His own glory and excellency as God!

If you would like to know how to know Jesus Christ and be ransomed from your sins and receive eternal life….. have a look at these links below that explain the Gospel…..

What is the Gospel? by JI Packer

An excellent overview of the Christian Gospel.

Defining the Gospel

A brief and concise overview of Gospel Basics.

shaansloan

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Pastor Shaan Sloan

Christ’s Servant at

Heritage Christian Fellowship

11104 Menaul Blvd NE

Albuquerque, NM 87112

www.heritageabq.org

The Lord is the Strength of My Life