Why Did God Save Us?

  Up until the time of the Polish astronomer, Copernicus, the vast majority of Europe believed in geocentrism – the theory that our earth does not move and the universe revolves around it. Surely it was reasonable to suppose that God had ordained the celestial bodies to move around the crowning glory of His creation: us! Such a view is ridiculous scientifically, unbelievably arrogant, and entirely unscriptural.

Unfortunately, many people unconsciously look at God’s plan of salvation in the same way medieval Europeans looked at the heavens. Many believe God rescued us for the sole purpose of resolving man’s problems and man’s sins. But how does that man-centric view fit into the Bible’s overwhelming emphasis on the glory of God? If God just wanted to give us spiritual goodies, why does He insist that the Christian life must be given back to Him? We are still left with our original question: why did God save us?

Paul answers that question very clearly in the book of Ephesians. Although we certainly received salvation “because of the great love with which He loved us” (Eph. 2:5), the primary reason for our redemption was so that humans (as Christians) could live their lives “to the praise of His glory” (1:6,12,14). This adds a whole new dimension to the picture of man’s salvation. Of course God desired to give us “every spiritual blessing” (1.3), but He did so in order to fulfill a larger objective. Since it is impossible for us to glorify God through sin-saturated lives, the plan for our salvation was created to free us from the corruption that prevents us from making His name great.

When Paul states the purpose of the Lord’s church in Ephesians 3:10, it is so much larger than the oft-quoted triad of “benevolence, edification, and evangelism.” God’s ultimate plan is that “through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” The universal body of saints is intended to prove to all the powerful hosts of the heavenly realm that God is truly worthy of everlasting glory, thus refuting for all eternity the vicious rebellion of Satan and his followers. If God is able to defeat the staunchest forces of evil by continually using the lowliest of means, He is the wisest being of all. When He attracts humans to His humble plan by faith, He displays to all the spiritual realm that man will indeed serve God “for no reason” (Job 1:9). Through the cross of Jesus, God has demonstrated that He alone is master of the universe.

Why did God save us? Ultimately, He did it to magnify Himself in front of all His heavenly creatures, to show once and for all His incomparable power and wisdom. Consequently, the most wonderful thing about our salvation is not the blessings that we receive from God. It is the glory that He receives from our obedient lives.

Nathan