Yeah, But Why?

Something I don't often hear asked is "Why?" Okay, perhaps I need to be more clear. There are lots of questions about salvation -- how it occurs, what has to be done, who has it (or doesn't), even when it occurs. What I seem to never hear is why. It appears to never occur to us to ask why God would save us. So, I will. Why are we saved?

Perhaps the reason we don't ask is because we think we know. God saves us because He loves us so much. Well, maybe, but I suspect that we mean something different by that than the Scriptures allow, and I'm sure it's not the whole story. "He saved us out of His abundant grace!" That's likely a true statement, but not really an answer for "why". "We're saved so we don't have to go to Hell, but get to spend eternity with God." Well, there's certainly truth in the statement, but I think it's still masking both the real reason and operating off a faulty perspective. I think it's probable that back there, lurking most likely behind our conscious mind, is the feeling that we are saved because we're so important. Sure, sure, saved by Christ, saved from death, saved for eternity, saved by faith ... all that. But I don't think we've realized why yet.

"I've got it!" someone may say. "He saved us to make us into the image of His Son." Can't argue with that. Paul wrote, "For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified" (Rom 8:29-30). "Oh, oh," another hand goes up, "it says there that our glorification is the reason!" Yes, that's there, too. Indeed, I'd suggest that "conformed to the image of His Son" is a synonym for "glorified". But why?

You can continue your conjecture, if you like, but I think the Bible actually tells us why.

He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved (Eph 1:5-6).

It doesn't stop there. It goes on to say,

In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of His glory (Eph 1:11-12).

Wow, did you catch that echo? So, let's unpack it for a moment. He predestined us for adoption, and gave us an inheritance. He blessed us with grace and made us part of His purpose. He saved us. Why? "To the praise of His glorious grace" it says once, and, again, "to the praise of His glory."

That's the answer, folks. We can try to say that it's because He loves us, and I wouldn't deny that there's something to it. We can say it's because He's gracious and merciful and He is. But the bottom line, the real reason, the fundamental purpose that God had in providing salvation to us is that His glory and grace would be praised. See that? Even in our salvation it's not about us. It's all about Him. I think that's something we have a hard time learning. I also think that it's something from which we could greatly benefit if we could get that straight.