For the Praise of His Glory

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 1:11-12

Think of that! The phrase we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ refers to us who are Christians as having been destined and appointed to live for the praise of his glory. The first task of the church is not the welfare of human beings. Our welfare is definitely important to God, but that is not the church's first task. Rather, we have been chosen by God to live to the praise and glory of God, so that through our lives his glory will be revealed to the world.

What is God's glory? It is God himself, the revelation of what God is and does. The problem with this world is that it does not know God. In all its seeking and wanderings, its endeavors to discover truth, it does not know God. But the glory of God is to reveal Himself, to show the world what he himself is like. When the works of God and the nature of God are demonstrated through the church, he is glorified. As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians, For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6).

People can see the glory of God in the face of Christ, in his character, his being. And that glory is also found, says Paul, in our hearts. God calls the church to reveal to the world the glory of his character, which is found in the face of Jesus Christ. This is stated again in chapter 1 of Ephesians: And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way (Ephesians 1:22,23).

That is a tremendous statement! Paul says that all the fullness of Jesus Christ is to be seen in his body, which is the church! The calling of the church is to declare in word and demonstrate in attitude and deed the character of Christ who lives within his people. We are to declare the reality of a life-changing encounter with a living Christ and to demonstrate that change by an unselfish, love-filled life. Until we have done that, nothing else we can do will be effective for God.

Lord, grant me courage and strength to reveal the character of Jesus Christ by my attitudes and actions. Show me how to be your feet and hands to the world.