Eph.1:4-6 – just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
The phrase “to the praise of the glory of His grace” is easy just to pass over thinking this is just theological language that has no practical implications in my life. Really nothing could be further from the truth. The grace of God is a display of God’s goodness. The display of God’s glory through His acts of grace is the primary purpose of redemption. The ESV Study Bible brings that out in these comments.
“God’s ultimate purpose is not redemption as such but the praise of his glorious name through redemption.”
At the same time the display of God’s goodness to us in His acts of grace fill us with unspeakable joy. This is described in the Jonathan Edwards Study Bible.
“By the glory of God seems to be meant the flowing out of his goodness, or the communication of his fullness of happiness.”
This is the purpose of God’s gracious work, to bring glory to His name and to fill His people with unspeakable joy. Think about some of the individuals we see as the recipients of God’s grace in the Bible. We see the lame man who was saved and healed in the temple as a result of his healing thousands of people came to the Lord and brought glory to His Name. The lame man was seen walking and leaping for joy as he was praising God.
Another example of God’s grace was Abraham and Sarah having their son Isaac in their old age. Thousands of years later God is still receiving glory for the miracle birth of Isaac, and by the way, they named their son Laughter (Isaac) because their hearts and mouths were filled with joy at this miracle of grace and everyone who heard about Isaac laughed with them. So what about your story? The Lord found you in a mess, filled you with His love by His grace and has filled your heart with laughter. Why has He done all of this? He did this so people will take one look at you and give praise to God.
