In His Name Devotionals
GOD'S PREEMINENCE
In His Name Devotionals
GOD'S PREEMINENCE
“To the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.” (Ephesians 1:12 NIV)
The word “preeminence” implies supreme standing, picturing one who excels over all others in a particular quality or achievement. Only God is truly preeminent, worthily so.
Ephesians 1:12 underscores that truth. When you became a Christian, you were redeemed and granted an eternal inheritance so that God might be glorified. Certainly you benefit greatly from salvation, but God’s glory is the primary issue.
Today’s man-centered culture does not share that perspective. Sadly, man’s self-seeking and self-glorifying mentality has crept into the church of our Lord, and even the Gospel itself has been subjected to its influence. For example, sin is often defined by how it affects man, not by how it dishonors God. Salvation is often presented as a means of receiving what Christ offers, not as a mandate to obey what He commands. Some modern-day preachers have reduced the Gospel to little more than a formula by which people can live a happy and more fulfilling life. Ever heard a preacher elevate himself in a sermon, instead of Jesus Christ? Have you ever regrettably heard a preacher shift the focus of a sermon from God’s glory to man’s benefits?
Such a convoluted Gospel fuels the fire of self-love and self-exaltation.
A Christian should know better. A true believer knows that the purpose of life is to glorify God. That living to His glory should always govern everything a Christian does. In salvation, as in everything else, God is preeminent. He deserves all the credit.
What higher or more noble purpose could life afford? “Forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,” Paul said, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14). Keep that goal clearly in mind in all you do today. By doing so, your day will be “to the praise of (God’s) glory.”
