12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. 13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation:
In the previous verse, we learned that believers are God’s own inheritance. The little word “that” at the beginning of this passage indicates that verse 12 shows the result of verse 11. It tells us what the ultimate result of our belonging to God is.
Let’s first look at the Greek word “glory.” Its basic meaning is “an opinion, judgment, view.” In the New Testament, it always refers to a good opinion and to the honor that results from an excellent reputation. The term is used to describe several things: 1) God’s manifestation of Himself in nature and through His acts, 2) God’s character as shown through Jesus and His followers, 3) God’s supernatural splendor and majesty.
I did a very brief internet search for a good definition of the expression “glory of God,” and what I read only confirmed my suspicion that it’s impossible to define it concisely. I think that’s because it refers to all that God is and does, all His attributes and qualities, everything that would lead us to hold Him in high regard. It’s such an all-encompassing term that it’s impossible to narrow it down to a word or two.
Let’s move on to the next noun, “praise,” which means “an expression of approval, admiration or commendation.” Paul says that God’s glory will be praised because of His followers. Here we see the ultimate purpose of our belonging to Him. All that God is, all His acts and attributes, will be put on display for all to see, and the result will be praise. How could it be anything else when God’s mercy, love, justice, holiness, compassion, righteousness (and I could go on and on) are seen in how God treats His children?
Now I know there are those who think this sounds very selfish on God’s part. He just wants to use us so He looks good. I’ll admit I’ve struggled with such thoughts. But we must first remember that God is not like mankind, and we can never compare His motivations to any bad motives we may have. The Bible says we were created “by Him and for Him” and “for His glory” (Colossians 1:16, Isaiah 43:7). This means He created us for Himself so we can enjoy Him! He tailor-made us so we can respond to who He is.
For example, the Bible says that God is love. What is the greatest need of the human heart? It’s not by accident. It’s as if He put huge “love-receptors” in us so we can both give and receive the love that God is. Since His desire is for humans to enjoy who He is, it’s no surprise that He wants His children to reflect His glory, so others can come to delight in Him as well. God’s behavior isn’t selfish!
Let me move on to the last word I want to cover. The Greek verb translated “trusted” here literally carries the idea of placing one’s hope in someone or something beforehand. This is the essence of faith and what makes someone a believer. The early Christians, both Jew and Gentile, placed their hope in Jesus as the Messiah, the Savior of the world. They recognized that only He can save mankind from sin and chose to follow Him. Two thousand years later, the way to salvation hasn’t changed. Jesus is still worthy of our hope.
What is the source of your hope?