One of the most important mental shifts of my Christian life has been learning that God’s purpose in salvation (as in all things) is not merely man’s blessedness, but His own glory. Just as all things were created by and for Christ (Colossians 1:16), all Christians are also redeemed by and for Christ (Colossians 1:18). Though I haven’t noticed it before, the latter verse is one of the most explicit in Scripture regarding the doxological (God-glorifying) purpose of redemption. Jesus has raised us from spiritual death with the specific intention (ina) of being “preeminent” in everything. The purpose of grace is glory, which (ironically) makes our salvation even more delightful to us! W. R. Nicholson comments on this point ably classic book on Colossians:
“He Himself should be pre-eminent. Precisely He is the objective point in the whole plan. As creation is unto Him (sixteenth verse), so redemption should terminate in Him. All its processes and all its results should be gauged and characterized by the unfolding of the ineffable riches of His Eternal Sonship. The purpose of redemption is the salvation of sinners; but the ultimate purpose is the setting forth of the Redeemer Himself. In this fuller display of Him who is the Son and the manifestation of Deity, the inseparable glory of the entire Godhead is made known; and thus, all the more perfect and soul-satisfying and endlessly precious, and glorious for ourselves, is our salvation, because of its being the leading and ultimate purpose thereof to unveil before us the effulgent majesty of Him who saves us.” (Oneness with Christ, 85)