God saves us... for himself.
Denvil Lee 2 min read 
“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am”
“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they can see my glory that you gave me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
Father, I desire that they also whom you have given me be with me where I am, that they may see my glory, which you have given me, for you loved me before the foundation of the world.
During my years as a police officer, I encountered people on some of the worst days of their lives. Sometimes the job required stepping into danger and helping someone get out of it.
The rescue was real, and the person mattered. But once the danger passed, it was unlikely that I would ever see that person again.
I wonder if we sometimes imagine salvation similarly. Humanity is in danger, God intervenes, Jesus rescues us, and we continue safely on our way.
Our guilt is forgiven, our eternal destination is secured, and the crisis is averted.
But what if God does not only want us rescued?
tells us that God gave His Son because He loved the world. The giving of the Son does not create the love of God. It reveals it. John 17 shows us where that love is going....
For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16 NET
On the night before Jesus went to the cross, He prayed, “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am.”
Jesus does not only want us forgiven or delivered.... He wants us with Him.
This changes how I’ve come to understand God’s presence when the rescue we hoped for has not yet come.
We pray for healing, freedom, provision, and restored relationships, and we should. Sometimes we see God’s Kingdom at work supernaturally. Other times, the diagnosis remains. Often, when I finish praying with families who have lost a loved one, the grief does not disappear, and the prayer still seems to be waiting for an answer.
Psalm 23 does not promise that there will be no valley. It promises, “You are with me.”
This does not mean we stop praying or accept suffering as good. We continue to contend for God’s Kingdom because we have seen what happens when His future breaks into our present pain. But while we wait for the fullness of that Kingdom, God does not remain at a distance.
God is with us while He saves us.
The biblical story does not end merely with humanity rescued from destruction. Instead, it ends with God dwelling among His people and making all things new.
God saves us... for himself.
We are truly loved.
Verse references
- John 17:24
- John 3:16
- Psalm 23:4
- Revelation 21:3