God's Glory First

The importance of the topic of the ordering of God's plans is this. It reveals to us the Lord's goals. Those who love the Lord, care about His goals. This is what I believe the Scripture teaches:

1. The ultimate end of all of God's plans is His own glory. Anything less than this would be horribly wrong.

2. God has determined that the greatest glory to Him will come from the display of both His mercy and His justice. (Romans 9:22-24)

3. Therefore the Lord planned all the means necessary in order to bring about this plan: election, creation, the fall, salvation through a substitute, sprititual growth, heavenly glory, etc.

These things settle my heart.