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Why did God save you? If you've trusted in Christ, why did God save you? There's all kinds of ways we can answer that question from the Bible.

First of all, we might say, because he loves us. God so loved the world, John 3.16 said, that he sent his only son. We might say because he chose to. That's a good Bible answer. God saved me because he decided to in eternity past, according to the unchangeable counsel of his perfect will.

We might say I don't know. And that would be a good Bible answer too, because why did God save you in particular when we know from the scriptures that there are others that he chooses not to save, that he allows to keep walking in their sin and rebellion, that he allows to harden their hearts? Why? I don't know.

But another answer to that question that is surely, clearly shown to us from Scripture, is that he has saved us, not simply for our own benefit, but for the benefit of others.

So we think of places like Ephesians 2, 8, and 9 that tell us that it's by grace that we're saved, through faith, not of ourselves, not of works, it's a gift, lest anyone should boast. Then Ephesians 2, 10 says, for you are God's workmanship, his masterpiece in progress, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which he prepared in advance that you should walk in them. He saved you by grace so that, for the purpose that, you would walk in the good works he's prepared for you.

Or in 1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 22, he's speaking to believers there and he says, you've purified your souls by obedience to the truth. And what he means by that is you've believed the gospel. You've obeyed by believing the truth that Jesus died for your sins in your place. By embracing that truth, you've done this for brotherly love. You've embraced Christ's so that you can be brought into god's family and love other believers.

Galatians chapter 5 which we'll look at again later says that the spirit when he comes into our lives produces fruit and those fruit even though there's something that is taking place inside of us always ends up being outward directed love. Well, love can't have yourself as the main object. Love is facing out. Joy. While joy is something that's happening inside of you, we all know if we're around someone who's joyful or not. Peace. You know whether the person that you're with, you don't always know this perfectly, but you generally get an idea if you're around somebody a lot, whether they are peaceful or anxious and worried. And you can go all the way down the list. Love, joy, peace, patience. We certainly know whether we're with patient or impatient people. The things that God does in us, they are for us. Absolutely. God does love you. But he's also doing something in you and through you that's bigger than you. It's for others.

And as we look at the book of 2 Samuel, we see that David understands this about himself. 2 Samuel 5 we looked at a few weeks ago. And verse 12, this is when God has allowed David's throne to be established in Jerusalem. Verse 12, it says, And David knew that the Lord had established him king over Israel and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. God did something great in David, for David, but it wasn't just for David. It wasn't merely for David.

Last week we looked at chapter 7 of 2 Samuel, God's covenant with David. Where God, David, he thinks, boy, I'm sitting here in this house of cedar, I have this beautiful home that I live in, and God's over there, the Ark of the Covenant, it's in a tent. Maybe I should build a house for God. And God says through the prophet Nathan to David, no. You're not going to build me a house. I am going to build you a house. And God promises that he will build this dynasty for David. And that he will provide for him a great name and establish him on the earth. B