“The grand plan of God’s redemption is displaying His glory in those who have been made like His Son. To view salvation as merely a change of destination (heaven vs. hell) is to miss all the grandeur of God’s design. He saved us to make us like His Son, which means He saved us to reflect His glory.”[mfn] For the Sake of His Name, David M. Doran[/mfn]

He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
Ephesians 1:5–6

Also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.
Ephesians 1:11–12

In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
Ephesians 1:13–14
(emphases mine)

It is dangerously easy to get caught up with the superficial things of life and lose sight of God’s ultimate purpose. In fact, we may even understand many spiritual truths and yet fail to see them in relation to God’s glory. Everything in a believer’s life should be focused on the glory of God. Our salvation, our time in the Word, our progressive sanctification, our commitment to evangelism and discipleship, our understanding of suffering, our prayer lives, etc.

When we lose sight of the glory of God, we quickly fall into the deadly trap of focusing on the glory of man. Even our spiritual pursuits can become man-centered. We can spend time in God’s Word so that God will favor us. We can spend time in prayer to convince God to do things our way, etc.

The glory of God ought to define everything about a believer’s life. It must be our desire and commitment to bring glory to the One who gloriously redeemed us. We also live in anticipation of the day when we will be conformed to the “body of His glory”!

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.
Philippians 3:20–21