Life On The Highest Plane
In God's plan there are two advents of Christ into this world for two distinct purposes and marking off two distinct ages. In each advent God works through His Son to carry out His purpose for the whole world. In this study we are considering God's purpose in Christ for this age, the period between Christ's first and second advent.
In this age God is not working for the reformation of the world nor to put the world right, much as that is needed, but to bring man into a right relationship to His Son. The improvement of conditions in human society has no share in the plan of God for this age. In fact this would run absolutely counter to His purpose in the Saviourhood of His Son for such a scheme would make this world so comfortable a place in which to live that the natural man in his case and contentment would feel no need whatever for God and would have no thought for the life to come. God is not working to right the wrongs of a world that still hates and rejects His Son.
Besides, the only possible road to the real reformation of society is through the regeneration of the individual. Sin is the cause of every bit of the suffering and sorrow in the world and the only place where sin is removed is at the Cross of Calvary. "The uplift of humanity" depends upon the uplifting of the Christ of the Cross. The reformations that have been wrought in the world are the by-product of the work of the Church. Scripture does not tell us that the mission of the Church in this age is the reformation of the world.
Neither is God working in this age for the conversion of the world. God frankly says "that the whole world lieth in the evil one," that satan is "the god of this age" (2 Cor. 4:4) and that it is in the control of "the prince of this world" (John 14:30). Many passages of Scripture show that "the course of this world" is to grow worse and worse in the last days. One needs only to keep in mind what we have learned in previous studies about the world to see how its very nature precludes the thought of its conversion in this age of grace.
The world is "the flesh" in its corporate capacity. The only place God can meet it is at the foot of the Cross and the only way in which the world could be converted would be by the cleansing of its sin in the atoning blood of Christ our Saviour.
But nowhere in the Word of God is there intimation that the whole world ever will come to the Cross for that purpose. The whole mass of unbelieving mankind is one vast federation under satan's leadership and will continue so unto the very end of this age.
1 John 5:19, "We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in the evil one."
Ephesians 2:2, "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience."
2 Timothy 3:1, 13, "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived."
Up to the very end of this age there will be both believers and unbelievers, those who will receive and those who will reject Christ the Saviour. At the end of the age the harvest will reveal both good and bad fish in the net. The parable of the wicked husbandmen, as given by Christ Himself, shows that the attitude of the world throughout this age continues to be one of hatred and hostility.
Act 28:24, "And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not."
Matthew 13:48, 49, "Which when it was filled, they drew up on the beach; and they sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but the bad they cast away ... So shall it be in the consummation of the age: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the righteous."
God in this age is calling out from the world the Bride of Christ that she may be prepared to meet Him at His coming and to reign with Him in the kingdom age which is to follow. God is calling individuals out of this present evil world, emancipating them from it and crucifying them to it.
John 15:19, "If ye were of the world, the world would love its own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you."
Galatians 1:4, "Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father."
God's plan is in line with His purpose. This plan is the evangelization of the world. Through the proclamation of the Gospel throughout the whole world as a witness God wishes to give every creature the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as his Saviour. This is the primary meaning of His last commission.
Luke 24:46-47, "And said unto them, Thus it is written and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."
Mark 16:15, "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."
John 6:40, "And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day."
~Ruth Paxson~
(continued with # 3)
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