God's Plan for the World

 I was hoping to add a picture to this post but my computer isn't co-operating with me this evening. Sorry. :-)

 Today I wanted to share some thoughts on God's plan for the World. Though some may think that life on earth has just happened haphazardly without any great plan that is not what the Bible teaches.

  God has had a plan throughout the ages to bring salvation to mankind. Right at the beginning of Genesis there is a prophecy that points to Jesus Christ coming to save the world: "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel." Genesis 3:15

  There were many, many years before Jesus came down in human form to be our Savior. But God wasn't without a plan in those years either. Those years led up to Christ and we can see that throughout scripture. God called Abraham out to follow Him in a special way. God told him that He would make him a great nation and would bless him. He said: "And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." Gen. 12:3. God had planned for Jesus to come through Abraham's bloodline. That is explained in Galatians 3:16 "Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "And to seeds,"as referring to many, but rather to one, "And to your seed," that is, Christ."  This promise was repeated to Abraham's descendants throughout the generations. God told Isaac "I am the God of you father Abraham; Do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you, and multiply your descendants, for the sake of My servant Abraham." Genesis 26:24. He also did this for Jacob (Gen. 28:10-15).

   We might think that this family would live a blessed life in that they wouldn't have any major troubles but we know that isn't so. Abraham's grandson Joseph was sold by His brothers to be a slave in Egypt. But truly that was all part of God's plan too as Joseph was then in a position to make sure their family didn't starve to death throughout the time of famine.  Then the Israelites became  slaves in Egypt. But God, using Moses, rescued them from that and started them heading toward the land that He had promised them.

   God helped them to get settled in that land and blessed them in many ways. But did they always follow Him wholeheartedly? No! God sent prophets to them with His message of hope and love and calling for Israel to repent. Finally God sent John the Baptist to prepare the way for His Son, Jesus Christ. "Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way; The voice of one crying in the wilderness, make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight." Mark 1:2 & 3

   While Jesus was on earth He trained men to be His messengers to carry the good news world wide.  Jesus died, was buried and rose again - all a part of the plan for our salvation. "Now I make know to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures..." 1 Corinthians 15:1-4  Jesus came to bear the sin of the whole world - those who were alive before He came, during His time here and after. " All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him." Isaiah 55:6

   Jesus died for us but He did come back to life again - death could not hold Him. Acts 1:3 says: To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God."

   Jesus, before He ascended into heaven, had a task for His followers:

"And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying. "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20

"And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believe and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned." Mark 16:15 & 16

In the Old Testament the Israelites/Jews were God's special people. Others could follow Him too but they were not His chosen people. But Jesus broke down the dividing wall between Jews and Gentiles and we can all be brought near to God through the blood of Christ. 

"Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by the so-called Circumcision," Which is performed in the flesh by human hands - remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall.."

 Ephesians 2:11-14

So the those that Jesus trained to share the gospel (Good news!) went forward and shared the Good News about Jesus Christ and the salvation we can have in him throughout  much of the world and they in turn encouraged others to share it who shared it with more people - down to us. It doesn't matter who you are or who your parents are - God loves all of us and wants us to be saved. He wants us to believe and be baptized, to obey everything that He commanded us. And if you have done that He wants you to share the good news with others. That is God's plan for the world!