God's Biblical Plan

In several previous posts I have listed a number of Bible texts that demonstrate the plan of God to eventually reconcile all of his creation. In this post I will use some of them to show how the expression of this plan runs right through the New Testament.

In the beginning God
created all things (Genesis 1) and all (these) created things are to be reconciled to himself (Colossians 1 : 16 - 20), because all things are from him, through him and to him (Romans 11 : 36). For this to be so, God must be in the restoration business (Acts 3 : 21). In fact, he promises to make all things new (Revelation 21 : 5).

God's plan is unchanging (Hebrews 6 : 17), his love, kindness and mercy are also unchanging, even towards his enemies (Luke 6 : 27 - 36), and his patience allows everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3 : 9), reflecting his desire for all people to be saved and to know the truth (1 Timothy 2 : 4). Indeed, he has allowed us all to be stubborn and disobedient so that he can have mercy on us all (Romans 11 : 32).

God appointed his Son, Jesus Christ,
to be the heir of all things (Hebrews 1 : 2), placing all things under his control (Ephesians 1 : 22), and to all of them he will give eternal life (John 17 : 2), through the giving of himself as a ransom for all people (1 Timothy 2 : 6), so that all people will see God's salvation. (Luke 3 : 6)

Jesus, knowing that God had given him authority over all things (John 3 : 35 and John 13 : 3), promised to draw all people to himself (John 12 : 32), and lose none of them (John 6 : 37 - 39).  However, if any of them does stray, he will go after them until he finds them (Luke 15 : 4).

Jesus came so that all people should come to belief (John 1 : 7 and 9) ensuring that the world would be saved through him (John 3 : 17) - his grace bringing salvation to the world (Titus 2 : 11) by taking away the world's sin (John 1 : 29 and 1 John 2 : 2). As Jesus said, "I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world" (John 12 : 47), and he did this by destroying the works of the devil (1 John 3 : 8), destroying death and bringing life and immortality through the gospel (2 Timothy 1 : 10).

So, not only has sin been dealt with (Hebrews 9 : 26), but Jesus gave his life for the life of the world as well (John 6 : 33 and 51). Yes, every descendant  of Adam who has inherited death from him will become a descendant of Christ and will therefore inherit life from him (1 Corinthians 15 : 22).

Jesus completes his work when all things have submitted to him (Philippians 2 : 10 and 11), and he hands over his kingdom to God so that God becomes everything to everyone (1 Corinthians 15 : 24 - 28).

Consequently,
we can be assured that God will bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ (Ephesians 1 : 10), having brought justification and life to all people (Romans 5 : 18), that assurance being confirmed by the knowledge that God's gifts and call are irrevocable (Romans 11 : 29).
 
Surely a quick summary like this can be used as a reasonable excuse for being a heretic.  

Blessings, Barry