God is NOT Trying to Save the World Right Now

This might seem a strange heading from a blogger who has consistently been saying that God is the Saviour of the world, and offering strong Biblical support for that position.

But it seems that both of these positions are true - God IS going to save the world eventually, but is NOT trying to do so at the moment.

Even though God's long-term objective is to save the whole creation, His short-term objective is to choose a much smaller group, called the Body of Christ, to become co-workers with Him in achieving that long-term goal.

Let me illustrate this scenario with a short Barry story.
My wife and I live in Victoria, the southern most state on the east coast of mainland Australia.
We plan to visit our sons living in Queensland, one in the south of that state about 1600 km (1000 miles) away, and one in the north about 3200 km (2000 miles) from us.

The overall planning for the trip is focused on the trip to the north - time needed, cost, accommodation, etc. This is the long-distance objective - to travel 3200 km to visit our son and his family there.
However, our short-distance objective is to first visit our son and his family who are just 1600 km away.

Once our major planning for the long trip is complete, our focus moves to this more immediate visit and what is needed to get there.

During this current age, God is focused on gathering the Body of Christ - those from the nations who will administer the kingdom with Christ in the coming age, the millennium.
This is the short-term project on the way to the long-term goal of reconciling the whole of creation to Himself.

Before the foundation of the world God had not only decided to save the whole creation (the long-term objective) but that He would choose and use a previously designated group (the short-term objective) through which He would achieve His ultimate goal.

Any readers old enough to remember primary school students in Australia being given a small bottle of milk to drink each morning?
Before the lesson began, the teacher would select a couple of "milk monitors" to collect the tray of milk bottles to distribute to the class at the appropriate time.

... we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Saviour of all people, and especially of those who believe.
[1 Timothy 4 : 10 NIV]

Why especially the believers?
Because they are the milk monitors.

Members of the Body of Christ are those who have been chosen ahead of time to distribute the kingdom goodies so the whole class eventually gets its bottle of milk at the time chosen by the teacher.
(Paraphrased Summary of Ephesians 1 : 3 - 10)

Just as well God is not trying to save the world right now - if He was, He would clearly be a big-time loser as most of the world is estranged from Him at the moment.
But right now is not the end of the story.

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him (Jesus), and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
[Colossians 1 : 19 - 20 NIV]

Blessings, Barry