Spreading the Gospel

One of the responsibilities we have as members of the Body of Christ is to tell others about God's good news (which we discussed in the previous post).
"Why?" you may be thinking, "I've been doing that for years with so little success."

We should not be disappointed about that slender success rate as God's purpose during this age is solely to build the Body of Christ.

(A previous post "God Is NOT Trying to Save the World Right Now" discusses this and compares members of the Body of Christ to classroom milk monitors.
You can refresh your memory here.)

God has chosen to use our spreading of the gospel in this age to complete the membership of that Body.
As we share the good news, those whom God has chosen to join us are given the faith to believe that good news and commit their lives to Jesus and to his purpose in calling them, as we were.

So faith comes from hearing the Good News, and people hear the Good News when someone tells them about Christ.
[Romans 10 : 17  NCV]
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
[Ephesians 2 : 8  ESV]

This number of people will always be relatively small. So let's not be discouraged - we are God's means of achieving his purpose in this age.
Our view of the "success rate" totally ignores what God is doing at this time. God has pre-determined how many will be in this Advance Party and he'll have 100% success in achieving his purpose.

Even before the world was made, God had already chosen us to be his through our union with Christ, so that we would be holy and without fault before him.
Because of his love God had already decided that through Jesus Christ he would make us his children—this was his pleasure and purpose.
[Ephesians 1 : 4 - 5  GNB]

And when the Body is complete. God will turn his attention back to Israel.

Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;
“and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”
[Romans 11 : 25 - 27  ESV]

(A previous post talks about this here.)

So let's be totally focused on God's plan for this time and become enthusiastic about the part he has chosen us to play in it.
Because ... when the Body is complete, and Israel has been saved, and Jesus has ruled in his millennium kingdom, then will come the salvation of the rest of humanity.

As everyone dies because of Adam, so also everyone will be made alive because of Christ.
[1 Corinthians 15 : 22  GW]

Blessings, Barry