Second Edition Appendix

 I have finally begun work on the second (expanded) edition of the book "The Really Good News About God".
The first edition was published in August 2015 and I am hoping to publish the second edition in August 2025, the tenth anniversary of the first.

The expanded version will contain several appendices, one of which will be a response to the most common objections offered by ministers and other Bible students to the theme of the book; God's plan to reconcile the whole world to Himself.
Again, as in the book, I have used a predominantly Bible-focused response and I have chosen to address a selection of objections that also claim to be Bible-based.

A draft copy of this response is in the Downloads section of the website,  https://www.ibtechservices.com.au, and I invite comments/critiques to my response from readers of the BLOG.
These may be of two types.
1. Criticism of one or more of my individual responses,
2. The offering of further objections to the theme of the book that I should consider in a response of this sort.
I look forward to any gracious exchange of ideas these responses/critiques might create, as I have an insatiable thirst for truth, and exploring the Bible with input from others helps me fine-tune, and sometimes correct, my current ideas.

Blessings, Barry

The Big Picture

Most of the posts on this BLOG focus on God's plan to redeem and reconcile us all to Himself through the death and resurrection of Jesus almost 2000 years ago.
Even though Jesus' death cancelled sin and His resurrection abolished death, there was a third spectacular event that is also important  - Jesus ascended to heaven 40 days after His resurrection.
This third event introduces us to the wider view of God's plan.

If we remember that God created the original heavens and earth

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
[Genesis 1 : 1  NIV]

giving mankind a mandate to rule

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.
[Genesis 1 : 27, 28  NIV]

and eventually that there will be a new heaven and earth

Then I saw "a new heaven and a new earth," for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, ...
[Revelation 21 : 1  NIV]

giving saints a mandate to rule

Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
[Revelation 20 : 6  NIV]

we can see that God's plan of redemption and reconciliation is not an end in itself, but an essential component of the main theme, fitting as a bridge between the original heavens and earth and the new heaven and earth.

As important as that rescue operation is, it's only a (necessary) step in God achieving His original goal of bringing heaven and earth into submission and appointing His people to reign with Him.

This has always been God’s plan.
This is the big picture - the eternal plan of God.

Blessings, Barry

PS - We are currently living in the age when He is raising up His people to reign with Him over the new heaven and earth.

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Other Writings at https://www.ibtechservices.com.au

The Advance Party

St Paul often reminds us that God's plan is to have all His creation reconciled and living in peaceful relationship with Him and each other.
For example:

... God our Saviour, Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 
[1 Timothy 2 : 3, 4  KJV]

Making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 
[Ephesians 1 : 9 - 10  ESV]

If this is God's intention, then before the end of time, He needs to give everyone the opportunity to discover Jesus and what He has done for them.
Clearly that's not happening right now, so the time for the completion of God's plan must still be in the future.

Enter "The Advance Party".
In previous posts I have often referred to the Body of Christ as the Advance Party.
What do I mean by this description?
The Advance Party is a familiar term in other settings. 
For example, in an exploration mission, an advance party is often selected to go ahead and decide on the direction the whole party should take.
In a combat offensive, an advance party usually goes ahead to determine the strength and positions held by the enemy.
As a young Uni student I had a vacation job with a company that harvested and processed crops of peas and it was my job to go ahead of the harvesters and determine the readiness of crops by testing samples, the first fruits.

First Fruits of harvest functions in a similar way to its namesake in an exploration expedition (or even in an offensive combat undertaking) that goes on ahead to prepare the way for the main party (or troops). 
For Israel in Bible times, "First Fruits" refers to the first portion of the crop to ripen and was dedicated to God. They were a sample of what the ripened crop would be and a pledge or guarantee of the complete crop to be harvested at the appropriate time in the future.
Indeed, the nation of Israel itself was called the First Fruits from among the nations (Jeremiah 2 : 3)

In a similar way, Jesus was referred to as the First Fruits of the rest of mankind who are to be resurrected as He was. (1 Corinthians 15 : 20 - 23)

In the Scriptures the Body of Christ is referred to as the first fruits of the harvest of all mankind.

The Jewish Christians (Messianic Jews) of the first century were called First Fruits (James 1 :18) and were joined by Gentile Christians to become the Advance Party, the Body of Christ, of all mankind.

God is currently preparing this Advance Party for governing roles in tomorrow's world. 

For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. 
[Ephesians 2 : 10  NIV]

To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—
[Revelation 2 : 26  NIV]

What a privilege to be called and to be trained to rule with Christ and to teach under Him when He comes in His Kingdom.
Others, not so called and trained now, or in previous ages, will be called and led to salvation in that glorious future.

Blessings, Barry

Other published Writings at https://www.ibtechservices.com.au