Will God Really Save the World?

The theme of this BLOG for fifteen years or so has been to promote the really good news that God, in his love and extravagant grace, is eventually going to save the whole world.

Although the mainstream church doesn't seem to believe this magnificent outcome of world history, the Bible clearly promotes this hope. 
Even preachers who extol the grace of God, can't see that God's grace will extend that far.
Instead of pointing to God's promises in the Scriptures, current world events and circumstances are used to deny God's success in achieving his grand purpose for his creation.

Which begs these questions: "Is God *really trying to save the world?" and "Is this the *only day of salvation?" and "Why doesn't everybody who hears the gospel believe it and appreciate what Jesus has done for all of us?"

About six years ago I posted "God is NOT Trying to Save the World Right Now".
You can find it in the BLOG ARCHIVE under 2019/June.
Although it is a simple, clear description of God's plan, it did not answer questions that readers have subsequently raised. So let's explore this topic a bit further with those questions in mind.

It is true that God initially, in this age, only plans to call a select few. 

But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
[Matthew 7 : 14  NIV]

I called these few the "milk monitors" in the 2019 post mentioned above. You might like to re-read that post before reading further here.

Jesus was clearly co-operating with His Father's plan by deliberately hiding his identity and message from the masses, so only the chosen few would :
... understand his teachings, 

The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 
[Matthew 13 : 10 - 11   NIV]

... see or hear about his miracles, 

He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. ...
Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.
[Mark 5 : 37, 42 - 43  NIV]

... know his identity,

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”
Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
[Mark 8 : 29 - 30  NIV]

... see him in his resurrected form.

He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
[Acts 10 : 41  NIV]

Paul also mentioned a limited number of witnesses to Christ's resurrection:

... he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, ...
[1 Corinthians 15 : 4 - 8  NIV]

Why all this secrecy? Why was Jesus hiding the truth about humanity's salvation?

God did not intend for everyone to understand His truth, His plan at this time! If He had, they would have understood! But this was clearly not the time, as Jesus' quote from Isaiah demonstrated:

When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that,
    'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
    and ever hearing but never understanding;
    otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'”
[Jesus quoting Isaiah as reported in Mark 4 : 10 - 12  NIV]

So when will be the eventual saving of the world?

Answers to that question vary according to how the clues we are given in Scripture are interpreted. We'll explore some broad aspects of the "when" in the next post.

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