- Original photograph by Ryoji Iwata from unsplash
GOD'S INTERACTIVE PLAN part 4
The focal point of the preceding
three articles in this series is that
God has a plan for the earth and the
human race. This plan continues to
be worked out in the twenty-first
century and its climax will be the
establishment of the kingdom of
God on earth.
The Divine Manifesto
This means that there is a "divine
manifesto" for the whole world, not
just one country. "Manifestos" are
things that most of us would be
familiar with the world over.
Anyone in a country where there is
more than one choice of
government for which people can
vote, will be familiar with this
concept. Each political party puts in
writing and campaigns to promote
their "manifesto" which contains a
set of principles and proposals for
governing the country.
Political parties are often incapable
of keeping to their manifesto once
they are in power. They find that
the many issues that need
addressing to run the country
become overwhelming and are
often completely opposed to the
aims of their "manifesto". They just
do not have the power, control,
finances or often the will to put
their "manifesto" into action and this
is the same the world over.
The Bible reveals the concept of
world government led by the Lord
Jesus Christ. The "manifesto" that is
attached to this is as spectacular as
the power that will institute it.
There is a long list of "manifesto
statements" contained in the pages
of the Bible. Here are just a few of
them. The last book of the Bible
states that the kingdoms of the
world will become the kingdom of
God, ruled over by His Son Jesus
Christ, who will reign forever
(Revelation 11.15). In several places
the Old Testament prophets speak
of disarmament. Isaiah tells us that
weapons will be turned into
agricultural implements and there
will be no more war (Isaiah 2.4).
The book of Genesis tells us that
God confused the language of the
people (Genesis 11.6-9). By contrast
another prophet predicts that in the
future all people will speak "a pure
language" (Zephaniah 3.9 – see below)
The European Commission currently provides simultaneous translation facilities for 24 different languages.
The Bible's manifesto promises one single pure language worldwide.
The Prophet Isaiah sets out the
divine manifesto in word pictures
showing the changes that will take
place in the world. Here are some of
them:
- Famine: The deserts of the world will become fertile (35.1, 2).
- Housing policy: everyone will build their own house and plant their own vineyard (65.21).
- Healthcare: The eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf will be opened, the lame will walk and the dumb sing (35.5, 6).
- The legal system: Jesus Christ will judge righteously and with justice, not based on what is seen or heard; and the wicked will be slain (Isaiah 11.1-5).
- Religion: A united world will serve the one true God and worship him (Isaiah 2.2, 3).
If this manifesto was printed and
offered by a human political leader,
most people would ask the
question: "Can they deliver on these
things?" It is a valid question which
really comes down to this: is God
powerful enough to do these
things? If we are convinced that
there is an eternal God, creator and
sustainer of all things and our
answer is "no", we limit the power of
God. This might imply that we have
more faith in mankind's political
power and strength to stand in the
way of God's manifesto.
Of course, the whole thing comes down to personal faith in what the
Bible is telling us. In this series we have consistently pointed out that
"God's interactive plan" is implicitly two-way.
A failed manifesto!
As one of his policies Chinese Chairman Mao Zedong encouraged commune members to eat at free canteens. These soon closed due to lack of food and fuel. Mao's disastrous policies are believed to have caused the deaths of 40 – 70 million Chinese.
Faith in God's Manifesto
What advice is there on this topic
that we could take into account in
considering such an ambitious
manifesto? King Solomon, who
possessed God-given wisdom to a
high degree, wrote:
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction"
And Jesus had this to say:
" ... this is eternal life, that they may know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent ..."
At the forefront of the manifesto are
some strong 'headline' promises.
They revolve around the fact that
true followers of Jesus will not only
be raised from the dead and given
eternal life, but also given roles in
the ruler ship of this global kingdom.
This is the two-way or "interactive"
aspect of God's plan. If we have
faith and believe that God is going
to do these things, we are promised
a part in them. In the New Testament,
the writer to the Hebrews
puts it like this:
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients (men and women of faith in Old Testament times) were commended for"
If all these things were being
offered by a human leader and we
viewed their offers with some
certainty, we would want to know
what it would cost to become a "member".
That is an entirely
reasonable question even in the
context of the Bible's promises to
us, and God's manifesto for world government.
Belief and Baptism
If we do have faith in these things; if
we can be certain of the promises in
the manifesto and really believe the
message of the Bible concerning
God's interactive plan, the Bible
clearly illustrates what Christ's
teaching was and still is, about
"membership". And there is no need
to reach for your wallet, money belt,
cheque book, bank details or purse!
Mark's gospel record tells us what
an individual has to do to be a
"member". Jesus said:
"He who believes and is baptized will be saved."
In the New Testament, the book of
Acts tells us about the preaching of
the Apostles Peter and John. They
were able in those days to pass on
the Holy Spirit to fellow believers. A
man named Simon who had been
baptized, saw Peter and John doing
this. This is what happened:
"Now when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, "Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit". But Peter said to him, "Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you."
If you read this passage for yourself
you will see what the outcome was.
But for our purpose it demonstrates
that there is no financial implication
for what God is offering us. The
initial "price" is baptism. What is this
baptismal act that is required if we
believe in these things as outlined
by Jesus in Mark 16? Let us not miss
the point that baptism must be
preceded by 'belief'. Having
'believed' what else do we need to do?
The Apostle Peter gives us the
answer:
..."repent and let every one of you be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins..."
"Repent therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and he may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, of which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began."
In both of these passages Peter is
telling his hearers to repent
(meaning to rethink or change one's
mind) and be baptized. So there is
something else as well as belief.
There is the need to recognise that
our natural human state is sinful or
at variance with God's way.
The whole concept of the gospel
message revealed in both the Old
and New Testaments is about being
humble enough to recognise that
Go is all - powerful, to be
worshipped and served, and that
our natural state is sinful. Sin is
washed away in the waters of
baptism. That is the command of
Jesus and his apostles to those who believe.
In Acts chapter 8 we read about a
eunuch, who was the Chancellor of
the Exchequer to the Queen of
Ethiopia. Philip was talking to him
about Jesus, his death and
resurrection and the need to be
baptized 'into Christ'. The Ethiopian
eunuch then asked Philip what was
preventing him from being
baptized. Philip replied:
"if you believe with all your heart, you may."
The eunuch responded:
"I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God." (verse 37).
Then Philip and the
eunuch went down into the water
and he was baptized (verse 38).
Afterwards we read that they came
up out of the water (verse 39).
This is a crucially important part of
the New Testament narrative. Belief
and baptism is not something an
unknowing baby can do and it is not
something that is done by flicking a
few drops of water on an individual.
An oasis in the wilderness where Philip might have baptised the Ethiopian eunuch
The act of baptism is deeply
symbolic for it involves
a washing away of past sins and a
"clean" start in life and ...
... a symbolic death and resurrection
by being buried completely
under the water and raised up out
of the water.
The Apostle Paul wrote this to the
believers at Colosse:
"...buried with him in baptism, in which you also were raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead."
These are vitally important points
about becoming related to this
divine manifesto.
The Gospel Message
We can now see that the entire
direction of God's interactive plan is
that men and women can be
associated with the promises that
He has made, by faith in Jesus Christ
and through the waters of baptism.
These promises can be summarised
as follows:
- Jesus will return to the earth to establish the kingdom of God.
- The dead who during their lives repented and were baptised will be raised and rewarded with eternal life.
- Those who are alive and have been baptised will also be similarly perfected at his return.
- The establishment of the kingdom of God will see the most incredible changes to the way this world is ruled compared with our current experience.
Our concluding point for this series
about God's interactive plan is
found in a short parable of Jesus:
"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. Now everyone who hears these sayings of mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall"
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