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WHAT IS GOD DOING?
God is doing many things right now as He
brings this age to a close. He is allowing wicked men to take this world farther
and farther down the path toward human ruin. In Daniel 4:35 the king said,
“...all the inhabitants of the earth are
reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven,
and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto
him, What doest thou?” Isaiah 46:9-10 records
God's own words as follows: “Remember the
former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there
is none like me,
Declaring the end from the beginning, and from
ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand,
and I will do all my pleasure.” God is in
control!
One thing God is doing is revealed in Acts
15:14: “Simeon hath declared how God at the
first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.”
God began this work during the time of the apostles
as stated by Simeon. Prior to that time, God had been dealing almost exclusively
with the Jews. But during our time, as Paul said:
“...blindness in part is happened to Israel, until
the fulness of the Gentiles be come in,”
(Romans 11:25). Not many Jews are being born from above during this age.
Instead, the Jews have been blinded “in part” or partially. This blindness is
“until” or temporary and will continue until all of God's elect Gentiles are
saved. So then, God is at this present time
“visiting the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.”
It is not God's purpose to save everyone. He is not
trying to do that. If He were trying to save everybody, He would be a failure.
During our age
“...the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him
that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will,
let him take the water of life freely,
(Revelaltion 22:17). “Whosoever will”
may come. The problem is that because man's unregenerate mind is
“enmity against God”
(Romans 8:7), men will not come. So they cannot: their minds will not let them.
They do not want to come to Christ. They may come to religion. They often want a
fire escape to avoid their just punishment in eternal fire and so will do all
sorts of religious things if somebody convinces them of an escape route by means
of their own works. But they will not come to Christ in repentance and faith
until and unless God draws them. That is why Jesus said,
“No man can come to me, except the Father which hath
sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day,”
(John 6:44). If you have truly come to Christ, give the glory to God for it is
He that has drawn you to Him! If you have not come, Come! and welcome! |