GOD’S AMAZING PLAN FOR THE WORLD

The world is getting worse and people are getting increasingly immoral and the interesting part is, it is celebrated as good. Furthermore, there are wars, poverty, and corruption in many parts of the world. And history is heading somewhere and it is not getting any better. 

Although, governments, technology, education, health care, and social reform have achieved good things in the world. However, all human attempts to solve the world problems have failed because they cannot fundamentally solve the world’s deepest problems.

The reason for this is because the problem is much greater and deeper than what humans can manage and if this is the case, then we need to diagnose the problem.

THE PROBLEM - A Fallen Creation

So, where did this problem come from and who can truly and perfectly resolve it? The answer is certainly not in the political, economic, or social sphere because all human attempts to solve the world problems have failed. I think the answer can be found in the pages of the Bible. In which we discover that the root problem of this world is Sin. In the beginning God created a perfect world, displaying His beauty, majesty, and power. 

Unfortunately, God’s most treasured creatures rejected His love and authority and sinned. The consequences of human rebellion against God affects humans and that of the entire created order. Creation was subjected to futility and became marked by suffering, corruption, and death (Romans 8:20-23).

The consequences of sin cannot be overcome by merely political, technological, economic, or environmental solutions. It is spiritual and can only be accomplished by God himself. After the fall of man, history was heading down the road of destruction. Amazingly, God extended His mercy and grace in revealing his plan of redemption.

THE FIRST PROMISE - The Seed of the Woman

And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” Genesis 3:15 NKJV

Genesis 3:15 was the revealing of God’s blueprint and how He will redeem a ruined world. As God stated in his blueprint, His redemptive work will be costly to Him, as His Son will be bruised, but He will deliver a fatal blow on Satan. After this revelation to Adam and Eve, God gradually unveiled His plan throughout history with faithfulness despite human unfaithfulness.

THE PROMISE NARROWS - Abraham 

As history unfolded after the Fall, conflict grew between the devil and God’s people. The promise of the woman’s Seed was advanced through God’s covenant with Abraham (Genesis 12:7). God promised to bless Abraham and make him the father of many nations (Genesis 12). This covenant passed from Abraham to Isaac and then to Jacob, whose descendants became the nation of Israel. Through Israel, the promised Seed would come and bring salvation to many.

Abraham’s descendants, the Israelites, were enslaved in Egypt for more than four hundred years before God delivered them.

This fulfilment came at the Exodus when God delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. At Mount Sinai, God made a covenant with the Israelites. Moses was the mediator of this covenant, and the Israelites were blessed with covenant relationship with God. 

Their covenant stipulations were grounded in the law of God (the Ten Commandments), and they are to honour the covenant through obedience to God. Most importantly, it was all based on God’s grace (Exodus 34:6-7) and the question was, did they honour their side of the covenant? Absolutely not, but then God was faithful and would accomplish His plan of redemption. 

THE PROMISE BECOMES ROYAL - Judah

Prior to the Mosaic covenant, Jacob prophesied about the eminence of his son Judah and his family. Jacob’s prophecy was related to the dynastic covenant (Genesis 49:9-12). Centuries later God confirmed Jacob’s words through King David who was from the tribe of Judah. David became the recipient of the promise of a royal Son.

THE PROMISE BECOMES DAVIDIC - David

When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 2 Samuel 7:12-13 ESV

The immediate promise was referring to Solomon, but it goes further than that. This was pointing to David’s unique offspring whose kingdom will last forever (Matthew 1:1-17).

Although David’s descendants disobeyed God, this covenant was unconditional based on God’s faithfulness. And through David’s royal family came His Son whose kingdom will last forever (Matthew 1:1-18). The rebellion of David’s sons led to God’s disciplining his people and sent them into exile in Babylon (2 Kings 24:14). During the early days of their captivity in Babylon, the prophet Jeremiah introduced the idea of a new dispensation of God’s grace.

THE PROMISE BECOMES New Covenant - Jeremiah

Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Jeremiah 31-33 ESV

The Prophet Jeremiah promises the New Covenant which revealed the supernatural superiority over the old covenant. Throughout Israel’s history they continuously failed to honour God and unable to be faithful to God. In the old covenant the law was written in tablets of stones for his people were to internalise it. The blessing of the new covenant comes with the incredible supernatural internalisation of God’s law in his people’s heart through the Spirit.

The promised New Covenant became a reality through Jesus’ blood, and the Spirit performed the miracle of transformed hearts for the law to be internalised in God’s people’s heart (Luke 22:20, Hebrews 8:6-8).

THE SEED ARRIVES - Jesus

A thousand years after King David, a royal Son from Judah’s line was born in Bethlehem. He was the Seed promised in Eden and Abraham’s descendant, through whom salvation would come to the nations.

The Seed arrives at the height of the Roman Empire amid God’s people material and spiritual decline. Jesus came at the right time to fulfil God’s purpose. Sadly, his people’s expectations of him were more of a revolutionary leader.

The truth is, Jesus cannot be reduced to merely a political revolutionary, moral teacher, social reformer, or spiritual guru. He came to accomplish the work of God in dealing with sin and to redeem and rescue the world. Jesus came to obey the Father, reveal God, proclaim the kingdom, fulfil Scripture, bear sin, defeat death, defeat Satan, reconcile sinners to God, establish His people, rise from the dead, and renew creation.

THE LION BECOMES THE LAMB - The Cross and Resurrection 

The promised Seed From the royal line of Judah is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The mystery and wisdom of God was displayed on the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. Jesus the Son of God bruised the head of the serpent in other words He defeated Satan’s evil empire.

And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross”. Colossians 2:15 NIV

Jesus was paraded in the city of Jerusalem but paradoxically in the spiritual realm it was the devil and his minions that were shamed and destroyed. In the story of redemption, God throughout history was unveiling His plan to create a new people for Himself. The entire covenant of grace was God’s love towards rebellious sinners. God displays His glory and accomplishes His purpose for His own glory and our good (Roman 8:28).

THE BRIDE IS PREPARED - The Church 

“That he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word so that he might present the church to himself in splendour, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:26-27 ESV

On the cross of Christ, Satan was defeated, and Christ redeemed His precious bride. Christ’s work gives believers a completed standing before God while the Spirit is doing the ongoing work of sanctification.

THE KING RETURNS - Consummation

On His second coming, the Lamb will return triumphantly as the Lion to collect his people and judge the wicked. The devil will be finally defeated and cast into the lake of fire and all those who reject the gospel (Revelation 20:11-15).

On that glorious day, the Bride of Christ will finally unite with Christ for the ultimate covenant fulfilment at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6-9).

THE CURSED IS REMOVED - New Creation

Christ will make everything new and He will wipe away every tear from our eyes and abolish death forever. In the new world God will dwell with his people and they will live forever with their God in perfect joy (Revelation 22:1-5).

Conclusion

Who can solve the world problems? not merely governments, or human wisdom or technology but CHRIST. Jesus Christ is not trying to improve the world but by redeeming His people, defeating his enemies, and raising dead people to life. Christ is making all things new for His glory and for the good of His people (Romans 8:28)