Where Do I Fit in God’s Big Picture (Part 3)

God’s heart for the nations

In the previous article, we noted from Ephesians 1 how the Father’s will is to reunite all things under the headship of Jesus. In vv. 9-10 of that passage, we read this:

“⁹ making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ ¹⁰ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.”

The phrase “to unite all things in him” in the original text carries the connotation of “reuniting all things again” or “gather together again” in Christ, which means things were formerly united in Christ, but now they are not.

Colossians 1:15-20 reveals how things used to be in the beginning, with Christ as the head. When God created the heavens and the earth, all things were in complete harmony, with Christ as the head. Nothing—whether spiritual or physical or any created thing, was exempt. All were made through and for Christ (John 1:1-3).

However, sin ruined it all, making things not the way they should be as God intended. That is why our world is in the state it is right now. Romans 8:19-23 alludes to the fact that creation itself is awaiting redemption. Just as sin ruined the harmony on earth, the Bible alludes to the fact that Satan’s rebellion destroyed even the harmony in heaven. This happened before the disharmony on earth through sin (Rev. 12:7-9).

But in Christ, God is restoring the harmony. Those who have believed in Jesus and submitted to his authority have already aligned with God’s great plan to reunite all things in Christ. 2 Pet 3:7, 10-13 says the earth as we know it, and heaven will be destroyed by melting heat and fire, and then a new heaven and earth will be ushered in. Just as we will be given new bodies, heaven and earth will be created anew. The power that raised Christ from the dead will accomplish this. The new creation, as described by Peter, will be a place “in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13). In Isaiah’s prophecy (Isaiah 11), we are let in on the fact that even the animals are not left out in God’s reunification plan for the cosmos:

⁵ Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. ⁶ The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling[a] together; and a little child will lead them. ⁷ The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. ⁸ The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. ⁹ They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

This glorious picture depicts the reunification of all things in perfect harmony under Christ’s leadership. (See also Hebrews 12:22-24 and 1 Cor 15:24-28). As more people come to faith in Jesus, they align with God’s great plan, and the more the kingdom breaks through on earth.

A prophetic call to action

Importantly, we see in the Scriptures that although God desires the whole world to submit to Jesus as Lord, this has not happened yet. For example, Psalms 2:7-8 alludes to the fact that the Father covenanted with the Son to give Him the ends of the world as His inheritance:

“I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.” – Psalms 2:7-8.

Yet this has yet to be fully realised.

Philippians 2:8 says a day will come when every knee bows and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord—again, that has not happened yet. This is affirmed in Hebrews 2:8, where we read,

“Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him.“

While writing this article, I came across several prophetic passages speaking of the advancement of Christ’s kingdom and fame, e.g., Psalm 72:11, 17; Isaiah 2:2; Jer. 3:17; Isaiah 66:23; Isaiah 60:5; Psalms 65:2; Matt. 13:33; Hebrew 1:2, 2:8; Psalms 2:6-8; Isaiah 45:23—All of them pointing to an increase of the kingdom of God on Earth, the extent of which we have not yet seen. 

In view of these prophecies, Jonathan Edwards writes,

“It is evident from Scripture, that there is yet remaining a great advancement of the interest of religion, and the kingdom of Christ in this world, by an abundant outpouring of the Spirit of God, far greater and more extensive than ever yet has been. It is certain that many things which are spoken concerning a glorious time of the Church’s enlargement and prosperity in the latter days, have never yet been fulfilled. There has never yet been any propagation and prevalence of religion, in any wise, of that extent and universality which the prophecies represent.“

These unfulfilled prophecies should propel us into action and fuel our prayers for the nations.

A practical response

One of the practical ways we can align ourselves with God’s big plan is to labour in prayer for the kingdom to break through in our world. Jonathan Edwards said in his book, “A Call to Extraordinary Prayer”,

“That which God abundantly makes the subject of his promises, believers ought to abundantly make the subject of their prayers.” (paraphrased)

This is because prayers predicated upon God’s promises are bound to meet God’s favour as they align with God’s expressed will, thus giving us much assurance and boldness to press in for those things he has promised in His Word.

Another practical response is to look at the people in our life differently: Every person in our lives is created in the image of God (a creature of God), and Jesus commands us to teach them to follow Him. The people in our lives are not there by accident! We start from our homes, outwards to our friendship groups, and finally, our communities.

God expects Christian parents to pass on the gospel to the next generation. If you are a parent, Do you feed your children spiritually every day by exposing them to prayer and the Word of God? As parents, we are his agents with a mandate to command our children and household to keep the way of the Lord (Gen. 18:19, cf Deut. 6:1-9 & Deut. 11:18-21). This is one of the vital means via which the kingdom expands. We are called to be an authority in our children’s lives, and our sacred responsibility is to train our children and household when they sit at home, when they walk by the road, when they lie down, and when they rise.

Spurgeon said, “Begin early to teach, for children begin early to sin“. He also said, “Let no Christian parent fall into the delusion that Sunday School is intended to ease them of their personal duties. The first and most natural condition of things is for Christian parents to train up their own children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”

In his book, “Multiplying Disciples”, Phil Wilthew writes:

“Sociologists estimate that even the most introverted individual will influence at least 10,000 people in their lifetime. Whether or not you consider yourself a leader, you are significant. Discipleship is the art of Christ-centred influence. The real question a disciple of Jesus must answer is not, ‘Will I have influence in my lifetime?’ but ‘What will I do with the influence I have? Whose life am I called to influence for Christ? This influence works into people’s lives in both the formal and informal places of life, the accidental and the organised.”