What Missionary Motives Should Prevail? 91 even more impressive and clear as related to the same particu lars. As if to remove any possible misunderstanding in regard to the divine plan, the Spirit led to the declaration and preser vation of words which tell us what God purposes to do in this present age in preparation for the age to come, and what part the Church is to play in the fulfilment of the purpose so an nounced. We refer to Acts 15:13—18. There James, quoting Peter, is the spokesman, and the great Apostle confirms his; utterance by stating it as a foundation truth that “known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world.” He thus says: “Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name; and to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up; that the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles upon whom My name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.” Here then, is a divine utterance and program. And sim ply speaking, it sets forth the following facts in the follow ing order: first, a present work of grace in which God visits and gathers out, preeminently from the Gentiles, a people for, His name; second, the return of Christ; third, the restoration and establishment of the Jewish theocratic kingdom with its attendant worship; and fourth, the salvation in the kingdom- age of the “residue” of the Jews, and of “all” the Gentiles upon whom God’s name shall be called. And this program, in its first article, makes it clear what share the Church has in its fulfilment. To put it in a single sentence, it is this: God is visiting the nations, and Christians have the high privilege of visiting them with Him. He goes forth, in the persons of the missionaries, not to convert all the world—since not all men will accept of Him—but to gather out from it a willing people, heavenly in quality and innumerable in quantity, which shall be to the glory of His name throughout time and eternity.
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker