We believe yet further, from the prophecies of the Old Testament and the statements of the New, that as soon as the Body of Christ has become one in the Father and the Son, the nations of the earth will come to the Light of God in the saints and be saved. Therefore the hope of the salvation of the world is tied directly to the maturing of the members of the Body of Christ.

That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. (John 17:21)

"That the world may believe"!

We are brought to maturity in Christ so the world may believe in Him—that He comes from God.

It takes time to stop and sharpen the axe, but in the end we get the wood chopped sooner.

We are writing this brief paper with the thought that there may be other faithful pastors and teachers who love their flock and enjoy ministering the Word of God to the people, sometimes to a handful of souls, who then are disturbed because their congregation is small or because they are not going out to "save souls from Hell."

In several other of our writings we have stressed that the goal of the Christian salvation is not eternal residence in the spirit Paradise in Heaven. The goal of the Christian salvation is to build a great house for God, the Church, in which He can find rest and through which He can govern, bless, teach, and be with the saved nations of the earth.

And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. (Isaiah 2:2,3)

The Church has been called out from the world to be prepared to be the hand of God outstretched to the people of the world, not to flee to Heaven to live in golden mansions doing nothing of significance. This is a totally selfish viewpoint and misses entirely the Divine plan for the salvation of mankind.

If we have a true concern for the souls of men, then we will get on with the job of coming to maturity ourselves and bringing as many other people as we can to the fullness of the stature of Christ so that the Lord Jesus can return with us and break the chains of Satan that keep mankind in slavery to sin.

He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. (Isaiah 42:4)

When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:4)

To be continued.