The evangelists of the Body of Christ have been commissioned to preach the Gospel to all creation. He who believes and is baptized shall be saved. He who does not believe shall be condemned.

It is the responsibility of the evangelist to preach the good news, not to save everyone. There is an important distinction here.

We know from the Word of the Lord Jesus that no person can come to Him except the Father draw him. Therefore while the Gospel is being preached to the whole creation, only those whom the Father draws will come to Jesus.

The reason for this is that the purpose of the Church Age is to call out and build up the members of the Body of the Servant of the Lord, the Body of Christ. Not everyone is called to the royal priesthood, although God does not want anyone to perish but all to come to repentance. This appears paradoxical but it is what the Scripture teaches. There are many paradoxes in the Scriptures. That we do not understand everything God is doing is not important. Our place is to obey what is written.

There is an eternal wall between the nations of the earth and God's elect, the Church, the royal priesthood. Each member of the Church has been called from the beginning of the world to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ and to serve as God's witness to the nations.

Because we are unable to know whom God has called to the Church we have to preach the Gospel to the whole creation. The Spirit of God will determine who is to be added to the Church. All of the ministries and gifts of the Holy Spirit are for the purpose of calling out the elect from the nations and bringing each of them to the full stature of Christ.

When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. (Acts 13:48—NIV)

So the Gospel is to be preached to everyone, but only those who are appointed to eternal life will believe. It has to be this way so no person can say "I didn't hear. If I had heard I would have believed."

We may say, "If the individual was not appointed to eternal life, how can he believe? How can God find fault with him?" Paul's answer to this seeming inconsistency is, "God is the potter and we are the clay." Beyond this mortals cannot press in the present hour. But we know God is absolutely righteous. Calvary reveals His love for mankind. We have to leave it at that.

What then is the relationship between the Church and the world? The relationship is that every member of the Body of Christ is a witness to the world of God's Person, His ways, His will, and His eternal purpose in Christ. When we are not righteous in character and behavior we are not bearing a true witness of God.

To be continued.