Because the babylonish (manmade, man-centered, man-directed) Christian churches are not abiding in Christ, the day will come when the nations rise up and burn the Christian churches with fire.

And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. (Revelation 17:16)

Will the Body of Christ ever be set free from sin and self-seeking and enter union with the resurrected Lord Jesus? Yes, it will. The Lord Jesus has prayed for this. When the conversion of the believers takes place the world will know that God has sent Jesus and loves the saints as He loves the Lord Jesus.

I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. (John 17:23)

How will the nations of the earth respond when the Body of Christ has been made one in Christ in God?

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 2:3)

Therefore thy [the Church's] gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles [nations], and that their kings may be brought. (Isaiah 60:11)

Speaking of the Christian Church, the Wife of the Lamb:

And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. (Revelation 21:24)

In summary, there are three dimensions of God's redemptive working among mankind: salvation, the creation of the Church, and the bringing of all the nations of the earth under Kingdom law. There is no nation that is exempt from the lordship of Christ. The bases for the accomplishment of these three works are the authority of Christ over all persons and all things in Heaven and on the earth, and the immediate Presence of Christ as He saves souls, builds His Church, and makes "the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed" (Romans 15:18).

The moment that Jesus spoke to His eleven disciples on the mountain in Galilee, the Divine Word began to compel all persons, circumstances, events, and things of the heavens, the earth, and the prisons under the earth's surface, to bring into fulfillment the Word of the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus has this much authority and power!

All three dimensions of redemption are in force today. But, as we have seen, it is necessary that the Church be changed into Christ's moral image and brought into union with Christ in God, if the full design of God is to be executed. Apart from the abiding of the Body in the Head, it is not possible that the plan of God can be accomplished.

Therefore the record of Acts and the writings of the Apostles have to do with calling the Church out of the world and perfecting the Church.

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying [building up to maturity and unity] of the body of Christ: (Ephesians 4:11,12)

To be continued.