There are four main points in God’s plan:

1. Through the permission of evil, God’s intelligent creation will learn the results of disobedience and sin. 
2. God will provide a way for the recovery of mankind and grant the willing an opportunity for everlasting life. This recovery is through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
3. From among mankind, God will select and develop an elect class. These true Christians will receive a resurrection in heaven with immortality. 
4. Through Jesus and this elect class, God will remove sin from the resurrected mankind on earth.

The motivation behind all of God’s actions is love. God allowed Satan to tempt our first parents, Adam and Eve, thereby bringing sin into the world (Romans 5:12). This was permitted by love. God’s wisdom recognizes experience is the best teacher. Thus, God has allowed humanity (and angels) to learn about and experience the devastation of sin – hatred, selfishness, poverty, greed, sickness, suffering and death. 

When the acts of mankind become so terrible and devastating that if continued, no flesh should be saved (Matthew 24:21,22), God will powerfully intervene.  The psalmist writes, “Come and see what the LORD has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth…He says, “Be still, and know that I am God,” Psalms 46:8-10 (NIV). 

Before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:20), God made plans for man’s redemption. Jesus agreed to die for Adam (and his posterity). “In Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive,” 1 Corinthians 15:21, 22. Soon “all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come forth,” John 5:28,29 (RSV).

During the resurrection, God will give every individual a trial to obtain everlasting life. This is the day of judgment. Then mankind will learn righteousness (Isaiah 26:9, Jeremiah 31:29,30). 

Between the fall and the restoration of mankind, God has another facet to His plan: Individuals are being tested as to whether or not they love God with all of their being. Jesus received this opportunity first. Because of his obedience, he was exalted to a position above what he had in his prehuman existence. “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name” (Philippians 2:8,9). Thus, Christ became the first of a “new creation” (Hebrews 10:20, 2 Corinthians 5:17).

It was God’s desire, it was God’s love, it was God’s plan, that He should have a spiritual family (Ephesians 1:4). During this time when the gospel message is going out (the “Gospel Age”), a “little flock” (Luke 12:32) (also referred to as his “bride,” and “church” among other titles) are developing faith and obedience. They are being conformed into the image of His son and will receive (united with Christ) glory, honor and immortality (Roman 2:7; 1 Corinthians 15:53). THE Christ (Jesus and his church together) will usher in peace. Then mankind will be restored to perfection. “For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be eliminated is death….And when all things are subjected to him, then the son himself will be subjected to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all,” I Corinthians 15:25-28 (NET). This is the plan of God.

Additional Resources:
Christian Questions Podcast 
Episode #1277: “Will the World’s Pain and Suffering Ever End?”
Biblically answering the hard questions about humanity’s brokenness
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes

Episode #1174: “Did God Make Heaven and Hell Humanity’s Destiny? (Part I)”
Uncovering who goes to heaven and what happens to planet Earth
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes

(PDF) “God’s Grand Plan of the Ages”
(Article) “Jesus, The World’s Savior”