Current teaching implies that the majority of earth's people will be cast into the Lake of Fire, there to be tormented forever. It is a little doily patched together from tiny pieces torn from the galactic tapestry—a tapestry woven in the mind of God before He spoke the world into existence. Yet, many saints of God have performed righteousness and served Christ even with this limited understanding.

"Knowledge will be increased," Daniel wrote, and so it may be true in our day that the Lord will help us gain a broader understanding of the Divine redemption.

An atonement has been made for the guilt of all the sins of mankind. It is an eternal atonement. There never again will be another sacrifice. The one sacrifice made by Christ on the cross of Calvary has satisfied God's sense of justice and righteousness. God has been appeased with regard to the sins of men.

Because of this total, eternal atonement, guilt, as such, is not the principal issue of redemption. Guilt indeed does remain an issue until the Divine conditions are met, but the principal issue is that of correction. God gave the Lord Jesus Christ to us so we may be saved from sin, that is, that we may be spared from the penalty of sin until He has had a chance to make us righteous, holy, and obedient to God.

Our redemption is infinitely more than forgiveness for what we are. It includes this, but its main purpose is to change what we are until we are pleasing to our Creator.

Jesus forgave the guilt of mankind so mankind may be changed from the life and works of Satan to the life and works of God.

Christ died for the sins of mankind and therefore "owns" mankind.

Christ gives eternal life to whomever He will, as the Father directs Him.

Christ is the Judge of all creatures—men and angels (John 5:22).

After Christ rose from the dead He began the work of judging the creation, beginning with His elect (I Peter 4:15,17). Christ is seated on His judgment seat. Sooner or later all creatures must pass before Him.

The term Judgment Seat of Christ does not refer to a special judgment of believers that will take place during a short period of time after the believers are raised from the dead. The Judgment Seat of Christ has to do with the judgment of every creature regardless of when the judgment takes place. It includes the so-called "white throne judgment" (Revelation 20:11).

The Judgment Seat of Christ began when Christ sat down at the right hand of the Father and will conclude with the judgment that takes place at the end of the thousand-year reign of Christ and His saints over the nations of the earth.

The judgment of God's people, His elect, is taking place now (Matthew 3:12; I Corinthians 11:32; I Peter 4:17). This judgment results in a chastening of us so we will stop sinning and find peace in God's will. All our guilt was forgiven by the atonement, provided we cooperate with the Holy Spirit in the work of putting sin and rebellion out of our life.

To be continued.