The Daily Word of Righteousness

The Resurrection and the Life, #5

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; The one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:7,8—NIV)

Notice that the destruction proceeds from "his sinful nature" whereas the eternal life that will make alive our body also will proceed from the life that we have gained through the body and blood of Christ.

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. (Romans 8:11—NIV)

The is nothing more just, more equitable, than the fact that each person will receive in the Day of Resurrection that which he or she has practiced while living on the earth. What we are doing now is forming in us that which will be our portion when the Lord comes. External rewards are one matter, and there shall be these also. But what is in us as a result of our behavior today will be our clothing when our frame is raised from the dead.

Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done." (Revelation 22:12)

Will Christian believers turn on their teachers in that hour and demand to know why they were told not to worry because they would enjoy Paradise forever if they believed in lawless grace?

We cannot substitute our traditions for the written Word and expect God to honor our substitution!

Let us now think about the expression "doing good."

It is just as it states in II Corinthians 5:10: we receive that which we have done in the body, whether good or bad.

According to John 5:28,28, if we do good we will be resurrected into eternal life. If we do evil we will be resurrected into condemnation.

This is true also in II Corinthians 5:10. The issue is one of doing good or bad, not that of accepting Christ.

Does this mean we can refuse Christ and choose to just do good and hope thereby to enter eternal life at the coming of the Lord?

Not at all, for Christ said plainly that if we do no believe in Him we will be condemned.

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.  (John 3;18—NIV)

What, then, is the explanation.

First of all, the Scripture stands as it is written. Our fate in the Day of Resurrection will depend on how we have lived, whether we have done good or bad things during our life.

I know Christians will be upset by this, but the Scriptures stand as written. They do not change according to our traditions.

To be continued.