The Daily Word of Righteousness

The Church and the World, #12

Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles [nations] shall come unto thee. (Isaiah 60:5)

By far the most important aspect of the inheritance of the overcomer is union with God through Christ. The possession next in importance is the nations of saved peoples of the earth. The nations of peoples are our inheritance in the Lord.

What will be true of the individuals who refuse to be made new by the Glory of God in Christ in the saints?

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and sulfur: which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)

There will be three groups of people throughout the ages to come: The Church, the nations of the saved, and the lost. We have spoken of the Church and the nations of the saved.

Finally, the lost.

The common Christian teaching of our day is that all who stand before the great white throne in the Day of Judgment will be lost, will be thrown into the Lake of Fire, there to be tormented for eternity. This group, according to the current belief, includes those who never have heard the Gospel. Some people stress that babies also will be thrown into the Lake of Fire because they have not "received Christ." So great is the blindness and hardness of heart!

Such is not our point of view.

God judges people only by the light they have received, not by light they have not received.

If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. (John 15:22-24)

"They had not had sin."

(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed [ascribed] when there is no law. (Romans 5:13)

For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. (Romans 7:9)

Where there is no law there is no accountability for sin. Adam and Eve were without guilt and "alive" in the sight of God until they received the knowledge of good and evil.

There will be a wide variety of rewards and punishments given to the first group, the members of the Church, the Body of Christ.

And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. (Revelation 2:23)

And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. (Revelation 22:12)

To be continued.