As soon as we are willing to reckon ourselves dead with Christ on the cross and alive with Christ in His resurrection, at that moment the judgment of our personality begins. It is appointed to man once to die and after this the judgment begins.

That judgment consists of a working out of the evil that is in us as God sends fiery judgments on us. As we confess our sins God forgives us and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. In this manner we pass before the Judgment Seat of Christ.

If we are really following Jesus Christ, truly counting ourselves dead with Him and alive with Him, then we are going to suffer. We are going to suffer so we may be made a partaker of God's holy Nature, so we may be found worthy of the Kingdom of God. Our ungodly personality must be severely chastised. If you are not being chastised you are not a true son of God.

All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. (II Thessalonians 1:5—NIV)

Why do we suffer at the hands of God? That we may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God.

Some of these thoughts may be new to you. This is understandable considering that we are being taught "another gospel" today.

But the idea of the new covenant, of eternal life being associated with persistence in doing good, of the necessity for coming out of the uncleannesses of the world, of the fact that Christians, as well as everyone else, will be rewarded according to their behavior on the earth, is not new to the Scriptures, Old Testament or New.

These concepts are new to us because our Evangelical doctrine has sailed away from the text of the New Testament and has created a religion based on a few "key verses," a religion very acceptable to the comfortable "worshipers" of our day who are much more concerned over the rights of people than they are over the rights of God.

Americans are ready to accept a religion that makes few demands on them and promises them escape from Hell and eternity in a mansion in Paradise; that insures they will not be accountable for their sins and disobedience to God; that teaches Christ became poor that we might be rich in worldly goods. Because of this "other gospel" that is being preached the believers view suffering as having nothing to do with salvation. They have no intention whatever of making themselves the slaves of the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet suffering and total obedience to Jesus are major aspects of the Christian salvation.

God knows how to deal with the American believers, and with others who hold to this new "gospel" that has been put together by the carnal mind. God's answer is fiery judgment that will divide between those who really love the Lord and those who are seeking to use God to obtain their own ends.

To be continued.