The Blowing of Trumpets announces the coming of King Jesus. All of God's created works will tremble at the Presence of the Lord Jesus. All of the works of man will be removed.

Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? (Psalms 24:3)

The most worthwhile effort that can be made by a human being is to ascend the hill of the Lord. The world and Satan strive endlessly to fascinate human beings, to secure their worship, their interest, their love. But all is vanity. There is no lasting joy, no peace, no love anywhere except in Zion, in the Presence of the Father. The only true goal of the human being is rest in the Presence of the Father. All else is worthless and less than worthless.

Who is able to stand in the Presence of Jesus, and through Jesus come to the Father?

He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. (Psalms 24:4)

The doctrine of grace preached by the early apostles offers righteousness to each person who will place his or her faith in the atonement made by the Lord Jesus on the cross of Calvary. The doctrine of grace and of complete forgiveness through the blood of Jesus comes from God in Heaven.

By faith we receive an imputed (ascribed) righteousness. We have not been able or willing to keep the Law of Moses but the Lord Jesus has been able. Through our faith the righteous behavior of Jesus is ascribed to us. When God looks at us He sees the righteousness of His beloved Son, provided we are following the Holy Spirit in overcoming the world, the lusts of our flesh, and our self-will.

However, Paul's doctrine of grace has been perverted. The current understanding is that grace and faith are new ways in which God relates to people. The moral principles of the Old Testament no longer are stressed. What is emphasized today is a state of ascribed righteousness in which the believer claims the covering of the righteousness of Jesus but is not participating in the work of moral transformation. This interpretation of Divine grace comes from man's love for himself.

The problem is not the principle of ascribed righteousness. The problem occurs when we regard ascribed righteousness as a permanent state. Our transformation into the image of Christ, which is the nature and purpose of the Divine redemption, is given a sort of careless acknowledgment.

What has been the result of stressing ascribed righteousness, virtually excluding an awareness of our need for transformation into the image of the Lord? The result has been multiplied thousands of spiritual babies who have little or no fellowship with God because they are ignorant of the principles of righteous, holy living.

How has this error come about?

The perversion of Divine grace has proceeded from an ignorance of God's plan of redemption under the new covenant. God's plan of redemption includes an ascribed righteousness that is operative throughout the period of time that the believer is being transformed from ungodliness to godliness. The ascribed righteousness fills in the gap so Christ is able to deal with us even though we still are children in the principles of righteous behavior.

To be continued.