Now think. If only the ruling priesthood is to be saved, then every other person born on the earth will be cast into the Lake of Fire. Can you see how ridiculous such a doctrine is? There would be no people for the priesthood to govern and serve. There would be no inheritance for Christ and His coheirs.

The concept that all believers will rule with Christ on the basis of grace, and that all who have never heard of Christ will be cast into the Lake of Fire, is based on the current extreme view of grace—that it is a magic formula that makes us royal priests; and too bad for those who never had an opportunity to be saved by grace. Into the Lake of Fire they go to be tormented forever because they never heard the Gospel.

You can believe this if you want to. But I will tell you one thing. The idea that people who never heard the Gospel will be cast into the Lake of Fire because they never believed the Gospel goes against the sense of justice of every reasonable person. But then religion has a way of perverting reason and justice.

We said Paul was striving to attain the resurrection from the dead, not of the dead but from the dead.

And so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:11—NIV)

Yet Jesus said everyone would be raised. There is no need to attain to the general, or second resurrection.

Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice And come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. (John 5:28,29—NIV)

Compare:

"And so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead."

"All who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out."

Obviously there is a difference here.

If we follow Revelation, with the first resurrection taking place at the beginning of the thousand-year Kingdom Age, that is, at the time of the Lord's appearing, and the second taking place at the end of the thousand-year Kingdom Age, then it is reasonable that the first, emphasizing as it does rulership and the holy priesthood, would need to be attained and the second would be composed of the rest of the dead.

Now, let's tie these thoughts back to the eighth chapter of the Book of Romans and the answer to the question, "Who will rescue me from the body of death?"

We have found in the opening verses of Chapter Eight of Romans that Paul stressed rejecting the sinful nature and following the Spirit of God.

Then we noticed that if the Spirit is dwelling in us, God will make alive our dead body, thus rescuing us from the body of death.

In verse twelve of Romans Eight, Paul tells us that because the rescue will come through our living by the Spirit of God, we do not owe the spiritually dead body anything. We are not obligated to live by its passions and appetites. Our body is dead and is leading us away from God, away from righteousness and eternal life.

To be continued.