Have you ever noticed the many times the New Testament warns Christians of the result of living in the flesh? The result is not specified as residence in Hell or the Lake of Fire, it is death, corruption, destruction. This is because if we, having commenced in Christ, then choose to live in the flesh we die spiritually in our inward nature. Also, there is no eternal life waiting to make alive our body in the day of resurrection. We have not attained life! We have not been found worthy of eternal life! What a fearful prospect!

But those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, And they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection. (Luke 20:35,36—NIV)

There is an incongruity here and it appears in other places also.

In John, Jesus said all would hear His voice and come forth from the grave.

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)

It sounds to me in the above passage that every person who has died shall be resurrected. Yet, in Luke (above), it speaks of being worthy to take part in the resurrection from the dead.

I would say, from this incongruity, that the rising to be condemned of John 5:29 is not a resurrection to life and so, in this sense, not a true resurrection at all.

I cannot think of any more important message to the Christians of today than this: We are in a fight to obtain eternal life. If we look to the Lord Jesus He will help every one of us to turn away from the things of the world and the flesh and seek to do God's will.

If we in this manner sow to the Spirit of God each day, then, in the Day of Resurrection, we will reap eternal life in the Kingdom of God. But if we choose instead to continue in our fleshly life, we are not going to be raised to life. This is the unchangeable Kingdom law of sowing and reaping and it is not affected by grace or mercy. Grace and mercy help us now to turn away from sin and serve the Lord. But grace and mercy do not in any manner alter the law of sowing and reaping, of cause and effect.

The present program offered by "the four steps of salvation" provides an entrance into the process of redemption. But to view these four steps as a ticket to Heaven is to miss entirely the Divine redemption. We remain in Egypt rather than moving forward to the land of promise, the rest of God, which is life lived in the fullness of the Spirit of God.

To be continued.