When we are filled with all the fullness of God and know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, we shall find that the love that has been placed in us is directed toward God and then to people. Divine love for the nations of the earth is a gift from God, it is not a virtue that can be dredged up from the adamic nature. Ask God sometime to give you of His love for the nations. Then you will understand the coming of the Kingdom of God to the earth.

For he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. (Psalms 24:2—NIV)

There is no question that water cover's most of the earth's surface. But there may be a deeper meaning here. Seas and waters do not make for a solid foundation. You remember, Abraham was looking for a city that has foundations. Also the emphasis on the twelve foundations of the wall of the new Jerusalem.

I think God is telling us that our life is not on a firm footing until it is founded on the Lord Jesus Christ. It is true also that the earth and its peoples will not be on a firm footing until the holy city, the new Jerusalem, has come down and the law of God goes forth to the saved nations.

We have mentioned three parts of our inheritance. The earth and the nations of saved people are one part. Now we come to the second part, which is our change into the moral image of Christ.

Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? (Psalms 24:3—NIV)

It was clear under the Law of Moses that only righteous people could stand in the Lord's holy place, which is Mount Zion.

But this clarity has been greatly muddied by today's Christian preaching. At some point during the Church Era the doctrine of the "state of grace" was developed. The bottom line of the "state of grace" is that we can come into God's Presence and stand there without living righteously.

Yet the New Testament shows us that righteousness of personality and behavior are still required if we are to stand with the Lord Jesus on Mount Zion.

These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless. (Revelation 14:4,5—NIV)

Notice how the "state of grace" is dramatically missing from the above account of worthiness to stand with the Lord on Mount Zion.

The firstfruits of mankind do not stand on Mount Zion with the Lord by grace, by imputed righteousness. They are there because they are blameless in personality and behavior.

It may be there are teachers who will maintain that the blamelessness of the firstfruits has been imputed to them by Divine grace, so desperate are today's scholars to prove we do not have to be transformed morally in order to participate in the new covenant. But such are grievously mistaken.

To be continued.