What I am saying is, all that God is doing with you and me, His endless dealings, are for the benefit of the nations of saved people whom we shall serve as rulers and priests—a royal priesthood.

Do you recall the account of the sheep and goat nations?

When the Lord Jesus appears in glory He will be surrounded by His elect, His brothers.

Before them will be arranged the nations of the earth. (This may take place during the judgment that comes after the thousand-year Kingdom Age.)

Then the Lord will separate the people from one another, placing some on His right hand and some on His left.

Please keep in mind that the people being arranged here are not Christians. They are the nations of people who are the inheritance of Christ and His brothers.

Notice carefully what the Lord says:

Then the King will say to those on his right, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world." (Matthew 25:34—NIV)

The Kingdom is the Church. The Kingdom in the present hour is being prepared so the people whom God saves from among the nations may be blessed with godly government.

If you can accept this the whole Bible, Old Testament and New, will begin to make sense.

On what basis are the people designated as the "sheep" permitted into the Kingdom of God? On the basis of having assisted the Lord's brothers.

The King will reply, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." (Matthew 25:40—NIV)

We of the Church, the priesthood, are not made a part of the Kingdom by assisting the Lord's brothers. We are brought into the Kingdom by repenting of our sins, being baptized in water, and receiving the Holy Spirit.

In addition we have been commanded to reckon ourselves dead with the Lord Jesus Christ, risen with Him, and ascended with Him to the right hand of the Father. We have to count these facts as true every day of our Christian life so we are not discouraged as the Holy Spirit keeps on challenging us to lay down our own life and enter further into Christ.

This is how we become part of the Kingdom of God. It is a never-ending process of dying and living; dying and living; dying and living until we can say, "I am crucified with Christ and the life I am living now is not I but Christ."

You know, as I think about this I realize how few church people actually are pressing on this road of discipleship with Christ. Maybe what we have in the churches is a mixed multitude, the majority being merely church members and the minority being true disciples of the Lord. How many Christians do you know who have denied themselves, taken up their cross, and are following the Lord? By definition, these are the only true disciples; these are the only true Christians.

To be continued.