After a person dies physically he is judged. He is judged according to his works, and his works always are evaluated in terms of his knowledge of God's will for his life. Receiving the Lord Jesus when He comes to us is one such righteous work. But after we receive the Lord Jesus we are not to cease living a godly life. Rather, the receiving of the Lord makes possible a godliness of heart and behavior that no individual can achieve until he is born again in Christ.

To receive Jesus and then to not follow Him is to abort the birth of the Kingdom of God in one's self. Grace never is to be used as an excuse for sinful behavior. God intends that grace be the means of attaining truly righteous, holy, and obedient behavior.

Our adamic personality, by the enabling power and wisdom that God gives through His Spirit, must obey the words of the Scriptures as far as possible, exerting an external control over our behavior until the Life of Jesus grows in us to the point that we do the will of God by nature. This is why the Apostle Paul kept his body under stern discipline. Such external control is necessary until the desired inner conversion, the formation of the Kingdom in us, comes to maturity.

But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. (I Corinthians 9:27)

The blessings of Paradise are restored to us when we begin to obey God. Eternal life is the result of "patient continuance in well doing."

To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: (Romans 2:7-10)

We can see from the above that the judgment of the individual always is in terms of his works. The purpose of the grace in Christ is not to do away with the judgment of our behavior but to change our behavior. This simple understanding very well may be at the center of the current theological misunderstanding; for to view Divine grace as a permanent waiving of the judgment of the Christian's behavior is to miss the whole point of the Judaic-Christian redemption.

If the person has been given much knowledge of the Lord's will for him, he is held accountable for the abundance he has been given. If he has been obedient in terms of the knowledge he has received there will be a reward. If he has not been obedient there will be severe chastening.

It is not only the unsaved, ignorant heathen who are in danger of Divine punishment, it is the Christian people who have neglected their salvation who have reason to be terrified at the thought of falling into the hands of Christ.

And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 25:30)

To be continued.