It readily can be seen that the believer who has not had an iron obedience created in him, nor the love of Christ created in him, is not qualified to serve the Lord Jesus as a member of the royal priesthood.

We understand the rewards that Jesus will bring with Him are directly related to what we have become by means of the Divine redemption. What we become by means of the Divine redemption depends on the diligence with which we give ourselves to doing the Lord's will in the present world.

It also can be seen that the present emphasis on "faith" and "grace" is a perversion of Paul's doctrine, a perversion of the Divine intention in that it implies that the rewards described in the Scriptures will be given to people who have not undergone the transforming work of redemption.

The concept that the work of transforming our inward nature will take place "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump" is to ignore the context of the Scripture. I Corinthians 15:52 is speaking only of the body. The concept that God's people will be changed in moral personality at the Lord's coming is unscriptural. It is unreasonable. It will not happen, and those who teach such a "magical" approach to the new creation are leading themselves and their hearers to destruction.

It is time for the Lord's people to wake up. The Christian churches are walking in deception.

Authority over the nations is associated with the morning star.

To be given the morning star (2:28).

The Lord Jesus Christ Himself is the bright and morning Star. He is the Day Star who arises in the heart of the conqueror, announcing the great Day of the Lord—the day when Christ takes dominion over all the kingdoms of the world.

God loves the peoples of the earth. The love of God for people is in the Lord Jesus Christ. When Christ is formed and dwells in us, His exceedingly great love for people is born in us.

No man will be allowed to rule in the Kingdom of God in his own strength and self-will. Only God in Christ in us will rule the nations of the earth. Only Divine love can be trusted to wield the irresistible rod of iron, the iron of God's strength that is developed in us as we choose to do God's will.

As long as we are ruled by self we are unfit to rule the nations of the earth. It is only as our first personality, our self-will and pride, is brought down to the death of the cross, that Christ—the Day Star—can arise in our heart.

When Christ takes over the rulership of our heart, a love for the peoples of the earth is given to us. Then, and only then, are we brought to the place where we can govern people in the love in which God desires to have them governed.

To be continued.