Receiving the Gospel of Christ does not diminish God's demands on us, it increases God's demands on us. The new covenant does not make fewer demands on us than was true of the old. The new covenant makes far, far greater demands on the worshiper than has been true of any other covenant or relationship of God with people. Never before has it been true that God has required that we set aside our life and follow Him with a perfect heart. Yet this always has been true of those rare individuals, such as Abraham, who somehow gained a true perspective of man's relationship to God.

To whom much is given, of him shall much be required.

The heathen sinner will be beaten with few lashes.

The born-again, Spirit-filled believer who does not take up his or her cross and follow Christ with a pure heart will be beaten with many lashes.

Beaten when, where, with what kind of lashes?

We cannot say at this time. But we know the whipping will take place sometime, somewhere, and it will be painful!

We cannot state for certain the sun will rise in the morning, or if it does, that we will be alive to witness its rising.

But there is one thing we do know.

There is a time coming in the life of every individual when he or she will hear the voice of the Son of God. He will awaken from the dead, and then he will stand before Christ (for the Father has committed all judgment to the Son).

What will it be like when we stand before Christ?

Can you imagine the joy that will flood the face of Christ when He awakens Daniel, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Peter, John, Paul, John Wesley?

"Well done!" The bells of Heaven will echo the triumphant cry of praise and congratulations.

But other "believers" will face a wrathful Christ.

"You disobeyed me constantly. Many, many times I urged you to go into the harvest and labor for me. But you found one excuse after another.

"Do you see that multitude of souls waiting over there? They were to be your inheritance. Now I must deal with them in terms of their ignorance. Were it not for your disobedience, there would have come forth fine fruit for my table from among those people—precious souls who would have grown in faith and in the knowledge and love of God.

"You wicked servant! You are not worthy of the Kingdom of God. You took care of yourself on the earth, holding back the wages due to those who labored in your employ. You lived in luxury while others about you perished in spiritual and material poverty. But now many of them are rejoicing in the Kingdom of their Father while your inheritance will be misery and darkness.

"Take him away! Cast him into outer darkness. He will not be allowed to share in My glory."

If you do not tremble at this thought you probably are walking in deception. Your teachers may comfort you with the idea that you are in a dispensation of grace and no harm can come to you. They are deceived—blind leading the blind.

To be continued.