It is important Christians understand that the Church is not a set of favorites whom God has chosen to "go to Heaven" to play games while the remainder of mankind perishes in ignorance and sin.

It is true rather that the Church is a firstfruits of mankind, God's firstborn whom God has chosen from among men for His own possession. The Church is an elder son, as it were, an elder son to whom God has given the firstfruits of the Holy Spirit. The reason God has given to His elect the firstfruits of the Holy Spirit is that they may be a light to the nations of the earth, a revelation of the Person and will of Almighty God.

Christ is the true Light. Because we are part of Christ we also are that true Light.

The light of God is the works of righteousness that Christ performs, and that we perform when Christ lives in us. God is righteous. This the world does not fully understand and as a result lives in corruption and death. It is God's will that the nations of the earth behold His righteousness in the Church.

When the righteous works of God are not being seen in the members of Christ's Body, the world is without a true revelation of God.

The fruit for which God is waiting is His moral image in people. We Christians bear fruit when God's righteousness is performed in us and from us extends to other people so they also do God's will.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)

The Laodicean churches embrace the teaching of imputed (ascribed) righteousness because this doctrine benefits man without making any demands on him. But they do not understand the righteousness of personality and behavior that the Holy Spirit intends to work in the personality of the believer. Therefore the Laodicean churches have no light, no good works for men to see. They are barren.

The Laodicean churches love ascribed righteousness because it seems to point toward a God who is willing that man be blessed even though he is wicked in nature. An overemphasis on imputed righteousness goes along very well with the philosophy of the rights of people.

But since actual works of righteousness necessitate a denial of man's pleasures, actual righteousness is regarded by the Laodicean believers as the "works" against which Paul warned us. The Laodiceans distort the Scriptures to their own destruction.

Ascribed righteousness will not cause the nations to glorify God. The nations glorify God only when God's people reveal God's righteous and holy nature in their personality and behavior.

Having your conversation [behavior] honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. (I Peter 2:12)

God from the creation of the world has appointed His elect to be the bearers of His image, an image that reproduces itself when it is witnessed by the nations of the earth.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)

To be continued.