The Apostle Paul was seeking righteousness with all of his strength, and he viewed eternal life as his reward.

"And the end [of righteous, holy behavior] everlasting life."

Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. (II Timothy 4:8)

"A crown of righteousness"!

What a difference in goals—a crown of righteousness as opposed to a mansion in Heaven and acres of diamonds!

We Gentiles ordinarily do not come to Christ with a desire for righteousness. Most of us were not seeking righteousness before we were saved, and salvation was not presented to us as the solution to our personal problem of excelling in righteous behavior.

Many of us had to be told that all men are sinners. Then we were informed we cannot save ourselves, meaning we shall go to Hell when we die rather than to Heaven. In some instances we may have felt convicted because of our sinful state.

Salvation was presented to us as the guarantee that when we die we shall not go to Hell but to Heaven, there to abide forever in a mansion.

It is interesting that Paul never used the phrase "go to Heaven" nor does the term "Hell" appear even one time in all of Paul's Epistles. Because the expressions "go to Heaven" and "saved from Hell" do not appear in Paul's writings, and Paul's writings are the most revelatory and foundational of all Christian writings, we should be alerted to the fact that our teaching and preaching are in need of review.

Paul mentioned we are saved from the wrath of God; but it seems that most of his warnings had to do with dying spiritually or with not inheriting the Kingdom of God. The New Testament warnings concerning the wrath of God often stress what will take place at the coming of the Lord or God's present attitude toward us, rather than what happens to us after we die.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (Matthew 3:7)

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36)

But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; (Romans 2:5)

If we are to understand the writings of the Apostle Paul we must reorient ourselves to the Christian salvation. The Christian salvation has as its purpose the creation of righteous personalities. The reward for righteous behavior is eternal life, which is equivalent to entering the Kingdom, the rule of God.

This pattern appears throughout the Epistles of Paul.

To be continued.