All people, the elect and the members of the nations of the saved, must obey the laws given in the Sermon on the Mount. Since these laws are impossible apart from the indwelling Nature of Christ, all the citizens of the nations of the saved, although they are not members of the royal priesthood, must have a portion of Christ in them. Every individual who is saved into the eternal reign of Christ will have Christ in him because Christ in us is the Kingdom, the rule of God.

During the Kingdom Age, Satan and all other workers of iniquity will have been removed from the earth and it will be far easier to live righteously at that time than is true now.

Perhaps the expression hundredfold, sixtyfold, and thirtyfold refers respectively to the firstfruits of the Church (Revelation, Chapter 14), the balance of the Church, and then the members of the nations of the saved. The same design appears in the Tabernacle of the Congregation where we have the Most Holy Place, the Holy Place, and the Courtyard. Surrounding the Courtyard was the linen fence. Since the sparkling white linen of the fence symbolizes the Divine righteousness, it may be true that the three areas within the fence portray the firstfruits, the balance of the Church, and the nations of the saved, while all outside are unrighteous and therefore prohibited from entering the Presence of God.

Righteousness and honesty in business were stressed in the old covenant:But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. (Deuteronomy 25:15)

And they are emphasized in the new:

Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. (Romans 12:17)

Stealing was prohibited under the old covenant:

Thou shalt not steal. (Exodus 20:15)

And is prohibited under the new:

Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. (Ephesians 4:28)

One of the major misunderstandings of Christian theology is the relationship of imputed (ascribed) righteousness to actual righteousness of behavior. Today's scholarship emphasizes imputed righteousness to the virtual exclusion of righteous behavior. A review of the above passages may emphasize that there is more written in the New Testament concerning morality and righteous behavior than there is about ascribed righteousness.

First, we must understand that all righteousness is imputed. The term "righteous" means approved of God. Righteousness is not measured by an arbitrary standard but by God's opinion. If God imputes righteousness to the lie told by Rahab, or to the slaughter of the Philistines by Israel, then these are righteous actions. This we can understand readily if we have a heart for God.

To be continued.