As far as God's elect are concerned, "salvation" includes elevation to the ranks of the royal priesthood, whereas the "salvation" of the nations of the earth has to do with inheriting the goodness of the earth and the opportunity to serve God through the presence and direction of the saints.

This difference in the application of the term "salvation" shows why someone who is called to be a saint, as is true of those who receive Christ today, is not permitted to settle for a naked salvation from wrath. He must press forward to the throne of Christ or he will bring upon himself God's wrath.

God judges each individual in terms of his unique calling. Someone who is called to the royal priesthood cannot decide to do without rewards and "get into Heaven by the skin of his teeth." God did not judge the other sailors in the boat as He did Jonah. The sailors, who were honorable men, were not required to spend time in the belly of the fish. The elect who neglect their calling, their full salvation, will be dealt with very severely.

God has not left it up to us to choose our role in the Kingdom of God. If we have a high calling, then we must drink the cup that is held out to us. We do not have the right to choose a lesser calling. We will be beaten with many lashes if we do not grasp that for which we have been grasped.

The tremendous emphasis on election and grace that appears in Ephesians 2:5,6 and similar passages has given rise to error. It is as though we have nothing to do but believe and accept the "grace" of God. It is taught we are on the throne no matter how we live or what we do. Such a belief will certainly undermine our determination to seek the Lord.

The conscientious believer will search the remainder of the writings of the Apostles to see if they also support the position that all is by "grace" and holds true no matter what we do. He will discover that numerous passages do not support this conclusion.

The grand statements God has made concerning the position of the elect in Christ are conditional, not unconditional. They are intended to serve as an anchor for our faith, not as a substitute for taking up our cross and following the Lord Jesus.

Are the promises indeed conditional?

For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; (Hebrews 3:14)

The word "if," in the preceding verse, means we will partake of God's promises in Christ provided we keep pressing into the rest of God (see context of verse). The promises are conditional.

There is no doubt we have been called to the Throne of God. In order to achieve our part in the heavenly throne (and the parousia proceeds only from the throne), we must, through Christ's grace, achieve victory over the adversaries and obstacles that God sees fit to place before us.

To be continued.