To conceive of Divine grace as a waiving of the consequences of sin is to contradict directly the teaching of the Apostle Paul in the sixth chapter of Romans. The preachers of today, as did Satan in the garden, are teaching that we shall "not surely die." But the Scriptures, both Old and New Testament, warn us that the soul that sins will die. Paul reinforces this principle in the sixth chapter of Romans.

Christ did not come to the world so the soul that sins will live. Rather, Christ came to give us the authority and power whereby we can choose not to sin. When we choose not to sin we regain access to the tree of life and eat and live forever in the Presence of God and the Lamb.

Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. (Revelation 22:14)

"That do his commandments." Modern Christian theorists are removing the authority and power of such statements by claiming they apply to the Jews and not to the Gentiles. They are perverting the Gospel of Christ. Does God have two moral standards—one for the Jews and one for the Gentiles? Are there two seeds of Abraham? Two olive trees?

Are there two kingdoms of God—a superior, heavenly one for the Gentiles and a lesser, earthly one for the Jews? Does it follow, then, that the Gentiles will continue in sin and be saved "by grace" while the Jews, who are the natural branches of the cultivated olive tree, must keep the commandments of God?

Are we blind enough to defend such obvious anti-Semitism, such a mockery of the eternal plan of God, of the Gospel of Him who is gathering all things together in Christ?

Can the concept of two kingdoms, an earthly one of works and a heavenly one of "grace," be found in the writings of the Apostles of the Lamb? Has it not rather been invented by theologians?

Christians, because of their conscience, and because there are some lingering ideas in society and in the churches of how a Christian ought to behave, practice righteousness and holiness to a greater or lesser degree depending on the individual's conscience and will and the community standards. Personal devotion and the prevailing social expectations are taught and practiced to a limited extent. But this is in spite of, not because of, the current theory of grace.

One current edition of the Scriptures states in its comments on Ephesians 2:8,9 that we are saved unconditionally by grace apart from works. The full explanation in the footnotes is in direct opposition to the statement made by the Lord Jesus that we must endure to the end in order to be saved, and also to the exhortations of the Book of Hebrews and of First John.

To be continued.