Continued growth in godliness and an ever-deepening personal knowledge of the Lord Jesus are a different matter from the lukewarmness of those who think they have bound God to certain verses taken out of context (as so often is the case with John 5:24; John 1:12; Romans 10:9,10; Romans 6:23; Romans 8:1; and Ephesians 2:8,9) and now possess a guarantee that no matter how they live, whether or not they lay aside their life and follow Jesus, they certainly will be received warmly into the spirit Paradise when they die.

This is the perversion of grace.

Jesus indeed does give everlasting life and freedom from condemnation to every person who hears His Word and believes in God. But this hearing and faith is a continuing process. It is the way of faith, the road to eternal life. It by no means is referring to a one-time action in which we "make a decision for Christ" and then continue in our customary manner of living.

The expression "the righteous shall live by faith" means the righteous live every moment in obedience to God and in union with Him rather than according to their own pride, mental understanding, and soulish desires. "The righteous shall live by faith" is not referring to adherence to a set of doctrinal beliefs. It is speaking of the way of faith, of seeking the Lord in all areas of what we think and what we say and do. It is speaking of living by faith.

The redemption that is in the Lord Jesus either is the forgiving of a person so when he dies he can go to another world where he cannot sin, or else the Christian redemption is the transformation of a person so he can bring the Kingdom of God, the doing of God's will, into the earth. The earth always is given to the meek, to those who practice righteousness, who love mercy, and who walk humbly with the Lord.

Divine grace either changes the standard and the environment, or the man. Which is it?

The wrong answer destroys the purpose of Calvary.

God comes to sinful man and offers him complete forgiveness of his sins through the blood atonement made by the Lord Jesus on the cross of Calvary.

But to what end is man offered forgiveness? To the end he may go to the spirit Paradise when he dies? Is this why God forgives men through Christ—so in their untransformed state they may go to a place of joy in the spirit realm? Is this what the Scriptures teach? What passage of the Scriptures teaches that man is forgiven so he may go to Heaven when he dies?

This is not what the Scriptures teach. Such a concept is without basis in the Scriptures. It is a modern man-centered myth designed to remove from man all responsibility for his salvation. He can disobey God repeatedly and then inherit the approval and blessing of God when he dies.

To be continued.