Is it true that if a person sins it is because he never was truly saved to begin with? As we stated previously, the end result of this argument is that no individual can be assured of his salvation until he stands before Jesus.

In the footnotes of the edition of the Bible referred to earlier, the statement is made that the believers being discussed in Hebrews 6:4-8 are professors of religion who never had possessed a true relationship with Christ and that is why it was possible for them to fall away.

Yet, these "professors" were "enlightened," had "tasted of the heavenly gift," had been made "partakers of the Holy Ghost," and had "tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come."

According to this edition of the Scriptures these never were truly saved. What, then, is their definition of salvation? It can be observed, therefore, to what lengths today's theorists will go to provide a basis for the perversion of grace they are setting forth.

We have stated that the fate of man is decided when he stands before the judgment seat in the Day of Christ. There is an exception to this. Those Christians who, as was true of Paul, press forward in Christ, can attain the "out-resurrection" (Philippians 3:11, Greek term).

In order to arrive at the out-resurrection (Greek—exanastasis) we must continue confessing and repenting of our sins, obeying God perfectly from the heart, walking in the power of Christ's resurrection, being changed into the death of the cross, until we are perfectly reconciled to God. We can pass through the Judgment Seat of Christ while we yet are in the present world if we are willing to do so.

For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? (I Peter 4:17)

If we follow the Lord Jesus to this extent, when we die we will take our place in the Presence of Christ, there to await our appearing with Him in the Day of His revealing. If we attain the earlier resurrection from among the dead, the second death no longer will possess authority over us (Revelation 20:4-6). We will have passed through the judgment of our sin and attained the resurrection out from among the dead. Attaining the first resurrection is the end result of living the life of victory in Jesus.

It can be understood, therefore, how terribly misleading and destructive the current perversion of grace is. By emphasizing the flight of man to the spirit realm on the basis of his assent to certain key verses of the Scriptures, the entire concept of overcoming, of attaining the Presence of God, is eliminated from the minds of the saints. The resulting apathy and unpreparedness is precisely what Satan desires.

To be continued.