God's plan for His universe can be accomplished only as Christ is brought forth. Because our adamic nature must be crucified, and God's purpose is to bring forth Christ in us, the emphasis of the Gospel is on our experiencing denial and other forms of suffering. We must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Christ.

The emphasis of the Gospel is not on the pleasure and satisfaction of the human being but on the bringing forth of Christ. Paul said that it didn't matter if he lived or died as long as Christ was magnified.

Because the contemporary humanistic Christian gospel, with its stress on the release of the adamic personality from every sickness and bondage, from all that would prevent a prosperous and happy sojourn on earth, does not emphasize the bringing forth of Christ at the expense of human peace and happiness, it is "another gospel." It is an extremely artful work of Satan, the object of which is to prevent the one important product of all of God's working—the enlarging of Christ throughout the creation.

The scriptural salvation stresses the restoring of the personality of fallen man and the return of immortality and Paradise to the earth, but it works to this end by bringing down the adamic nature and increasing the Presence of Christ.

The central goal of the scriptural redemption is change into the moral image of God, union with God through Christ, and the attaining of immortality, Paradise, and all the other Virtues and blessings that proceed naturally from fellowship with God.

By comparing the two concepts of salvation we can observe the principal difference between them. The current definition of salvation is the forgiving of man so he can go to live forever in a place of joy. The scriptural definition of salvation is the transformation of man so he can find joy by walking with God and doing God's will. The scriptural concept is God oriented and Kingdom oriented.

Forgiveness leading to a place of joy as distinguished from transformation leading to fellowship with God.

Of course, we Christians mention there is to be a new creation in Christ and we ought to follow Paul. Then we imply or explicitly declare that no matter what we do, how we behave, God will receive us anyway "by unconditional grace."

Because of the enormous spiritual pressures on us to sin, our theory of "grace" becomes the line of least resistance. We succumb to temptation because in our mind is the concept we are saved by grace, and righteous, holy character and behavior are not a necessary part of salvation.

The average believer will not resist sin unless he is convinced that if he sins he will be punished severely. He must be persuaded that even if he should repent and seek God's forgiveness later there still may be exceedingly painful consequences, both spiritual and physical. This principle of cause and effect must be emphasized today.

The Gospel of the Kingdom includes the warning to flee from the wrath to come.

The righteous are saved with difficulty, having to endure fiery trials (I Peter, Chapter Four).

To be continued.