What will be true of the believer who has neglected to enter the development stage of salvation, who has believed in Christ and been baptized in water and then has lived in his bodily appetites and lusts?

The Scripture states he will die. His resurrection life will not be adequate to enable him to go with the Lord, as in the case of the five foolish virgins (Matthew 25:1-13).

The believers who are filled with life, who are living in life, will be caught up to be with the Lord when He appears. The Christians who are not living in eternal life will not go to be with the Lord. Rather, they will stand before Him at a later time and be judged. All people (with the exception of those who attain the first resurrection) will stand before the Lord Jesus when He returns. He alone will decide who will be permitted to enter the new age on the earth and who will be cast into the tormenting fire.

Those who attain the earlier resurrection have no fear of the second death. There is nothing in them that the second death is able to harm. All their personality has been given to God and has been renewed in resurrection life. All that is of worth has been given back to them as their eternal possession. When Jesus appears, these hundredfold believers will be clothed with the house of life that has been created in Heaven by their being changed into the death of Jesus while living on the earth.

Philippians 3:11 speaks of one of the principal goals of the new covenant, which is the attaining of immortality. Immortality was lost in the beginning. The Lord Jesus Christ has come from Heaven so man may regain immortality—that he should not perish but have everlasting life.

Immortality was lost because man chose to sin. Christ has come so we may have the ability to choose not to sin and be able to break the chains of sin and death with which man has been bound because of his obedience to Satan.

The hundredfold saints are a firstfruits of mankind. They are victorious saints. They are the first humans to gain spiritual freedom. God will use them to release the prisoners of the earth.

The saints are the holy city, the new Jerusalem. All the nations of saved peoples of the earth will walk in the moral and visible light of the holy city. Those of the nations who, under the ministry and teaching of the sons of God, learn to obey the commandments of the Lord, will be permitted to eat of the tree of immortality and enter through the gates of the city of God.

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)

Throughout eternity it will be as it is in the present hour: those who walk in sin and rebellion never will gain immortality, never will be admitted to the Presence of God in His city.

For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. (Revelation 22:15)

To be continued.