More often than not, what is not reasonable in the physical realm is not reasonable in the spirit realm. God is a reasonable Person. He created the present world. One of the greatest mistakes made in Christian thinking is that everything changes after we die. It may be true, rather, that relationships and circumstances after death are far more similar to those that exist now than we have imagined.

It is not possible for a sinful, self-centered believer to serve as a righteous judge of the nations of the world, and of angels. We are taught in this life to discern between good and evil and always to choose the good.

The fact that God forgives us through Christ gives us access to God in prayer. Righteous judges are not made solely by being forgiven of their sins and self-will. The judges of the creation must experience the Lord's ways of judgment.

God's judges must be "blind" and "deaf," not judging according to their untransformed likes and dislikes (Isaiah 11:3), or apart from the abiding Presence of Christ who is the only true Judge.

Judges possess fearful authority. It is not God's way to give such authority over other creatures to someone who himself has never been judged for his own sinfulness and rebellion. The belief that Christians are not judged for their sins arises from a misunderstanding of John 5:24 (compare I Peter 4:17).

It is not possible for a sinful, self-centered believer to rule the nations of the earth. He was not able to govern his flesh in the present world. How, then, can he rule the nations?

Does the fact God has forgiven him make him competent to be a king? Is this sensible? Will God place millions of human beings under the authority and power of an individual who consistently disobeyed God throughout His lifetime?

He was not able to overcome fornication, or wrath, or lying, or self-will, during his pilgrimage on the earth. Will he then be entrusted with nations?

The Scriptures state that it is the conquerors who will rule the nations of the earth with a rod of iron (Revelation 2: 26,27).

It is not possible for a sinful, self-centered believer to serve as a priest of God. How could such a priest stand between God and men? He never has sought holiness. He does not understand the Person, will, way, or eternal purpose of God. How can he serve as a royal priest?

Forgiveness alone does not suffice to prepare a priest of God. Under the old covenant the priest was required to be holy. How much more under the new covenant?

It is not possible for a sinful, self-centered believer to be a warrior in the army of the Lord. He never has learned obedience but always is resisting the Spirit's discipline. He continually is injuring his fellow soldiers with gossip, criticism, and malicious words and deeds. He usually is defeated at the hands of Satan. He calls Jesus "Lord" but does not do what Jesus says. His faith is weak.

Forgiveness alone is not sufficient to qualify the lukewarm, careless church-attender to march in the ranks of "a great people and a strong" (Joel 2:2). Forgiveness alone does not create Christ's "mighty men." Heroes of faith are created only as the Holy Spirit brings us under stern discipline and enables us to overcome all the enemies we encounter during our discipleship.

Christ's army is made up of conquerors, of victorious saints, not of defeated, nominal Christians.

To be continued.