What about the inhabitants of the new world? Will we see one another as "God sees us in Christ" or will we see each other as we actually are? If we will see one another as we actually are, the new world will be no different from the present if no change has taken place in us.

In that case we still will love the world. We still will want to be part of the money system of Antichrist. We still will trust in secular education to deliver us from problems. We still will trust in people rather than God.

There is no Kingdom righteousness in the doctrine that states we can remain a part of the world ideas and activities and continue as part of Christ..

If we take the doctrine of righteousness by identification with Christ, and then cast away the conditions, we have a truly abominable gospel. We believe we are correct in maintaining that most Christians of today have embraced a "gospel" in which the believer may associate himself with Jesus while he "eats his own bread and wears his own clothes" (Isaiah 4:1).

The idea that we are righteous by identification and imputation (assigned righteousness) apart from the spiritual realities of the conditions has destroyed the Christian witness. The doctrine of lawless grace has permeated Christian thinking and goes hand in hand with such errors as the pre-tribulation rapture, the prosperity teaching, and the overemphasis on God's love and mercy.

It is true indeed that when we receive the Lord Jesus we are clothed in His righteousness. We have been freed from the Law of Moses. But we have been freed from the Law of Moses so we may be married to Christ. Being married to Christ means every aspect of our personality and behavior must be brought into union with the living Lord Jesus.

The Christians of today maintain they have been freed from the Law of Moses by the righteousness of Christ. But it appears few believers are married to Jesus. They have not entered union with Jesus in every aspect of their personality and behavior. They are seeking a means by which they legally can be righteous apart from entering the Fountain of righteousness, Christ.

Given the complexity of the problem under discussion plus the present emphasis on human pleasure, it is easy to see how this distressing situation has come into existence. Nevertheless, God is not winking at it.

It always has been true, is true today, and shall continue to be true forever that everyone who is associated with Christ is to flee from wickedness. If the believer does not by God's grace put away the evil from his life he shall be cut off as a branch.

It is time now for Christian people everywhere to repent. We have misunderstood Paul. We have believed that God will accept us in Christ even though we never have truly repented, even though we do not present our body a living sacrifice, even though we refuse to lay down our life, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. We have trusted in a false doctrine of redemption.

To be continued.