Another persistent Gentile error, an error that would not have been made by Jews, is the concept of Divine grace as a waiver of the need for righteous living. Perhaps the greatest stumbling block to the righteous Jew is the teaching that by "accepting Christ" we attain Paradise apart from righteous, holy behavior. Such an idea is contrary to the Nature of the fiery God of Israel. It is, in fact, a form of Gnosticism.

The Apostle Paul was a righteous Jew, a rabbi of high rank who strove continually for righteousness. He wanted to be delivered from his sinful body so he might receive a resurrected body that would assist him in his desire to please God.

By the term "grace" Paul meant that through the blood atonement made by Jesus we now have forgiveness of sins with the prospect of beginning a new life of righteous behavior in the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit of God. When Paul stated that we are not saved by works, he was referring to the works of the Levitical ordinances of the Law of Moses, not to righteous, holy behavior.

But the Gentiles, not having a background of the Law, have defined "works" to mean godly behavior. For two thousand years the Gentiles have understood Paul to mean we are not saved by godly living but by faith—contrasting faith with godly living. The Jew, James, pointed out that faith can live only in works of righteousness. But James' cry has been drowned in the clamor of the Gentiles to enter Paradise without any exertion on their part.

The Gentiles cannot understand the Gospel of the Kingdom of God because the Gospel is Jewish in origin, environment, and tradition. Gentiles have totally confused the Gospel in numerous instances until today we have thousands of competing institutions—none of them understanding Jesus or the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven.

The result of the prevailing chaos will be, in the last days, a huge Babylonish organization that will share the rule of earth's peoples with the Antichrist. God's true saints, a handful of Gentiles and Jews, will be preserved by the Lord throughout the days of tribulation just ahead of us. A Gentile holocaust is on its way and it will be a bloodbath beyond comprehension.

From the midst of the perverted, corrupt spiritual whoredom of self-centered Gentile religionists will emerge a holy remnant of righteous believers. These will stand steadfastly with the nation of Israel. Israel will yet experience much trouble. But the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob never changes. He has promised eternal glory to the Jews and eternal glory they shall have.

To be continued.