Let us recognize that the teaching of today, including the footnotes in the Evangelical editions of the Scriptures, are promoting deadly error. It is time for a reformation of Christian thinking. The overemphasis on grace and mercy is no trivial theological error. It comes directly from Satan and creates moral havoc in people.

Dispensationalism is a destructive model of interpretation. The lawless-grace-rapture-Heaven model of salvation is erroneous. We have been deceived. Salvation is not from earth to Heaven but from death to life, and these two objectives are not the same.

We have been set free from the guilt of sin by entering the crucifixion of the righteous Jesus. We are being set free from the force of sin by the power of the Holy Spirit.

It is of supreme importance that we do not stop at this point. We must choose to become the slave of God. When we do not turn from slavery to sin and choose to be the slave of God, the freedom we have received through our union with the crucifixion of Jesus loses its intent. We abort the purpose of our release from the Law of Moses.

The benefit we receive from being the slave of God is holiness. Slavery to God results in our holiness.

The result of slavery to God, and the resulting holiness, is eternal life. Eternal life is our objective. Eternal life cannot be imputed (assigned to us as a legal state apart from actual possession by us); it is a kind of life that results from slavery to God and holiness of behavior.

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

Sin pays off in loss of the Presence of God (which is loss of eternal life), every conceivable distress, agony, corruption, futility, and finally physical death.

The gift of God is the eternal Life that is the Presence of God in Christ.

The word "gift" must be defined by all that Paul has written in the sixth chapter of Romans. Eternal life is not a gift handed to us that requires no action on our part. The gift of eternal life is like the gift of a piano. The gift of a piano does not enable us to play Beethoven and Bach. Rather, the gift of a piano opens a window of opportunity so we may learn, after numerous hours of disciplined practice, to play Beethoven and Bach.

To receive the fullness of eternal life at the coming of the Lord requires that we sow our body to the death of the cross and our inner nature to the resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus.

The approach to eternal life is not one of mental orientation to correct facts of theology but of sowing to the Spirit of God.

So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: (I Corinthians 15:42,43)

To be continued.