The above doesn't mean raised into the air but raised to imperishable life—a tremendous difference.

The important aspect of the coming of the Lord is the resurrection, the redemption of our body, the change that will take place. The catching up of the newly-clothed personality into the air is a minor consideration. The kind of resurrection we will experience depends on our behavior today and is of supreme importance!

Paul mentioned the catching up ("rapture") only once and then he was comforting those who had experienced the death of loved ones. How can a single passage be emphasized out of all proportion to its frequency of mention in the Scriptures, its intent distorted, and then presented as a cardinal doctrine of Christianity? We wouldn't do that with any other passage!

We should never build a doctrine on one passage of Scripture!

The "resurrection chapter," Chapter Fifteen of First Corinthians, doesn't even mention the "rapture." It surely would if the catching up were as important as is being presented today. Don't you agree?

How many times does the Scripture emphasize, or even mention, the ascension into Heaven of the believers in Christ? Count the passages for yourself. The truth is, there is no passage that refers to the lifting of the believers into Heaven, only into the air, into the "heaven" that is immediately above the earth.

The emphasis of all the Scriptures is the righteousness, or lack of it, of those with whom God is dealing. This especially is true of the New Testament. Apart from righteous living there is no Kingdom of God, no Presence and blessing of God.

God is interested in bringing into being sons who practice righteousness, who love mercy, and who walk humbly with God. This is the meaning of the expression found in both the Old Testament and the New Testament: "The righteous shall live by faith." Every covenant of God with man has had the life of righteous faith as its aim. The new covenant is the most demanding of all, in terms of righteous conduct, and it furnishes by far the most grace.

We have made the grace of God an excuse for wicked, immoral conduct. We have wrenched and twisted the writings of Paul until gaining entrance into the spiritual Heaven is the goal of redemption, and righteous behavior is not required for fellowship with God and Christ.

Is it possible the majority of the Christian preachers and teachers are destroying, with their traditions, man's normal association of righteous behavior with God's favor? Are we, with our teachings, working against the helpful warnings of conscience?

Is it a fact that the unsaved have a clearer idea of what it means to be approved of God than is true of the Christian people?

It is incredible (but not without precedent in Judaic-Christian history) that sincere believers in God could be so deceived, could be basing their soul's salvation and life's work on error.

Look at the fruit of our teaching! Immorality, covetousness, greed, competition, self-aggrandizement abound in the Christian churches. There is covetousness in the ministry to the point that such sin appears to be nearly at the point of acceptance. Christians steal from Christians.

The antics of the Christian television preacher with his vaudeville performances, his sophisticated "sell," his psychologically-expert "pull" for money, are an abomination to God.

Do we believe the world does not recognize its own? Today the media are mocking the "big" evangelists—and well they may.

To be continued.