Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. (Galatians 6:7,8)

Conversely, the careless, negligent Christian has lived to himself. He has not conducted himself in the Presence of Christ. Let him not imagine that when he dies he will pass into the glorious Presence of the One whom he has shunned while he was alive on the earth.

He has lived far from Christ. When he dies he will continue to be far from Christ. What he has sown he will reap. Physical death does not change our relationship with God or with people. Physical death only reveals and emphasizes what always has been true of us spiritually.

The faithful disciple has chosen to abide in the fiery Presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. Physical death will not change his spiritual state except to reveal and emphasize it. His many rewards will not be given to him when he dies but in the hour when Jesus appears. Christ will return and bring our rewards with Him.

Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. (Isaiah 40:10)

We have discussed briefly what happens to the Christian when he or she dies, what happens to the careless Christian in the Day of Christ, and now are speaking of what happens to the diligent Christian in the Day of Christ.

Six Concepts of Salvation

There are six concepts the reader must hold firmly in mind if he would understand the Christian salvation:

The Christian redemption fundamentally is a hope for the future for saints who are undergoing tribulation, and who are being required to exercise much patience concerning their many hopes and desires that are being deferred. The idea that God has given Jesus to us so we may get what we want out of life in this world is of the False Prophet. It is true, rather, that we are required to lay down our life for the Gospel, to commit to Christ our hopes and dreams so He may bring them into fulfillment in His own time and manner—especially in the Day of His appearing.

The salvation that will be given to us at the appearing of Christ is the consequence of what we have become and have practiced in Christ. The currently expressed concept that what will happen to us in the Day of Christ is unrelated to our behavior in this world is false. It is a deception from the enemy of our souls. Grace does not operate to give to sinners the rewards of the righteous; rather, grace operates to make sinners righteous so God can reward them according to their righteous behavior. The belief that we shall be rewarded anyway, even though we have not served Christ as we should, is the terrible deception of our day.

To be continued.