It is written that he who believes and is baptized will be saved from the wrath of God. This means if we truly believe in the Lord Jesus, and if our baptism in water signifies a sincere turning away from the world and the beginning of a life of loving and serving Jesus, God will save us in the Day of Wrath.

When we appear before Christ in the Day of Judgment we shall receive the good we have practiced, and also the evil we have practiced unless we truly have repented of the evil and have turned completely away from it. We shall answer for our conduct in the Day of Christ.

We surely have misunderstood the Apostle Paul in this respect. Paul himself lived a righteous, holy, and obedient life. Paul achieved such righteousness of conduct, not by adhering to the Law of Moses but by adhering to the Spirit of God.

Paul taught that the grace of God in Christ accomplishes what the Law of Moses never can accomplish: it releases us from the guilt and dominion of sin so we now are free to walk after the Spirit in righteousness, holiness, and obedience to God. The Spirit of God always leads us into actual righteousness and holiness of behavior. When we are led by the Spirit we do not fulfill the lusts of our flesh (Galatians 5:16).

When Christians are raised from the dead they will receive what they have practiced in their bodies on the earth, as is true of everyone else. They will give an account to Christ for their behavior in the world.

Any teaching other than this leaves both the teacher and his students open to dreadful punishments in the Day of Christ.

God cannot be mocked. What an individual sows he or she most assuredly shall reap.

The Scriptures are stern when speaking about the future state of those who continue in sin, whether or not they make a profession of faith in Christ (Revelation 2:23; 21:8).

The Word of Christ will stand forever. Those who have practiced righteousness and holiness and have been obedient to God's will shall reap eternal life (Romans 2:7).

Those who have practiced unrighteousness and uncleanness and have been disobedient to God's will for their lives shall come forth to the resurrection of wrath and indignation (Romans 2:8).

Look carefully at what the Lord Jesus stated: ". . . they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." (John 5:29)

"Have done good; have done evil." This is what the Lord Jesus said. Dare any person deny it?

When a sinner comes to God through Christ he is forgiven all his sins. He is washed clean in the blood of the Lamb.

But after the initial experience of salvation he is to choose through the Holy Spirit to practice godly behavior. If he does not but continues in his worldly ways, he will be resurrected to destruction. The Scriptures certainly teach this clearly.

For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify [put to death] the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (Romans 8:13)

But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. (Hebrews 6:8)

To be continued.