AMAZING GRACE
WE CAN LOSE OUR STANDING IN GRACE
Losing one's standing in grace does NOT pertain to
salvation from hell. We are addresssing our standing or
position IN the New Covenant, which is a GRACE
covenant.
The Bible is very much concerned with an IN COVENANT
relationship as against an OUT OF COVENANT relationship.
Those in the covenants are, of course, saved from hell,
but there are more saved people outside the covenants than
inside.
Saved people outside the covenants are peoples,
nations, etc., as the Scriptures state (Dan 7:13-14),
while God calls those inside the covenants "My
people" (perhaps 200 times) in contrast to the nations
outside the covenants. The covenant people are a "people
of God," a unique, singular, "special people" or treasure
of God, Gen 12:1-3; 22:17-19; Ex 19:3-6; Deut 7:6-11;
14:2; 26:16-19; 28:1; 32:7-9; Mal 3:17-18; I Pet 2:5,9;
Titus 2:14; II Cor 6:16.
In the beginning before God created the world, He
counseled with the Son and the Holy Spirit and predestined
the fashion of the ages, according to His eternal counsel
and purpose, Rom 11:11-36; Eph 1:11.
God appointed that there be three major groups of
people after the great white throne judgment, which is the
last judgment revealed in the Scriptures, Rev 20:11-15.
This judgment will conclude the first seven thousand years
of man's existence, which God designated as a testing and
preparatory period for the ages of ages to follow. There
will be:
1. The FAITHFUL SAVED who are
designated as firstborn sons to share Christ's firstborn
sonship with Him. These are called by many names,
such as God's special people, the bride of Christ,
firstborn sons, God's elect, etc.
2. The UNFAITHFUL SAVED who will
constitute the nations on the new earth. These are
the saved people, other than firstborn sons, who will be
ruled over by the faithful saved. There will always be
"NATIONS" of saved people, Dan 7:13-14,26-27; Rev
21:23-26; 22:1-2.
However, "In Christ" there will be NO
NATIONS (no national distinctions), for those "In
Christ" will be ONE nation, ONE people, "all ONE in
Christ," Gal 3:28; Col 3:10; Lk 20:34-36.
3. The LOST who go to hell and will be
cast into the lake of fire after the last great
judgment to be tormented day and night forever without
mercy, Rev 20:11-15.
We must keep these three groups in mind, especially
the two groups of saved people, in order to have a proper
understanding of the Scriptures. Much is said about them
and the about distinction between them throughout the
Bible.
In the Law Covenant, great emphasis is put on the
firstborn, the birthright of the firstborn, the firstlings
which means firstborn ones, and the firstfruits or the
firstripe of the harvests. All these expressions speak of
a special group of saved people who are God's COVENANT
people.
The words "firstborn" and "firstling," as used in
the Bible, speak of a special status of the firstborn
ones. The expressions also indicate, and the Bible
necessitates, that there are other born ones. Likewise,
the Bible puts great emphasis on the "firstfruits" or
"firstripe" of the harvest, giving them a special
preeminent status above the rest of the harvest.
The firstborn, firstling, firstfruits, and firstripe
refer to the covenant people, while the birthright refers
to the promises made to the covenant people, who are the
faithful saved down through the ages. The others who are
not firstborn ones, firstlings, firstfruits, and firstripe
are the unfaithful saved who will constitute the nations
on the new earth.
Though we will be dealing with the negative fact of
losing one's standing in the grace covenant, we turn it
into a positive matter by learning the facts and preparing
ourselves against a colossal disaster.
This area of the study will require considerable
discussion of the Law Covenant, but, contrary to what one
might suppose, the Law Covenant is an extremely rich and
rewarding source of knowledge directly from the hand of
God.
Those who understand the Law Covenant and its
contrasting relationships to the New Covenant find the Old
Testament to be a treasure of foundation truths upon which
the New Testament is built.
An accurate understanding of the New Covenant
depends to a great extent, actually to a very great
extent, on an accurate understanding of the Law Covenant.
In view of this fact and in consideration of the comments
to follow, please observe a brief analogy of some of the
striking CONTRASTS between the Law Covenant and the New
Covenant -- only a brief statement of each contrast is
given here.
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