Kingdom Truth: Volume Fourteen

The so-called "rapture" of the believers is preached regularly in numerous Christian churches. One would think the catching up of the Christians was a major topic of the New Testament. It assuredly is not.
The teaching of the "rapture" is drawn from a passage in First Thessalonians that was written by the Apostle Paul to comfort saints whose fellow believers had died. However, there is a clause in this passage that often is neglected.
The neglected clause is: "the dead in Christ will rise first."
The Law of Moses is the old covenant. The salvation that is in Christ is the new covenant. It appears what we are calling salvation today is different in some respects from what the Bible terms the "new covenant."
As we think about the description of the new covenant, namely the Christian salvation as described in the Book of Hebrews, the first thing we notice is that the new covenant was given to us by the Lord because He was displeased with the results of the old covenant, the Law of Moses. Because God was displeased with the results of the Law of Moses He issued what to Him is a better covenant established on better promises.
When one reads the Bible, particularly the New Testament, he gains the feeling that what we call the Christian life or the Christian salvation is different from what the Scriptures describe. After thinking about this difference for some years I have come to the conclusion that we have created a plan of salvation that is not scriptural. I think the root of the problem is a misunderstanding of what the Apostle Paul meant by "grace." I think also that the philosophy of Dispensationalism, with its emphasis on a special "dispensation of grace" uniquely different from what is found in the Old Testament, has made a major contribution to the unscriptural beliefs and practices we see today.
It is a fact that God’s salvation always has been a gift which the recipients did not earn by their efforts. This was true of God’s dealings with Abraham. This was true of God’s election of the nation of Israel and of the giving of the Law to Moses. It is true of grace under the new covenant.
But in every case those who received or who now are receiving the gifts of God must respond in the manner God prescribes, whether in the written Word or in a personal word to them. Although the gift is unearned, if the prescribed response is not made accurately and diligently, the Divine gift does not profit the person or persons to whom it is presented.
There is a path we must follow if we hope to attain to the glory of the royal priesthood. Before the general resurrection of those who have died takes place, God first will bring back to life the members of the royal priesthood. They will work with Jesus Christ in establishing the Kingdom of God on the earth.
To attain to the resurrection of the priesthood requires a lifelong quest. We will attempt to describe some of the experiences involved as we make our way to the crown of life, to the fullness of Divine glory that God has prepared for His elect.