Man is offered forgiveness, not that he may enter the spirit Paradise when he dies but that he may repent of his sins and enter the program of salvation from sin and self-will.

There are a few passages of the Book of Revelation that portray redeemed man in the Presence of God and Christ in Heaven (people never are portrayed as living in mansions). But those who are in Heaven are waiting until God has made it possible for them to return to the earth, which is the eternal home of man.

And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (Revelation 21:2)

The rulers of the ages to come are prepared in the Presence of God in Heaven so they may return to the earth and bring the will of God to pass in the earth. In fact, God Himself and His Christ will return to dwell in the earth, as was true in the beginning. This is the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom from Heaven.

The elect who are abiding in Christ go to the Presence of God when they die, not because Heaven is their home but because Christ is their eternal home. They must wait until it is time to return to the earth. No passage of the Scriptures teaches that when people die they go to Heaven to live forever. Grace is not a means of bringing untransformed people to the spirit Paradise when they die.

The fate of man is not decided when he dies. The fate of man is decided when he stands before the judgment seat in the Day of Christ. The spirit realm is an area of waiting until the Lord comes, raises the dead, and appoints each individual his portion depending on how he has lived on the earth.

To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. (I Corinthians 5:5)

Notice in the above verse that the question is not whether or not this sinning Christian will go to Heaven by grace but whether or not his spirit will be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. If the current doctrine of grace were true there would be no question of his entrance into Heaven. He is a Christian. He goes to Heaven by grace. The blood of Jesus covers his fornication with his father's wife.

The present-day scholars will respond by saying this man was not truly saved in the first place, because if he were, his salvation never could be placed in jeopardy.

This argument is contrived and confusing and it goes in circles. Are we to say that there are multitudes of believers who are not truly saved? They think they are acceptable to Jesus but they are not? That if they truly are saved their salvation can never be placed in jeopardy?

If such is the case, how can we know if anyone is saved? By his works? If so, our teaching is shown to be true.

Or is it true that we cannot know whether or not we are saved? Are we claiming that if a person commits fornication with his father's wife he never was saved in the first place? We know the incestuous believer was a member of the church of Corinth for he was chastised and then forgiven by the church (II Corinthians 2:6,7).

To be continued.