AMAZING 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.