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Thoughts from "The First Resurrection" by G. H. Lang
The goal that Paul was endeavoring to reach with everything he had was the "resurrection of the dead." So to the Thessalonians he and others
prayed, "Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling." (I Thess. 1:11).
This is not salvation.
"That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory." I Thess. 2:12.
If this calling was guaranteed to every believer who is justified in Christ and His imputed righteousness why would Paul pray that God would
count them worthy if indeed they were already worthy? Any prayer would do nothing for the justification of any fellow-Christian, but our
prayers can help them walk closer to God and to attain the rewards we have been encouraged to strive for.
"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor
adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God."
I Cor. 6:9, 10.
"Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past,
that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." Gal. 5:21.
"For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the
kingdom of Christ and of God." Eph. 5:5.
It would be unnecessary for Paul to mention that unsaved individuals committing these acts would not enter the Kingdom of God. In each of
these passages he is talking to Christians who are committing these sins. In each of these verses he mentions what can keep a person from
inheriting the Kingdom, and only born-again, washed by the blood believers are to inherit. He even reminds the Corinthians, "And such were
some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our
God." (I Cor. 6:11). In essence, he is telling them that people that commit such sins will not enter the kingdom, and they were people like that
before they believed on Christ, but now they are washed in Christ's blood, separated unto a new life unspotted by the world, and justified in
Christ and the holy Ghost. Now, in this new life, they definitely should not be committing such acts that can cause them to be disinherited and
their reward of ruling and reigning with Christ to be forfeit and given to someone else.
"Inheriting a kingdom" means sovereignty in it. The ordinary subjects of a king are not the heirs. The firstborn son inherits the kingdom;
rules and reigns when his time has come. Esau was Isaac's firstborn son and it was his right to rule the clan, and be the priest to lead the
families' worship. He also was to receive a double portion of the inheritance. He did not lose his sonship through his sin, but he lost his position
and place to inherit.
"Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that
afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it
carefully with tears." (Heb. 12:16, 17)
Thus we, as Christians, can never lose our salvation but we can forfeit our blessing of ruling and reigning with Christ for the thousand year
millennium. No such place states that all believers rise but only some reign, for all who rise reign in the millennium, and then, those who are not
worthy to reign will not rise.
"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded
for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received
his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead
lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the
first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him
a thousand years." (Rev. 20:4-6)
"Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it." (Heb. 4:1)
The "Sabbath rest" of God must be reached by all diligence and may be missed. This is the millennial rest of the seven thousandth year. Zeph.
3:17 speaks of it, "he will rest in his love." So the things that happened unto the Jews are an example unto us, if we do the things they did then
we will not enter the promised land of the millennial kingdom just as they died in the wilderness and did not enter the land of promise.
"Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the
world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." (I Cor. 10:11,12)
Not one of the redeemed Israelites ever got back to the place or state they had when in Egypt (the world), before the sprinkling of the blood
and the baptism in the sea. You can't go back to that unsaved life of sin and expect it to be like it was before. But many also did not get to
enter their inheritance. Because of their unbelief they died in the wilderness.
The title to the land (salvation) came by grace through Abraham. The possession of the land is depended upon efforts of faith, which the Jews
refused to make. No person can become unsaved but that same security does not apply to future privileges.
"Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." (Rev. 3:11)
With these thoughts in mind, the closing chapters of Revelation shine forth in glorious light,
"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests
of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." (20:6)
Those who strive lawfully and conquer in the war of faith are assured that they will sit down with Christ on His throne and rule the nations
"To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his
throne." (Rev. 3:21)
"And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:" (Rev. 2:26)
"Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed
unto me; That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Luke
22:28-30)
"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests
of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."
"If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead" (Phil. 3:11). If this resurrection and reigning with Christ for a
thousand years is secure and guaranteed to all believers regardless of conduct or faith, then God was unjust to the Israelites in making them die
in the wilderness without receiving their inheritance and the entire doctrine of rewards and prizes is automatically condemned as not scriptural.
Eternal life is a "free gift" (Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:8,9), it is free of conditions as well as of purchase price. Christ Himself paid the full price for
our salvation. But rewards in the kingdom may be lost or won just as the millennial kingdom itself is a reward that entering into can be lost or
won.
As much as the reward is made more magnificent in our hearts, the incentive to attain to it becomes prevalent and real and the pursuit of
holiness the more urgent in our lives. The Christian striving for the prize must say:
"Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I
am apprehended of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:12).
prayed, "Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling." (I Thess. 1:11).
This is not salvation.
"That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory." I Thess. 2:12.
If this calling was guaranteed to every believer who is justified in Christ and His imputed righteousness why would Paul pray that God would
count them worthy if indeed they were already worthy? Any prayer would do nothing for the justification of any fellow-Christian, but our
prayers can help them walk closer to God and to attain the rewards we have been encouraged to strive for.
"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor
adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God."
I Cor. 6:9, 10.
"Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past,
that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." Gal. 5:21.
"For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the
kingdom of Christ and of God." Eph. 5:5.
It would be unnecessary for Paul to mention that unsaved individuals committing these acts would not enter the Kingdom of God. In each of
these passages he is talking to Christians who are committing these sins. In each of these verses he mentions what can keep a person from
inheriting the Kingdom, and only born-again, washed by the blood believers are to inherit. He even reminds the Corinthians, "And such were
some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our
God." (I Cor. 6:11). In essence, he is telling them that people that commit such sins will not enter the kingdom, and they were people like that
before they believed on Christ, but now they are washed in Christ's blood, separated unto a new life unspotted by the world, and justified in
Christ and the holy Ghost. Now, in this new life, they definitely should not be committing such acts that can cause them to be disinherited and
their reward of ruling and reigning with Christ to be forfeit and given to someone else.
"Inheriting a kingdom" means sovereignty in it. The ordinary subjects of a king are not the heirs. The firstborn son inherits the kingdom;
rules and reigns when his time has come. Esau was Isaac's firstborn son and it was his right to rule the clan, and be the priest to lead the
families' worship. He also was to receive a double portion of the inheritance. He did not lose his sonship through his sin, but he lost his position
and place to inherit.
"Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that
afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it
carefully with tears." (Heb. 12:16, 17)
Thus we, as Christians, can never lose our salvation but we can forfeit our blessing of ruling and reigning with Christ for the thousand year
millennium. No such place states that all believers rise but only some reign, for all who rise reign in the millennium, and then, those who are not
worthy to reign will not rise.
"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded
for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received
his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead
lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the
first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him
a thousand years." (Rev. 20:4-6)
"Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it." (Heb. 4:1)
The "Sabbath rest" of God must be reached by all diligence and may be missed. This is the millennial rest of the seven thousandth year. Zeph.
3:17 speaks of it, "he will rest in his love." So the things that happened unto the Jews are an example unto us, if we do the things they did then
we will not enter the promised land of the millennial kingdom just as they died in the wilderness and did not enter the land of promise.
"Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the
world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." (I Cor. 10:11,12)
Not one of the redeemed Israelites ever got back to the place or state they had when in Egypt (the world), before the sprinkling of the blood
and the baptism in the sea. You can't go back to that unsaved life of sin and expect it to be like it was before. But many also did not get to
enter their inheritance. Because of their unbelief they died in the wilderness.
The title to the land (salvation) came by grace through Abraham. The possession of the land is depended upon efforts of faith, which the Jews
refused to make. No person can become unsaved but that same security does not apply to future privileges.
"Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." (Rev. 3:11)
With these thoughts in mind, the closing chapters of Revelation shine forth in glorious light,
"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests
of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." (20:6)
Those who strive lawfully and conquer in the war of faith are assured that they will sit down with Christ on His throne and rule the nations
"To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his
throne." (Rev. 3:21)
"And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:" (Rev. 2:26)
"Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed
unto me; That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Luke
22:28-30)
"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests
of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."
"If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead" (Phil. 3:11). If this resurrection and reigning with Christ for a
thousand years is secure and guaranteed to all believers regardless of conduct or faith, then God was unjust to the Israelites in making them die
in the wilderness without receiving their inheritance and the entire doctrine of rewards and prizes is automatically condemned as not scriptural.
Eternal life is a "free gift" (Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:8,9), it is free of conditions as well as of purchase price. Christ Himself paid the full price for
our salvation. But rewards in the kingdom may be lost or won just as the millennial kingdom itself is a reward that entering into can be lost or
won.
As much as the reward is made more magnificent in our hearts, the incentive to attain to it becomes prevalent and real and the pursuit of
holiness the more urgent in our lives. The Christian striving for the prize must say:
"Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I
am apprehended of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:12).
The First Resurrection pt. 3