It is not my intention to offend anyone in writing this post, but I do want bring an idea to this community to explore its possibility. I have been working recently on the topic of the “Kingdom of God” and have come to a clear conviction that this Kingdom is a higher calling than our salvation. We may be saved by faith through grace, but our reward is predicated on what we do - how we overcome life challenging circumstances and conform to the image of Christ. As I stated in an earlier post, this is accomplished by being filled with the spirit Galatians 5:16 and the exposure to God's word, in order to have our minds transformed – this is the salvation of our souls (James 1:18).
The issue of our reward is rarely mentioned in the evangelical church, as if this idea offends the doctrine of grace, so the concept of heaven is reduce to trite thoughts – as if we exhibit a kind of happy happy neurosis and maybe we don't have to deal with parking tickets. So let's put some real substance on this question of heaven and what God has in mind as a reward for those who have overcome. Some scholars like Zane Hodges believe there will be a remnant who will be raptured before the tribulation while the rest of the church is left behind to be purified and then raptured 3.5 years into the tribulation, leaving Israel as God's witness here on earth. According to Dr Hodges, the remnant will then return to rule and reign with Christ during the millennium kingdom. You may agree or disagree with his exegetical work, but at least he has put some substance into this question of our reward.
Let me take this issue of our reward one step further. The Bride of Christ is express to be a great city “The new Jerusalem” in (Revelation 21) and those who are saved can come and become residents, but is the city and it's residents two separate communities? The bride is pictured in Revelation 19:8 as having white linen which are her righteous acts, and this seems to be consistent with how the New Testament defines those who are qualified to participate in the Kingdom of God. Also, there seems to be a distinction between the Bride, and those who are merely participating in the wedding banquet, as Jesus does in Matthew 22.
Origin once believed that everyone, including Satan and the demonic forces would eventually be saved by through the blood of Christ and this position is now clearly defined to be heretical by the orthodox Christian establishment. Has the church been making the same mistake for almost 2000 years by suggesting that every saved individual automatically assumes the role as the Bride of Christ? Is this a role only reserved for those who overcome?