| 4 Esdras 9:11-13 11 And those who have loathed my law, while they yet had liberty, and when as yet the opportunity of repentance was open to them, understood not, but despised it; [The law includes the law that is on every man's heart.] 12 The same must learn it after death by pain.2 [There is a forced repentance for those banned from heaven and sent to the outer darkness of Hell. Pain is used to rid a man from sins: The pain of a wound cleanses away evil, so do stripes purge the inward parts [including the heart] of man. Pro 20:30.] 13 And therefore do not be curious how the ungodly shall be punished, and when; but inquire how the righteous shall be saved, whose the world is, and for whom the world is created."3 [The world was created to produce righteous sons of God, whose creation requires men to take up the cross and crucify their carnal minds and evil imaginations to receive a new heart, new mind, and new Spirit; so that they are pure enough to be God's servant on earth and forever, hearing from God the words to pray before praying, hearing from God the words to speak before speaking, and seeing from God what is to be done before doing it, thus to bring pleasure, honor, and glory to God.] | |||||||||
3 the righteous shall be saved, whose the world is, and for whom the world is created. The world was created for the saints. It exists to produce the saints, by them running the course with patience that is set before them. Heb 12:1. A saint is to become a priest and a king in the next life. They are the lynchpins of the future, a future where the increase of Christ's Kingdom and government is without end — infinite — forever. Isaiah 9:7. They are to be Kings in the infinite expansion of the Kingdom of Heaven and its government; (but Kings in heaven are servants like Christ, not rulers as we know them on the earth). This is the whole purpose of life. He [God] has made from one blood all nations of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined the allotted times and the boundaries of their habitation; so that they should seek the Lord, and perhaps might feel after him and find him, though he is not far from every one of us. For in him we live and move, and have our being; one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in you all. Those who feel after him and find him are the saints. The saints (the righteous) are God's purpose in creating the earth — to create sons of love, who have chosen to lose their life in order to please their creator; who have chosen to give up the pleasures of the world, looking for a better world and life; willing to suffer to attain lasting peace and joy; wanting to please God rather than men; who have trusted God to be perfect, without fault, full of love for them, and the rewarder of those who diligently seek him; who have admired the qualities of God as revealed by his Jesus on the earth; and who have wanted to become like him; who saw virtue and goodness personified in Jesus; who trusted his promises enough to sacrifice their earthly life; who sought God without specific knowledge of the reward for finding him, but knew it would be wonderful because he said it would be. These saints have proven themselves trustworthy of becoming a part of God, in union with Christ and the Father, to share in those unspecificed benefits of being an heir and son of God; to be directed by God in unspecified works forever, but never doubting the joy and pleasure of being obedient to the direction of ultimate goodness, perfection, kindness, virtue, purity, wisdom, love, mercy, power, knowledge — all just words to describe the object of their efforts, hopes, trust, and faith — their reason for living.
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