Originally Posted by Contra_Mundum

Who gets attached or "taken in" to God's people? Individuals and their families--at least that was the way it was during every age preceding this one. Which seems to be the point in question these days.

Demand an explanation for why this should be different now, or why, as the kingdom starts to expand territorially (btw, I'm speaking as an amillienialist here) there should be a different "claim" of ownership by the King? A "lesser" claim of ownership?

Everything that is mine is actually God's. This includes MY children. Did we get to this point following the pattern, only to have God now say: "I don't lay claim to those possessions of yours." If he says that "Well, now God claims everything," I reply, "Sure, and he always has." And yet he marked out the people and place which were decisively his. He separated those who would identify themselves with him, those whom he would publicly acknowledge.

God takes us, and everything we are and have, and disowns our children at the same time? I don't think so. He may put them out later on: temporarily for discipline, or permanently as a just punishment.

You could put it this way: From here (the Resurrection) on out, the difference is Christ and his kingdom on the offensive. Henceforth, man's situation is that he is encountering God's claims everywhere and always--not just in nature, but especially in the full gospel proclamation. He either runs away, or he gets swallowed up; he either submits going in, or he gets taken inside unhumbled. If he finds himself "inside" without a wedding garment he is getting thrown outside. God's kingdom is gobbling up everything. And he's keeping the fat, and spitting out the bones.

The other notion is that He is too "dainty" (in this polluted world!) to engulf any but the elect. Its up to us to keep his plate clean. I can't accept that responsibility. The purified church is an eschatological fact, not an earthly, this-worldly one. I don't have a functioning "elector-detector." And I don't think he ever asked us to "bone" his plate. He invited US to HIS meal. And we are responsible for disciplining that which we can see.