Hi Marlene,
I know my husbands great grand mother lived to be 102. Over the years I have seen she had the character of Christ in her.
What, happens with those saints that have the traits of God. If, they go to church they will not be in the Elect.
I think we all know people that we think of as saintly, I remember my grandmother as one of the sweetest persons I knew. I think about John the Baptist and what Christ said about him.
Mat 11:11 "Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
So Christ said, "among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist," yet he is not of the Elect. He will not be in the first resurrection, because it says "he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."
The way I see it is God is raising up a few to be the Elect, they will serve a special purpose with Christ in the first resurrection. Not because they have been really good people in this life or have character traits that qualify them to make it. It turns out to be quite the opposite.
1Co 1:28 and the base things of the world, and the things that are despised, did God choose, yea and the things that are not, that he might bring to nought the things that are:
It seems to me that God is choosing out the most unlikely bunch of characters, to prove what He can accomplish with any person (remember Saul converted to Paul).
1Co 1:29 that no flesh should glory before God.
So God is training these people, these "base things of the world" and will prepare them to be used in the first resurrection to help bring all the rest of humanity to salvation.
I do believe in the lake of fire God will show His harshness "many stripes," with those who deserve it. Likewise He will show mercy "few stripes" to those that deserve it.
Luke 12:47 And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
v. 48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
I can't help but think for those that are not rebellious and do not resist God, that they will go through the lake of fire process with relatively little pain and suffering "few stripes."
Do you think God is going to harshly purge and correct John the Baptist in the lake of fire to bring about his righteousness? The purpose of the lake of fire is to teach righteousness.
Isa 26:9 With my soul I desired You in the night; yea, with my spirit within me I will seek You early; for when Your judgments are in the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness.
Now it is true that there will be those that will have to be purged of many false doctrines and a multitude of character flaws, before they can began to learn righteousness. But do you see what I am trying to say? Of course anybody would want to be in the first/better resurrection (Heb. 11:35). But I do not see the lake of fire as being a horrible thing for everybody.
Eze 7:27 "The king will mourn,
The prince will be clothed with desolation,
And the hands of the common people will tremble.
I will do to them according to their way,
And according to what they deserve I will judge them;
Then they shall know that I am the LORD!"'
God only needs a few to serve with Christ in the first resurrection, of course anyone would be fortunate to be among those. But they are not better than anybody that must go through the lake of fire, it is only by God's grace that those blessed few will make it.
mercy, peace and love
Kat