The righteous dead are Christ’s. Paul writes, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the first fruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming” (1 Corinthians 15:23). When we receive Jesus as our Saviour we become His., and if we choose to daily walk and talk with Him, our lives and our character are progressively changed, and we gain control over our ‘flesh’ and its desires. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul puts it like this: “those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24). This is something we choose to do, and when we make this active choice, the Holy Spirit helps us, so that we be counted worthy (Luke 21:36). What does it mean to be accounted worthy? What does this mean? Faith in Christ is a requirement to get into heaven. But God expects us to add good works to our faith. It’s not that good works can save us. They can’t. But God is not mocked, and a person who claims to believe but who continues to do evil is in grave danger of missing out on the resurrection of the righteous dead. James tells us clearly that faith without works is dead (James 2:14), and that even the demons believe and tremble (James 2:19). Those righteous dead who rise in the first resurrection are they whom God has judged worthy. As Jesus said, “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36). Does this mean we must be perfect? No. But it does mean that we should make every effort to live as we should, for God will judge our heart.