This Salvation

This Salvation

This salvation was “the salvation of your souls.” “Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you . . . .” “To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit . . . .”

My will, my five senses, my human reasoning are in my soul. My soul is my personality, and I can use my will and my senses to do the will of the flesh and of the mind, thus deadening my conscience, to the utter ruin of myself and others. Eph. 2:1-3.

However, I can also use my will and my senses to strengthen my conscience—that which I know to be good. This will be a great earthly blessing for myself and for others. If I want to be called a Christian, I have to “abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,” so that my conduct among the Gentiles is good, for they also understand that the fleshly lusts that are manifest war against God’s commandments. 1 Pet. 2:11-12; Gal. 5:19-21. They could partake of this salvation and this grace through the law, and this is a righteousness which Paul calls “my own righteousness.” Phil. 3:9. It is on a human level, and among such religious people there is an ongoing discussion about what is sin and what is not sin. Some of them are stricter than others.

By way of contrast, Jesus is the “author and finisher of our faith.” He did not live by His human reasoning and will as the Son of Man. He consecrated a new and living way through the veil, that is, His flesh. Heb. 10:20. On this way He had to walk by faith, for it was God who condemned sin in the flesh. Then the requirement of the law which said “You shall not covet” was fulfilled. Rom. 7:7, 8:3-4. The way has been consecrated so that we shall follow Him. This is a walk by faith and not by my human reasoning. This separation is clearly evident in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5, 6, and 7), where He differentiates between what was said to those of old, which can be grasped with our natural understanding, and what Jesus Himself said, the life which we have to enter into by faith. The first was human, but what Jesus said was divine. The way led to being perfect, just as our heavenly Father is perfect. Matt. 5:48.

It was not possible to be born again under the law, but if we are to go on the new and living way, we must be born again and receive the Holy Spirit as our leader instead of our natural understanding. 1 Pet. 1:3; Gal. 3:13-14; John 16:13.

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Heb. 4:12.

The thoughts and intents of our heart come from our soul—our human reasoning and our spirit are bound to it. Therefore we hear this constant refrain: But you have to understand, you have to use your head! However, if we are born again, we give up our will and our human reasoning. We receive the Word; for example, “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” Matt. 5:44. This frees our spirit from our soul. By faith we enter into the Word and get a sense for spiritual things. Through obedience to the Word, we have our senses exercised to discern between good and evil. Heb. 5:14. This is how we become spiritual personalities who can discern situations spiritually. 1 Cor. 14:16. The soul is saved from earthly things that are destined to be eaten up by rust, to be shaken, and to perish, and we receive our inheritance among the saints in the light and the kingdom which cannot be moved. Heb. 12:27-29; Eph. 1:18. We become qualified for this inheritance. Col. 1:12.

“This salvation” causes us who were of the earth, made of dust just like the first man, to become heavenly just like the second Man who is from heaven, and we shall bear the image of the heavenly Man. 1 Cor. 15:45-49.