The Inclusiveness of God's Grace ( Guest Speaker Dave Rousseau)
John 3-4
The Glory of the Son (Guest Speaker)
Living the Christ Life 22: Our New Husband
Living the Christ Life 21: Understanding Eternal Life Part 3
Hebrews 10:32-39 with J. Paul Tanner
This serves as our closing message for the 2020 FGA Summit on Hebrews. Check out the rest of the sessions at the link below
Living the Christ Life 20: The Salvation of the Soul Part 2
The Salvation of the Soul, Part 2
The following is a summary of what we have learned about the salvation of the soul thus far.
The spirit is saved instantaneously when one hears the Gospel of the Grace of God and responds in faith. That person is declared “innocent” by God. We call this justification.
The soul is comprised of one’s mind, will, and emotions. It is also known as the “life,” or the “self- life,” being synonymous with our fleshly nature.
The soul/life is saved in choices that are made now. This is “progressive sanctification,” where we yield to God’s will and He conforms us to the image of His Son.
Humility is an indispensable attitude in the salvation of the soul.
Jesus tells us that it is possible to lose one’s soul/life should he or she refuse to deny themselves,
take up their cross, and follow Christ. This has no association with eternal damnation, which is a matter that is settled when one believes in the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. However, losing one’s soul/life has everything to do with having nothing to show for in eternity because our earthly lives were lived for ourselves and not for the Lord.
Summary: “The salvation of the soul is the triumph of faith in present trials for which glory is received in a future day.”1 -Zane C. Hodges
Pertinent Passages (cont’d.)
1 Peter 1:9
The Epistle of 1 Peter is another New Testament book which speaks to the subject of the saving of the soul. We must start in 1:1 for the sake of context and clarity. Peter is writing to believers throughout various regions of Asia Minor in what is today known as Turkey. These believers are addressed as “aliens,” emphasizing their citizenship in glory (Eph 2:19; Col 1:13; 1 Pet 2:11a). They are also designated as “chosen.” This word “eklektos” can also mean “elect.” While often understood as God choosing individuals to either be redeemed or to remain damned, there are three indicators that would speak against this conclusion.
First, it is often assumed that God’s foreknowledge necessitates His predestination of an individual for justification. This understanding reads into the meaning of “foreknowledge.”2 Foreknowledge is never causative but means “a prior knowledge of what will come to pass.” This is not the same as “to determine beforehand to take place.” To read the text plainly, those who are “chosen” are those who were “known beforehand” by God.
Second, “those who reside as aliens” (1:1b) are those who are “chosen,” showing this to be of a corporate nature and not an individual selection. With five different provinces mentioned and the fact that they were “scattered” throughout, we do not have any indication that the “elect/chosen” ones are such on an individual basis. Rather, they are a conglomeration of believers.
1 Zane C. Hodges, First Peter: The Salvation of the Soul (Denton, TX: Grace Evangelical Society, 2017), 15.2 See David R. Anderson, Saving the Saved: An Exposition of 1 Peter (The Woodlands, TX: Grace Theology Press, 2020), 6.
Finally, 1:2 is clear that this audience was chosen for a purpose: “to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood.” The means identified is “by the sanctifying work of the Spirit.” While one is “sanctified” (“set apart”) positionally at the moment of faith, one is also “progressively sanctified” by the Spirit, being set apart for good works. Derickson writes, “Though good works do not produce or prove salvation, they are the goal of the Spirit’s ministry in the life of the child of God.”3 Being “sprinkled with His blood” often draws from the same idea as being “set apart” or “sanctified. “In the OT blood was sprinkled at the cleansing of the temple, the inauguration of the Law, the ordination of Aaron and his sons to the priesthood, the cleansing of lepers, and on the Day of Atonement. Each of these cleansings affected the believing Israelite’s fellowship with God. Their purpose was not to justify, but to sanctify by restoring fellowship broken by sin. In the same way Jesus’ blood cleanses (present tense) us and enables us to be in fellowship with God (1 John 1:7, 9).”4 So we see that these believers were chosen for the purpose of obedience and sanctification, two concepts which walk hand-in-hand.
Peter praises the Lord because of the “born again” standing of himself and his readers through the resurrection of Christ (1:3). Because Christ lives, believers have a “living hope.” This “hope” entails much! Being “born again” gives way to an “inheritance” which is pure, unblemished, and unfading, waiting in heaven for the redeemed (1:4). Believers are then described as those who are “protected by the power of God” with “faith” being the key factor (1:5a). This inheritance is described as a “salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1:5b) clearly taking the reader far beyond justification to the quality of glorification that awaits the saints of God.
This grand exhibition of grace is worthy of rejoicing (1:6a)! Do we? Are we? Are we rejoicing in the living hope that we have in Jesus Christ our Lord? Are we praising God for His gracious provision of an illustrious inheritance? In the midst of temporal trials, the proclamation of future blessings should propel us forward (1:6b). Such trials are “necessary” for the “proof of your faith” (1:7).
The word “proof” does not mean that successfully passing through a trial is a “true indicator” that one is really justified. Such reasoning would be forced to conclude that Peter himself was never really saved until Acts 2 when Matthew clearly shows us otherwise (Matt 16:16). The word “proof” holds the meaning of “genuineness due to testing.”5 Such testing develops one’s faith. “Just as the fire melts the gold, so that the refiner can skim away the dross, so persecution enables the Spirit of God to purify and make infinitely more precious the faith of the suffering saint.”6 The “salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1:5b) is in view, not one’s initial conversion or the authenticity of their conversion. Those saints who endure this temporary affliction will receive commendation resulting in praise, glory, and honor for the faithful saint at the Judgment Seat of Christ from Jesus Himself (1:7c)! We see this fact in the words “Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master” (Matt 25:21, 23).
3 Gary Derickson, “The First Epistle of Peter,” in The Grace New Testament Commentary, ed. Robert N. Wilkin (Denton, TX: Grace Evangelical Society, 2010), 1145.4 Ibid., 1145–1146.5 BDAG, 256.
6 John Phillips, Exploring the Epistles of Peter: An Expository Commentary, The John Phillips Commentary Series (Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp., 2009), 1 Pe 1:7.
Peter’s audience had admirable qualities. Not having seen their Savior, they loved the Savior! This was more than likely identified by their obedience to the commands of Christ (John 14:15, 21) and their love for one another (1 John 4:12). Though they did not see Him, they still exercised their faith by greatly rejoicing in their coming glorification. These were people who were looking out ahead into glory and lived in the light of what God had secured for them. They were setting their minds on the things from above (Col 3:1-2). Theirs was a life of “worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus,” putting “no confidence in the flesh” (Phil 3:3).
Such a life was giving way to the “outcome” of their faith (1:9a). The word “obtaining” here is telōs which means “that by which a thing is finished, its close.”7 Faith is meant to be brought to completion (Jas 2:22). What God began in justification, He will bring to a close in glorification, but it was the attitude, faithfulness, selflessness, and rejoicing of Peter’s audience that was making much of their sanctification leading to a greater glorification. Their perspective and convictions were such that God could mold and move them as He deemed fit. They were humble and willing, full of joy, and waiting in anticipation for the Lord Jesus to return. This was resulting in the “salvation of your souls” (1:9b). Their lives would result in much glory to God because they were trusting His Word!
The proceeding verses (1:10-12) speak to the grand testimony of glorification which did not lie dormant in the Old Testament. Prophets investigated this subject thoroughly, which can be seen in Hebrews 11. The promise of glory to be shared in the presence of the Creator even caused Moses to reject a life of leisure and luxury (Heb 11:24-26). Such choices set the stage for the time of Christ, marking the beginning of the end (1 Pet 1:20; Heb 1:1-2) and has caused all who believe in the Messiah to live in anticipation of His return (Rev 22:12). This mindset finds far less reason to live for the here and now because of the abundant value of living for the Life to come.
Concerning the rest of the book, it is worth noting a few other pertinent verses. In 1:22 we see that Peter’s audience was obeying the truth, and in doing so “purified” their souls for a sincere love for their brothers and sisters. “Purified” literally means “to set oneself apart, cleanse, dedicate.” This is something that they were already doing, and by doing so, they were able to love their fellow believers without hypocrisy, of which Peter encourages them to do all the more!
In 2:2, we see that these believers are to “long for the pure milk of the word” like newborn babies. It is often assumed that they are to long for the Word because they were newborn babies in the Lord, but everything surrounding this book tells us that they were vibrant and maturing believers. It their developed and growing state, they were to drink in the Word of God because it is the greatest necessary component to their continual growth “in respect to salvation.” This is not speaking of justification, but glorification and the salvation of the soul. The Word of God grows the believer in truth and truth sustains us in trials leading to abundant glory.
In 2:11 we find that “fleshly lusts war against the soul in order to block its salvation.”8 This would refer us back to the five sense of the body seeking to convince our mind, will, and emotions (soul) that there is a better truth and a greater satisfaction found somewhere outside of what the Lord has given us. Trusting such temptations will result in a failure to abide in Christ, committing sin, and leading us to
7 Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 620.8 Watchman Nee, The Salvation of the Soul (New York: Christian Fellowship Publishers, 1978), 48.
produce “nothing” (John 15:5b). The reiteration of his audience’s status as “aliens and strangers” (2:11; 1:1) reminds them that this present world is not their home.
First Peter 2:25 exalts Jesus as the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls, reminding us that He is our Guide, Leader, and Provider. This is a summary statement that is linked to the points made in 2:19- 20. When one suffers because of godly convictions and actions, such convictions find grace with God. We are then told in 2:21 that believers have been called to suffering (Phil 1:29; 2 Tim 3:12). With Christ as our perfect example of suffering (2:21-24), His death for us makes it possible to die to sin in our daily experience and to live righteously amid unjust treatment.
In 4:19, we read that the one who suffers according to God’s will does right because he or she has believed that God’s will is the greatest value for their soul/life. This is an excellent summary statement for the entire book, but particularly reflects the grand sentiment shared in 4:12-13. By entrusting our mind, will, and emotions to the Lord, hardships are times of rejoicing because of the greater goal out ahead. Not only are we promised blessing in this life (4:14), but when Christ returns at the Rapture, we will have every reason to rejoice in His presence!
In 5:1-7, Peter addresses the elders of the churches to whom he is writing. He speaks of “the glory that is to be revealed” (5:1b) and their role as “partakers,” which is the opportunity to share in this glory with Christ. Their diligence in leading God’s flock will result in “the unfading crown of glory” (5:4b) which may be a reward reserved only for faithful elders. The conversation then turns to young men, emphasizing the importance of humility (which is stressed 3 times in 5:5-6) as they submit to their leaders. The exaltation “at the proper time” is not our earthly lives, but at the time of the Judgment Seat of Christ. Humility is the attitude that paves the way for the salvation of the soul.
Other Pertinent Passage about the Saving of the Soul
Matthew 16:24-27. As with the parallel passage in Mark 8:34-37, Jesus is calling His disciples to self- renunciation, which is the present essence of what it means to “lose” one’s soul/life now in order to find it (“save it”) in the age to come. Of great importance is v.27 which speaks of “recompense,” being the reward that every believer will receive at Christ’s coming. Such repayment will be for those things done while in the body whether good or bad (2 Cor 5:10).
Luke 12:13-21. Jesus gives a parable of a man who hoards his crops thinking that he can enjoy the rest of his life in leisure and ease. He is declared a “fool” because his “soul” (“life”) was required of him that very night. Hodges writes, “This man’s life experience vanished the moment it was overtaken by physical death. The goods he was planning to hoard for his personal enjoyment over the years to come were totally lost to him. He left this world utterly impoverished.”9 He was rich according to the world’s standards but impoverished in his work for God.
If one continues reading, Jesus encourages His disciples against the worries and anxieties of this life, knowing that the Father will supply (12:22-30). The chief concern of the disciples was to seek the kingdom, for the Father desires to give it to them (12:31-32). The call then comes to sell their
9 Zane C. Hodges, A Free Grace Primer: The Hungry Inherit, The Gospel Under Siege, Grace in Eclipse, ed. Robert N. Wilkin (Denton, TX: Grace Evangelical Society, 2011), 310–311.
possessions and give away the proceeds so that they will be rich in the life to come. Parting with such possessions reveals what consumes the heart (12:33-34).
Luke 14:25-33. Jesus teaches on discipleship. Following Jesus is costly! Jesus wants us to understand this from the start. The choice to follow Jesus will come in-between one’s closest relationships if they are to remain faithful to Christ. The use of the term “hate” in 14:26a should be understood in comparison with the love that entails faithful obedience (John 14:15, 21; also see John 12:25). At the core of this teaching is the call to “carry his own cross” and “come after me” (14:26c), being synonymous with what has been see in earlier passages that have been considered (Matt 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23).
He then gives two illustrations.
First, if anyone where to build a tower they would be wise to calculate the cost, using the estimate to determine if the funds are available to bring the project to completion. To fall short of completing the project was to invite public shame and ridicule.
Second, a king must consider whether he can win the battle when he goes to war. He finds that he has half the troops of the opposing army. Can the strength of his warriors overcome the numbers of the opposing forces? Should the king send forth word in asking for peace so that he is not humiliated?
Jesus then draws His conclusion: “none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions” (Luke 14:33). In relation to the illustrations given this truth emerges: it will take everything that we have to follow Jesus faithfully. All things- money, possessions, family, jobs, decisions, our very lives, and anything else that falls within our control must be relinquished to save our souls.
Verses Showing a Parallel Between “Soul” & “Life”
Deliver my soul from the sword, My only life from the power of the dog. — Psalm 22:20
Do not take my soul away along with sinners, Nor my life with men of bloodshed, — Psalm 26:9
To deliver their soul from death And to keep them alive in famine. — Psalm 33:19
For without cause they hid their net for me; Without cause they dug a pit for my soul. — Psalm
35:7
Lord, how long will You look on? Rescue my soul from their ravages, My only life from the lions.
— Psalm 35:17
Do not deliver the soul of Your turtledove to the wild beast; Do not forget the life of Your
afflicted forever. — Psalm 74:19
Hate evil, you who love the Lord, Who preserves the souls of His godly ones; He delivers them
from the hand of the wicked. — Psalm 97:10
Living the Christ Life 19: The Salvation of the Soul Part 1
The Salvation of the Soul, Part 1
Principles for Interpretation
The Bible gives us four basic truths that serve as principles to guide us in interpretation. If these truths are embraced, they will prevent us from making errors in our interpretation.
#1 The Bible is True (2 Tim 3:16-17), therefore it will never contradict itself.
#2 People Are Justified by Grace Alone, Through Faith Alone, in Jesus Christ Alone (Romans 3:24).
#3 Once Saved, Always Saved (John 5:24; Rom 8:38-39). Eternal Security is just that: Safe Forever!
#4 The Bema Concerns Believers (1 Cor 3:10-15; 2 Cor 5:10). This involves rewards, not loss of justification.
Also, as it is with any form of good reading comprehension, context is key! The context will always clarify
The phrase “The Salvation of the Soul” may draw your mind to conclude that the word “salvation” means “to go to heaven when I die” or something similar. This automatic reaction has immediately placed the matters of “Heaven & Hell” at the forefront of our thinking and has created a great hindrance to understanding the text.
We must remember that “salvation” has three spiritual tenses (justification, sanctification, glorification) and numerous physical aspects (“deliverance, rescue, healing, safety”). Context will always determine the meaning intended by the author. Additionally, keeping the four basic truths above in mind will guard us from the dangers of any “works-salvation” conclusions.
Pertinent Passages
James 1:21
The book of “James” is all about choices and attitudes that lead to the salvation of the soul. This book is written to believers (1:2, 16, 19; 2:1, 5, 14; 3:1, 10, 12; 4:11; 5:7, 9, 12, 19), therefore any notion that James’ readers are not redeemed people is nonsense. James verifies their redemption in 1:18- “In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.” This shows us that “the Word of God is the agency by which faith is generated.”2 Consideration of the context is essential to understand what James means by saving one’s soul.
Trials are the author’s main focus, to which he immediately exhorts his readers to a joyful attitude and faithful endurance (1:2-4). He espouses “joy” because God is using this trial in developing the believer. Despite how one may feel in the midst of hardship, the believer can be certain that this situation is being used by God for his or her growth. Knowing this should immediately bring light to the
1 Jeremy Edmondson, Getting Started: Basics to Understanding Your Bible (Allen, TX: Bold Grace Ministries, 2013). Available on Amazon Kindle.2 Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology (Dallas: Dallas Seminary Press, 1983), 1:121.
what the author means.The Mind’s Immediate Hindrance
trying situation. “Endurance” (“steadfastness”) is commanded because it is the only pathway to the believer being “perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (1:4). The temptation will be to rescue oneself out of a trying situation (1:3) and doing so, will cut short the opportunity to grow up in Christ to full maturity.
In developing his argument, James later tells us that the one who “perseveres under trial,” having “passed the test” (meaning not cutting the trial short), will receive “the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (1:12). Enduring the hardship by trusting the Lord gives way to reward! Take note that it is a love for the Lord that serves as the motivation for this reward and not the reward itself. This “crown” is a stephanos being “the wreath or garland which was given as a prize to victors in the public games.”3 Comparing this passage with Revelation 2:10 we see that the “crown of life” has two requirements for obtaining it. First, one must “pass the test” of their hardship, which would by synonymous with faithful endurance. Second, such endurance is done because of one’s affection for Christ. This sets the attitude of the believer in relation to Christ at center stage. Apart from these two things, the believer in Christ will not receive this reward.
After explaining that God is not responsible for one’s sin (1:13), how sin leads to death (1:14-15), and that God gives only good things to His children (1:17), James then gives an outline for the book in being quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger (wrath) in 1:19. He explains that our personal wrath is never a means of bringing forth the righteousness of God in our trials (1:20). Righteous results should always be the end goal of our trials.
At this point, James offers a sound directive for how believers can operate righteously in their earthly life. Take note of each of the points in 1:21...
“Therefore,...” -In light of the fact that man’s anger will not produce God’s righteousness... “putting aside...” -This phrase literally means “to strip off.”
“all filthiness (moral defilement) and the abundance of wickedness (vice, depravity)...,” - meaning those fleshly behaviors & impurities that come so naturally to the old man. These things are all hindrances to what comes next!4
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“in humility...” –“the quality of not being overly impressed by a sense of one’s self- importance.”5 An attitude or demeanor that emphasizes bringing one’s self low.
“receive the word implanted...” -Welcome the Word of God as the means to producing righteousness in your life. It is already “implanted,” meaning that the Word is “inborn.”
“which is able to save your souls.” -The humble reception of the inborn Word can rescue us from wrathful conclusions to our trials, cutting them short, and stunting our path to spiritual maturity (1:4). This gives clarity to the redemptive purpose of the Word (2 Tim 3:16-17).
3 Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 587.
4 Arlen L. Chitwood, The Salvation of the Soul: Saving of the Life (Norman, OK: The Lamp Broadcast, Inc., 2003) 37. 5 BDAG, 861.
POSITIVE NEGATIVE
James follows up this verse with “the ancient principle”- Not being “hearers only” but doers of the Word. To have the Word implanted and NOT apply the Word to our daily lives is to live fraudulently (1:22). The one who forsakes the humble reception of the Word of God will not save their soul.
Mark 8:34-35 & James 1:21
“If anyone wishes to come after Me,...he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
RESULT
“...putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness,...”
“...whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it” (Mark 8:35)
“...save your souls” (James 1:21)
It should be evident that humility is the essential starting place in the salvation of the soul. To deny one’s self is to consider something else greater than our wants and desires. This requires humility. “Filthiness” and “wickedness” are things that we are used to, and they are qualities that often characterize the things that we use to serve ourselves, appease our wants, and satisfy our desires. Again, such things are hindrances to saving the soul. Humility is the cure for these hindrances, allowing us to receive the Word.
The Body of James’ Letter
James covers some serious ground for the Christian in relation to “doing the Word.”
Avoiding favoritism within the Body of Christ (2:1-11).
Being merciful in our treatment of our brothers and sisters, knowing that such a demeanor will
bring about a merciful judgment from Christ (2:12-13).
Good deeds are a benefit to the Body of Christ, while also serving to energize one’s faith (2:14-
26). By serving others, the believer in Christ is “saved” from a merciless judgment before Christ
(2:12-14).
Teachers of the Word will incur a stricter judgment before the Lord. The tongue is the litmus test
of whether or not one is walking in righteousness (3:1-12).
Good behavior in the Body of Christ speaks louder than words. Jealousy and selfishness are
qualities of the evil one. Godly wisdom produces fruit when exercised in good deeds (3:13-18).
“...in humility receive the word implanted...”
Selfishness produces wrath, making it a hindrance to righteousness being produced in the believer’s life. The cure for selfishness is humble submission to God. This will bring purity to our lives. We are no longer to live in judgment of others. Instead, we are to look to the Lord’s will for our living (4:1-17).
The want of riches increases our selfishness, which again produces wrath and anger (5:1-6).
The believer who seeks to produce righteousness in the midst of their trial looks to wait patiently
upon the Lord in the light of His imminent return (5:7-12).
James offers a series of prescriptions for those who are struggling with sickness and sin (5:13-18).
This series of inter-related topics leads up to the next passage under consideration.
James 5:19-20
By beginning with “my brethren” any doubt about the regenerate state of James’ audience is again laid to rest (5:19). The mention of “any among you” further stipulates that believers are in view, though one “strays from the truth.” The word “strays” is the idea of “losing their way.” We may be more comfortable understanding this man as a “backslider.” Considering the overall subject of the book, this believer may have lost their way because they used sin as an escape from the trial that they were facing. Though we can’t be certain of the reason, the responsibility is placed upon this person’s fellow-believers to “turn him back.” Believers are responsible for addressing other believers who have strayed into sin.
With v.20, James is laying forth the significance of brothers and sisters in Christ mounting up a rescue mission for their wayward family member. The one who has strayed is labeled a “sinner.” Such a designation is appropriate because they are found to be in a way of error. The believer who takes the incentive to turn them back around to the truth will “save his soul from death.” “Death represents the temporal destruction of the person, not his or her eternal damnation.”6 This could be seen in the form of divine discipline, physical death, or James could mean the eventual ruin of one’s life. This would be consistent to his comments in 1:14-15 which reads, “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.” The Bible’s definition of “death” always involves “separation” from something. Since the soul will be saved when the believer is turned around, we would conclude that the “soul” is what was in danger of dying, or (to be consistent with Jesus’ words) losing his soul (Mark 8:35), forfeiting his soul (Mark 8:36), and exchanging his soul (Mark 8:37).
How should we understand the comment on covering “a multitude of sins?” All sin has been paid for on the cross (1 John 2:2). When we speak of being “justified by faith” (Rom 3:24-26) we understand this as a legal declaration of righteousness in God’s sight. This is a judicial situation that establishes our relationship with the Father. Sins committed in a believer’s life are in need of confession (1 John 1:9) because such choices disrupt the fellowship that we would normally enjoy with the Father. Turning a sinning believer back to the Lord covers the sins committed because fellowship has been restored. This reveals an important truth: “The Salvation of the Soul” is an issue of fellowship, NOT relationship.
4
6 Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Jas 5:20.
Living the Christ Life 18: Spirit, Soul & Body
Understanding the Spirit, Soul, & Body
Genesis 1:26-28- God’s purpose in creating man & woman is that they would “have dominion.”
Genesis 2:7- Man is a tripartite being: Spirit, Soul, & Body. All three are God’s doing.
This should be no surprise seeing that God is a Trinity.
1 Thessalonians 5:23- Paul’s prayer for the “setting apart” of their entirety and the spirit, soul, & body “kept intact,” “blameless” unto the coming of the Lord for His Church. Only God can sanctify us entirely; only He can keep us blameless. This happens with the presentation of the members of our bodies as instruments of righteousness as a result of our reckoning upon our identity in Christ (Rom 6:1-14). Submission in light of redemption is the key! This is the ONLY way that true obedience occurs.
The Material Part of Man
Body- Sōma- A living body, whether of man, animal, plant, or seed. Used once to speak of “slaves” in Rev 18:13, while also being understood as a substantive reality in Col 2:17. Also figuratively used for a unified group, such as the “body of Christ” (Eph 4:12).[1] The redemption of the body is our glorification (future).
· The body of man is made of dust (Gen 2:7) and is considered the “lower” part of a human being.
· The body relates to the material world, having five senses, and is the vehicle by which man influences the world, or is found to be influenced by it.[2]
· The body is in a state of gradual deterioration and will eventually return to dust (Gen 3:19b). The body did NOT die at the Fall (Gen 3:21).
· It is the vehicle used for expression, either of righteous acts (believers only-Rom 8:11) or unrighteous acts (believers and/or unbelievers) (Rom 6:12).
· The body “houses” the soul and the spirit and serves as the “sanctuary of the Holy Spirit” for the redeemed (1 Cor 6:19).
· The believer’s “adoption” takes place with the Rapture of the Church, also called the “redemption of our body,” meaning our glorification (Rom 8:23, 1 Cor 15:53).
The Immaterial Part of Man #1
Spirit- Pneuma – “the non-material, psychological faculty which is potentially sensitive and responsive to God,”[3] “the rational part of man, the power of perceiving and grasping divine and eternal things, and upon which the Spirit of God exerts its influence.”[4] The redemption of our spirit is justification (past).
· Since the spirit of man has its origin in God (Gen 2:7; Zech 12:1; Heb 12:9), it is the part of man that is either connected or disconnected to God depending on if one is regenerate (alive) or unregenerate (separated/dead). Before the Fall, YHWH breathed into man “the breath of life” which is the spirit, and it is the spirit of Adam that was separated (died) at the Fall (Gen 2:16-17; 3:7).
· The spirit is considered the “highest plane” of man when connected to YHWH Elohim, for “God is Spirit” (John 4:24; 2 Cor 3:17) and He must be worshiped “in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). Proverbs 20:27- “The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the innermost parts of his being.”
· It is within the spirit of man that the Holy Spirit dwells at conversion, seeing that our spirit is what is made “alive” at conversion (Rom 8:10) while also being “made righteous” (Rom 5:19).
· The Holy Spirit and the human spirit are not the same thing, seeing that both of them testify together that we are God’s children (Rom 8:16).
· Being led into Truth is done by the Holy Spirit within our spirits which then gives way to our minds for the purpose of renewal (transforming the mind so that the will and emotions follow) and, in turn, aligning the body with the spirit so that the spiritual man is discerning of all things (1 Cor 2:15-16).
· Our spirit is what leaves our bodies when physical death occurs (Eccl 12:7; Matt 27:50; Luke 8:55; 23:56; Acts 7:59; 1 Cor 5:5).
Depending on the context, this word is also used to speak of:
*“Wind”- John 3:8; Heb 1:7 *The “Holy Spirit”- John 3:8
*“An Attitude or Demeanor”- 1 Cor 4:21; 2 Tim 1:7 *“Celestial Beings”- 1 Pet 3:19
The Immaterial Part of Man #2
Soul/Life- GR. Psuche/Psyche 1. “life on earth in its animating aspect making bodily function possible,” 2. the “seat and center of the inner human life in its many and varied aspects,” 3. “an entity with personhood.”[5] “The essence of life in terms of thinking, willing, and feeling—‘inner self, mind, thoughts, feelings, heart, being.’”[6]This term is sometimes referred to as the “self-life.” The redemption of our soul pertains to sanctification giving way to glorification (present, future).
· The soul is the “meeting place” between spirit and body, and was quickened by the combination of “the breath of life” and the “dust from the ground” (Gen 2:7).
· The soul consists of mind (natural logic, consciousness, thought), will (self-determination), and emotions (internal and external expressions of what is perceived as truth at any given moment).
· Andrew Murray writes, “Standing thus midway between two worlds (body and spirit), belonging to both, the soul had the power of determining itself, of choosing or refusing the objects by which it was surrounded, and to which it stood related.”[7] In other words, the soul is the place where choices are made, and for the believer, can either be compliant to or dismissive of the spirit.
· When considering passages that deal with “the flesh” or “sin” (singular-referring to the sin nature within every person that causes them to commit “sins”), the origin of such responses is the soul.
· The soul did not die at the Fall. Adam and Eve’s minds, wills, and emotions still worked, although they were severely skewed (Gen 3:10-13).
· Whereas the spirit is redeemed at the moment of justification by faith, and the glorification of the body is guaranteed (Rom 8:30), the “salvation of the soul” is not a guarantee (Matt 10:39; 16:25-26; 8:35-37; Luke 9:23-25; 1 Peter 1:9; Heb 10:38-39; James 1:21; 5:19-20). This does not mean in any way that justification is lost. Rather, it is the result of the believer in Christ not denying himself, taking up his cross daily, and following Jesus (Luke 9:23). “Hating one’s life” is actually to despise the way of the self-life, rejecting it in favor of the leading of the spirit (John 12:25).
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Murray summarizes, “The spirit is the seat of our God-consciousness; the soul of our self-consciousness; the body of our world-consciousness. In the spirit God dwells, in the soul self, in the body sense. As long as the right relation existed, and the soul with its self was subject to the spirit, and through it to God, all was well. But sin came as the assertion of self in seeking its life through sense and not obedience to the spirit. And so the soul, self, selfishness became the ruling principle of man’s life.”[8]
For the believer in Christ, it is possible for either the spirit or the body to reign. When the spirit reigns, it only does so through the soul in order to influence the body to comply with righteousness. This would be best understood in the command to “walk by the spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh” (Gal 5:16). When the body reigns, it is because the senses have been promoted to “the bearer of truth,” convincing the mind, will, and emotions leading to actions that reject the spirit.
The Tripartite Nature seen in Jesus Christ’s death
Jesus gives up His spirit- Luke 23:46
Jesus’ soul/life goes to Hades temporarily- Acts 2:27; Psalm 16:10; also see 1 Peter 3:18-20
Jesus’ body was buried- Matthew 27:57-60
[1] BDAG, 983-984.
[2] Andrew Murray, The Spirit of Christ: Thoughts on the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the Believer and the Church (New York: Anson D. F. Randolph & Company, 1888), 333.
[3] Louw and Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 322.
[4] Thayer, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 520.
[5] BDAG, 1098-1099.
[6] Louw and Nida, 320.
[7] Murray, The Spirit of Christ, 333.
[8] Murray, The Spirit of Christ, 336.
Living the Christ Life 17: Understanding Eternal Life Part 2
Romans 6:22–23
John 4:25–38
John 12:20–26
Mark 8:31–38
Luke 12:37