Working Out the Salvation of Our Souls

SAVING THE SOUL……THE HOPE OF GLORY.

“Saving the soul” is not the same as being saved from eternal death. “Salvation” of the soul is a reward, not a gift. The reward has to do with the soul choosing to love God more than the World.

Saving the soul has to do with what you do with your soul after the love of God has been shed abroad in your heart at regeneration, when you received the gift of eternal life. The New Covenant baptism/infilling of the Holy Spirit does not have to do with eternal life, but with the further WORK INVOLVED WITH THE SAVING of THE SOUL.

When Christ promised to pray that the Father would send the Holy Spirit, it was for a further WORK in the Disciples, after having been already saved [John 13:10, John 20:22] and having had received the Spirit and the gift of Eternal Life previously. Jesus was merciful, forgiving their grievous transgressions knowing, “…the spirit was willing but the flesh is weak”. What was in view was the gift of the power of the Holy Spirit to abide within, in which they would stand after His Ascension and thereby become much more capable and accountable, as the Work now of the Holy Spirit was to be on a totally different plane/level of salvation. Whereas the initial work of restoration granted eternal life, the additional work of the Holy Spirit promises (a better) Resurrection and Glory, being sanctified (set apart) unto sanctification (the resulting state of being set apart). The Father is calling Sons out of the World that have this further Work of the yielded soul with the power of the Holy Spirit wrought upon it. This was not possible in the Old Covenant because the blood Sacrifice was not sufficient to warrant the possibility in which answers to the propitiation of the Justice and Holiness of God.

It is the Millennial Age that answers more directly to the Justice of God. That Justice administered by His resurrected Sons who have been chastised and pruned and purged by God in the power of His Spirit, when true justice for the world was set aside. The Age of Justice is the time in which His worthies called for His Name sake now carry out His Justice upon the Earth and its inhabitants while also His Justice is being carried out in Hades on all previous inhabitants of the Earth. Justice and Holiness is administered on the Earth and under the Earth in the Age of Justice and Judgment.

Under the Earth, as those judged unworthy of the First Resurrection, both regenerate unfaithful Jew and Christian remain in Hades [Revelation 20:5 with Luke 16) unto their Just sentences for their purging, [1 Corinthians 3:15, Matthew 5:26] And where the unregenerate dead are kept in their judged state until the 1000 years are complete when the Great White Throne Judgment will occur for them. [Revelation 20:11-15]

All regenerate, having come before the Judgment Seat of Christ at death, [2 Corinthians 5:10, Romans 14:10] have been assigned unto their respective place. And upon Jesus Christ’s manifest Return to the Earth, will deliver up from among the dead in Hades those worthies of both the OC and NC unto their respective rewards. The NC worthies only of the First Resurrection in New Creature Glory to rule and reign with Christ from the heavenly realm as kings and priests over 2, 5 or 10 cities with a rod of iron for 1000 years and then forever and ever [Revelation 20:4-6; 22:5, with 22:12] while the OC worthies shall be also resurrected in the OC glorious Covenant promises of Israel as God’s wise teachers unto the Nations, who then turn many of the then living on the Earth to righteousness. [Daniel 12:3, Isaiah 55:5]

Now in Jesus Christ God may anticipate and expect not only the regeneration of repentance and purging of flesh that was a part of the OC, but a New Creature like unto Jesus. Sons and joint heirs, a work that answers to Jesus Christ’s Blood offering in the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit for the greater work upon the “soul”. [Hebrews 9:13,14]

OC believers could not ascend unto the first heaven in the Power of the New Creation in Jesus Christ, not because of lack in regeneration but in the lacking Work of the Greater Grace on the “soul.” Their experience falling short of NC faithful Believers, that being because of the lack of Power associated with the Holy Spirit due to the insufficiency of the OC blood, that blood falling short of propitiation for the work on the soul unto NC type Son-ship. [Hebrews 2]

TO THINK IN TERMS OF THE HEAVENLY CALLING AND THE EARTHLY CALLING

Let us also remember that Revelation 22 speaks of the Heavenly City of Glory descending from Heaven to the New first heaven and the new earth, and that those two realms continue in Eternity after the Millennial Age. The thousand years of Christ’s reign on earth with its judgements and justice complete the 7 thousand years “Restoration of all things” typed in the 7 days of recreation of Genesis. It is the culmination of all Scripture. It is the subject of the Prophetic Book of Revelation and the greater part of all Scriptural prophecy.

Since it is a time of justice and judgement, and all Judgement has been given unto that One who completely satisfied the Propitiation unto God, that Sinless One who willingly suffered and died and was therefore found worthy, therefore all who take part in this thousand years must also be proven worthy in Him. Any position held in His First Heavens’ Kingdom to co-reign is upon individual worthiness in faithfulness and fruitfulness. No position in this Kingdom is held because of the gift of justifying grace alone.  Everyone to reign with Christ, of course, is born-again, or “saved” from eternal death, a Christian. But more than that, everyone, besides being a saved individual, is an Overcomer; a Christian, Spirit-filled and led, and one who has walked in a certain victory over sinful flesh, the World and satan.

Only that which has passed through the fiery test at the Judgement Seat of Christ and found worthy can be admitted into this thousand years of co-ruling with Christ. This is not Resurrection into Heaven to abide where God resides, but unto the first heaven above the Earth from where satan now rules. It is a manifestation of the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, and an earthly manifestation of the kingdom of the heavenlies. At this time it is not for a review of all Scriptures that would almost lead one to believe that a regenerate believer can be lost, because of the terrific tests brought to bear upon character and certain threatened judgment at the Judgement Seat of Christ reserved only for Believers, which proves a Believer worthy of a place in this kingdom reign and blessing or the excluding of Believers as unfit to take part in this kingdom and in this thousand year reign. This cannot be the casting out of believers from eternal life which is given on the ground of grace and faith alone in the merits and work of Jesus Christ.

All Believers are members of the body of Christ, and every member of the body of Christ has the privilege of opportunity of entering into this kingdom, and is eligible to compete for a place in the kingdom.  But the Believer does not enter this kingdom simply because he is a Believer, but because as a Believer he has worked out in his soul the will of God, and is worthy of a place in this kingdom. The kingdom is the place of rewards for worthy Christians, and the most fiery tests are to be given during his present life and finally at the Judgement Seat of Christ to determine who is worthy of the first resurrection and to participate in the kingdom, and just what position they shall occupy because of their worth; and just what crown they shall wear, because of their individual merit as faithful and fruitful Christians.  The test at the Judgement Seat is not a test of whether one is lost or damned; for only the truly born again appear there, and the “accounted worthy” will be resurrected at the “first resurrection” and given a place in this coming, glorious kingdom. [Luke 20:35,36; Revelation 20: 5, 6]

Now in the Millennial Age, the Age of Mercy and Grace having past, lies the great finishing Work of Justice and Holiness’ purposes, in the satanic-free Millennial Period. Wherein additionally now the righteous Jews surviving Jacob’s Trouble then living and Righteous Jews resurrected from among the dead may faithfully administer in the experience of the gift of the Power of the Holy Spirit in the Latter Day Rain, and presumably obtain unto similar degree of soul salvation in Spirit Baptism so experienced by the those privileged “People called for His Name sake” in the NC of Jesus Christ.

Meaning that the Resurrected and living regenerated OC Believer may experience the NC infilling/baptism of the Holy Spirit afforded in the NC in a somewhat similar finishing work: the salvation of the “soul.” That full Salvation in which ALL Overcomers, both OC and NC, may then eternally stand in as Firstborn Sons of God in the New Jerusalem descending from God unto a New first heaven and earth filled with nations in the 8^th and everlasting Day, both then together ruling and reigning as Sons of God over His Restored and New World Kingdom, in both realms of heavenly and earthly forever as depicted in Revelation chapter 22.

So repentant fallen man, having a partial restoration of his being available, that of the regeneration; which is the minor work of the Holy Spirit, and predominantly a work upon the spirit (as opposed to NC only abiding work within and through it)…and that minor restoration from the Garden forth, now in NC gives way to the further, and original designed Work, unto the glorious soul of Son-ship. That now God establishes the means, the gift of the Power of the Holy Spirit in the willing vessels’ crucifixion of the carnal soul, the entering into the sufferings with Jesus Christ [Matthew16:24-27,  Romans 8:17, with Revelation 2:10] unto its promised glory infilling salvation as a son of God, and may once again live in His very presence, in the power of that glory, without fear of regression, as the work is a completed work.

NOW JUST A FEW WORDS ON OUR PARTICIPATION WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE WORK OF THE SALVATION OF THE SOUL and the qualifying as worthy for the first resurrection and ruling with Jesus Christ.

[1John 2:15] Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not (abiding as it relates to Christians…Matthew 24:12, 6:24) in him.

The love of the World is something different from sanctioned desires for things of the earth….food, clothes, shelter, family, their provision, are not inconsistent with the love of God. But to love the world, is to make worldly things the principal objects of desire and pursuit.

The Fall is the cursed of God state of man. The present earth is the cursed arena wherein he exists. The “World” and its god is the spiritual and material perversion that has taken advantage and has grown out of that state and condition, in order to appeal and perpetuate man’s state. To love it, and desire it more than to love God and man, to be more anxious to obtain things, and spend our time in their acquisition and accumulation, than in efforts towards God, and save our souls and others’ spirits and souls, is to love the world in the sense of the Scriptural text. Where the love of God and of men is abiding in the heart, there may be a suitable desire for worldly objects; but, where an individual manifests a disposition to get the acquisition of wealth, or of worldly objects and desires the preference, and aims rather at obtaining worldly things than pursuing the will of God and of doing good to men, it is certain that the love of the world has once again captured his heart.

The Salvation of the Soul requires Wisdom, fear and trembling and determined vigilance in the pursuit of God’s holiness by continually meditating on Word and in the Power of the Spirit, applying it to our hearts and lives. Let us who desire the kingdom ask ourselves Scriptural questions. By example just a few….Do we cheat and defraud to obtain the things of the world? That is a man who will disobey God for the purpose of obtaining worldly goods, and does not abide in the love of God. It should be self-evident that he loves the things of the World. His anxieties and cares are mostly about worldly things. If they are more careful for and about the things of the world, the love of God is not abiding and they stand disqualified for the Kingdom. All those who will take advantage of the ignorance of those with whom they deal, to get the best of them, love the world. All those who engage in business, in the deceitfulness of riches, to the neglect of spiritual exercises, love the World. It is not difficult to say Scripturally, although very contrary to modern Christendom’s thinking, that all rich people love the World. Yes, you might say, that is true, if he sets his heart upon his riches. Now question every rich man under the Gospel…. does he not set his heart upon his riches? If he did not, he would not be rich. Surely the modern concept of wealth and Christianity in America is that of “Godliness is gain.” All those who are more depressed, and feel most keenly a loss in their low state of living more than their low state of spiritual compliance are loving this World and the love of God is not abiding as they disqualify themselves from the Kingdom of Christ. So goes the Scripture’s warnings…..

1 Corinthians 6 Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that [your] brethren.
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?  Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind….

Galatians 5 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

 Ephesians 5… But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks….For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

We have in the above passages a long list of persons who shall have no inheritance in the Kingdom of God. To whom do they refer? To the unregenerate?  To the regenerate? The interpretation of most commentators accept that these referred to are the unregenerate, but we find ourselves unable to go in with this.  After a long and diligent perusal of the Scriptures and comparing them with other Scriptures, our conclusion is that these spoken of are believers in the Lord Jesus who have deliberately and willfully sinned whilst enjoying the state of grace.

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