Salvation

“For by grace you are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) A humanistic definition of grace is ‘God’s free and undeserved favor to and love for mankind’. Although the meaning of grace does entail favor, this humanistic definition does not fit the definition given to us by the Strong's concordance which reveals the true meaning of the word grace as used in the greek language in the New Testament. "The divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life." This definition fits the pattern given throughout the entire bible, whereas the humanistic definition does not.

Truly the grace of God is available to all men as evidenced in a most familiar scripture: John 3:16. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believed in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” The key to understanding this is the word belief. The word belief and the word faith are synonymous. We, as believers, by the grace of God, come to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ through the wooing of the Holy Spirit. We didn’t do anything but make a decision to respond or not respond. And this pattern continues in the rest of our walk. Choice. Choose to obey or choose to rebel. It will always be one or the other. If we continually obey, then we will grow in Christ and take on His nature. If we obey, it will be because we have chosen to deny ourselves – choosing His will over our will – and progressively we will die to self and become more and more like Jesus. If we continually rebel, we will grow hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. We feed our carnal nature every time we choose disobedience and will become more and more worldly. If we obey, it is because we choose to believe. If we rebel it is because we are in unbelief. It is only those who believe that inherit eternal life.

This is a hard message for most of the church since most of the church has been taught error. One of the most apathy producing errors being taught is in regards to the humanity of Jesus. The prevailing theory is that Jesus was the God-man while here on earth. Jesus is presented as being both God and man at the same time. This doctrine prevents those who accept it as truth to see their true purpose and calling since they believe Jesus did the works He did because He was God. Therefore, they are unable to grasp that God is calling them to do the same works Jesus did – the same way Jesus did them – by and through the Holy Spirit as a result of being led by the Spirit. They are therefore excused from any responsibility of doing the works that He did here on earth, since if He did the works because He was God then how could they do the same works? "For even hereunto were you called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow his steps." (I Peter 2:21) Jesus demonstrated how we are called to walk, being led by the Holy Spirit. "Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Truly, Truly, I say to you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father do: for what things soever he does, these also do the Son likewise." (John 5:19) We are called to follow Jesus in the same manner, realizing that apart from Him we can do nothing.

Mark 16:16-18: “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believes not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

These verses in Mark contain a very powerful message of who we are to be in Christ. Those that believe will be used to set the captives free just as Jesus did. They will take authority over the demonic realm in the name of Jesus. “Behold I give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing by any means shall hurt you” (Luke 10:19) They will speak as the Holy Spirit gives them utterance. They will do signs, wonders, and miracles such as healing the sick – because they follow the One with whom nothing is impossible.

It is impossible to walk in this power if you do not know it is available or how to attain it. I have a compelling desire to see the body of Christ learn how to walk in the fullness of God. A key to understanding the process of God to bring you into fullness is to understand that you did not enter into fullness when you were born again. When you were born again you were a baby in Christ. Just as a human child is expected to grow, not by himself but with the nurturing of parents, so it is with the spiritual child. We are not to remain in infancy but grow in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. We are called to perfection. “Be you therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48) Hebrews 6:1 says: “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on to perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works.”

Perfection means ‘perfect condition; faultlessness; highest excellence’. When you were born again your spirit received the “incorruptible seed” (I Peter 1:23): “being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and abides forever”. Your soul (mind, will, emotions) and your flesh were not changed at all. The soul is now influenced by the spirit, but the flesh will continue to seek to lead the soul. Whichever is stronger, the spirit or the flesh, will be the leader. Paul says in Galatians 3:3: “Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh?” Since everything produces after its kind, only perfection can produce perfection. Obedience to the flesh/carnal nature can only produce flesh/carnal nature which can only produce death. “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Romans 8:6) Obedience to the Spirit of God will produce life and peace by way of subduing the flesh. As the flesh is progressively subdued, more room is available for the Spirit which makes us more Christlike.

Suffering is the chosen tool used by God to subdue the flesh. Paul says in Romans 8:18: “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us”. We, who are born again, have the glory of God resident within us – covered by our carnal/sin nature. If we choose to be disobedient then we will maintain this covering and continue to look like the world. But if we will be obedient by denying ourselves, thereby allowing the Lord to crucify our flesh, then He will overcome the flesh/sin/carnal nature in us and the glory of God will be revealed. We will become the image of Christ and we will fulfill Galatians 2:20: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me”.