Good works are, well, good right? An unsaved person can help a person and it is a good work; a good thing. Does an unbeliever have NO GOOD WORKS? Yes, of course they do! And this is where confusion begins.
But does an unbeliever’s good works save him from the sins he has committed? No, NEVER! This is the part some find hard to understand. Then they go to church because they seek God and forgiveness and they hear from a pulpit that good works are ‘REQUIRED ‘ for Salvation through Christ. That it is Christ PLUS good works that save. You must do more good works than bad works or you might just not be saved at all.
Friends, I am telling you by God’s Word (not my opinion); THAT IS SUPER FALSE GOSPEL! It is a doctrine straight from the devil, who is orchestrating this subtle LIE to deceive people so they do not actually get saved by Christ’s atonement ! To stop people from hearing the GOOD NEWS; The Gospel Of Grace Through Jesus Christ.
And when a true Gospel believer teaches others that Works are not required for salvation and that if you sin after being saved, that your sins will not mean loss of your salvation, immediately the flesh in their minds shouts that it is heresy. Yet, this is exactly what the Bible teaches!
It is not that it means, go and sin all you want because the grace of God is abounding (Romans 6:1-2) but it is truth. Apostle Paul is clear. What many believers miss, (and it is because of false gospel teachers!) is that there is a difference between a believer’s NEW SPIRIT and a persons MIND. They are not the same.
The Spirit is redeemed but the MIND – needs renewing (Romans 12)! The problem is there is a fine line when sharing the Gospel because many teach works are REQUIRED to be saved and not just belief in Christ – and that is actually FALSE GOSPEL (Galatians 5:4. Eph 2:8-9, John 3:18, John 6:37-40). Apostle Paul says that such false teachers are to be ACCURSED as we read in Galatians 1:8. That is Serious stuff! Paul goes on to state this dire warning,
“Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.” (Galatians 5:4 KJV)
NO EFFECT UNTO YOU! That is not a good place to be. That is relying on our works and not Jesus’ finished work on the cross, paying for the sins OF THE WHOLE WORLD (1 John 2:2). Believing that works are a REQUIREMENT of Salvation may mean, you did not understand the Gospel of your salvation in the first place. VERY Scary thought! Jesus warned the same in Matthew 7:23. It is God’s GRACE ALONE that saves us through belief on Christ. Do not add ANYTHING to that! Doing so, is the sin of PRIDE. The very sin the devil himself committed. We need to be humble.
The truth is a believer is SEALED in Salvation from the moment of belief in Christ for righteousness (John 3:14-18, John 6:37-40, Ephesians 1:12-14, ) and we are MADE BY GOD the righteousness of God, IN CHRIST (2 Cor., 5:17-21) and are COMPLETE IN CHRIST (Colossians 2) It is by the OPERATION OF GOD that He changes our Spirit, our heart. But Salvation is NOT by our works , nor kept by our works neither! This NEW SPIRIT we have been given as an UNMERITED GIFT from God through belief on Christ alone, by the indwelling Holy Spirit and the Word of God in the Bible, starts to renew our mind (Romans 12).
Our Spirit is PERFECT, redeemed and COMPLETE IN CHRIST and is SEATED WITH CHRIST – right now in the present tense as Paul wrote. But our MIND still has the old DEAD spirit thoughts and beliefs which need to be renewed by who we now are – the righteousness of God, in Christ. This all happens the moment we BELIEVE ON CHRIST. SAVED ETERNALLY!!
This is NOT my opinion. In fact, go read the Bible yourself and see the truth!
Jesus said it very simply and clearly in John 3:18,
“He that BELIEVETH ON HIM is NOT CONDEMNED: but he that BELIEVETH NOT is condemned ALREADY, BECAUSE he hath NOT BELIEVED in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:18 KJV)
As we renew our wrong beliefs and thoughts in the mind, and we find them replaced by God’s truth, we almost effortlessly make RIGHT DECISIONS in our mind which work outwardly to good works. Perfectly, without ever sinning? No. Our mind has the corrupt FLESH in it still and will until we are bodily resurrected. But we should see good works in our life in an increasing way. Not that our Salvation relies on it; it is just outward evidence of our salvation just like the book of James teaches. That is what Apostle Paul was explaining in Ephesians 2. He wrote the words “UNTO GOOD WORKS”.
Salvation and justification with God is ONLY by belief in Christ but because we start changing over time (each of us at different paces), God’s good works start shining outwardly. It is God working THROUGH US! Amazing yes?
GOOD WORKS FLOW FROM THE SOURCE!
Holy Spirit >> The SPIRIT of GOD >> MIND RENEWING >> DECISIONS >> Good works or sin outwardly in the Body.
“Now to him that worketh is the reward NOT reckoned of grace, but OF DEBT. But to him that worketh NOT, but BELIEVETH ON HIM (Jesus) that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for RIGHTEOUSNESS.” (Romans 4:4-5 KJV)
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“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” (Galatians 2 KJV)
GET THIS RIGHT:
IT IS ONLY GOD WHO CHANGES US and KEEPS US SAVED
Yes, GOOD WORKS FOLLOW after our moment of Salvation and conversion in the Spirit. Yet it is not self righteous forced works to ‘remain saved’. We are saved ETERNALLY (John 3:16-18) from the very moment of belief on Christ (Ephesians 1:13-14). Instead, it is God’s Works THROUGH US by RIGHT BELIEVING from our redeemed Spirit.
“8 For BY GRACE are ye saved THROUGH FAITH; and that NOT OF YOURSELVES: it is the GIFT OF GOD: 9 NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are HIS WORKMANSHIP, CREATED IN CHRIST UNTO GOOD WORKS, which God hath before ordained that we SHOULD walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10 KJV)
The devil can only be in one place at one time. Same goes for the fallen angels that rebelled against God in pride. They are still angels but have rebelled against God and are now, fallen angels. Angels are not what people become at physical death. Angels are a completely different creation of God than humankind.
ANGELS CAN HEAR US AUDIBLY
Angels can see what we write and what we do. Angels can see how we react to things as well. They see our faults and try to give us FEAR over them. FEAR is the opposite of FAITH. That is why we see Jesus so many times in Gospels telling people to FEAR NOT and WORRY NOT.
ANGELS HAVE RANKS LIKE AN ARMY
Fallen angels too. This is how the fallen angels scheme against us which Apostle Paul calls the ‘ wiles of the devil ‘ in Ephesians 6.
An Example:
You have a stressful situation at work. At home you cry, scream out about it etc. A fallen angel hears you and can tell higher ranking fallen angels who PLAN and scheme how they can make it worse. Commands and orders go out to various fallen angels to try to get people to do things to make it worse for you etc.
The fallen angels of satan do know that as a believer our Spirit is already redeemed. THEY CANNOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT THAT! WE ARE SAVED ETERNALLY! Yet, they do not want us helping others to be saved. So they scheme to stress us, keep us busy with other things. They try to excite the old Flesh, wrong beliefs in our mind from our now DEAD old Spirit of Man.
So as believers we should watch what we say. And be careful what we do. Not only are unbelievers watching us, which can affect our witness of the Gospel to them, but fallen angels are watching too! And they are our adversary!
They will scheme against us to have us act wrongly by exciting The Flesh in our mind so we will make wrong decisions resulting in sin, and the bad consequences sin causes in our life, and in the lives of others. Why? So we are less effective sharing the Gospel!
In Ephesians 6, Apostle Paul explains this:
“10 Finally, my brethren, be strong IN THE LORD, and in the power of HIS MIGHT. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able TO STAND AGAINST THE WILES OF THE DEVIL. 12 For we wrestle NOT against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour OF GOD, that ye may be able to WITHSTAND in the evil day, and having done all, TO STAND. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about WITH TRUTH, and having on the breastplate of RIGHTEOUSNESS; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel OF PEACE; 16 Above all, taking the SHIELD OF FAITH, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet OF SALVATION, and the sword of THE SPIRIT, which is the WORD OF GOD: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication IN THE SPIRIT, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication FOR ALL SAINTS; 19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth BOLDLY, TO MAKE KNOWN THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL,” (Ephesians 6:10-19 KJV)
We need to renew our mind by the Spirit, and the Holy Spirit indwelling us, and by the Word of God (Romans 12). This is true repentance AFTER being saved by belief on Christ; we ‘change our MIND’ (the very definition of the word Repent in the Bible) by God’s Word. We change our old Fleshly thoughts and beliefs in THE MIND (Romans 7). We live outwardly as we BELIEVE in the MIND. This is what ‘putting on the armor of God’ is truly all about!
The devil and his angels can only excite wrong beliefs in a believer’s mind (The Flesh). The more we replace these wrong beliefs by the truth of God’s Word, the less the devil and his angels can deceive us with fear!
This Is True Repentance For A Saved Believer
Change our MIND! Do not focus on changing just what you DO, or how you live outwardly. That is the same as following the Law to please God and is doomed to fail! Ever see a sign saying ‘do not walk on the grass’ when you were young and unsaved? Made you want to walk on it more huh?
Following the Law only produces fear, the very opposite of faith.
Following the Law in our own efforts to please God will make us sin more – not less!
“Moreover the law entered, that the offence MIGHT ABOUND. But where sin abounded, grace did MUCH MORE ABOUND:” (Romans 5:20 KJV)
“The sting of death is sin; and the STRENGTH OF SIN IS THE LAW.”
(1 Corinthians 15:56 KJV)
What we need to do is Walk in the Spirit God made us at our conversion in belief on Christ, by FAITH instead.
“But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” (Galatians 3:11 KJV)
We need to CHANGE OUR MIND. This is the ‘repenting’ a believer should focus on AFTER the moment of their Salvation. Change what we BELIEVE IN OUR MIND. Right believing leads to right living and is God working through us UNTO GOOD WORKS.
“For by GRACEare ye savedTHROUGH FAITH; and that not of yourselves: it is the GIFT of God: NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast. For we are HIS WORKMANSHIP, CREATED IN Christ Jesus UNTO good works, which God hath before ordained that we SHOULD walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10 KJV)
Understand who God made us in Christ. We were made by God by imputation the righteousness of God, IN CHRIST (2 Corinthians 5:17-21) in The Spirit. We are present tense, COMPLETE IN HIM and ALREADY risen WITH Christ in the Spirit (Colossians 2)! Knowing who we now are IN CHRIST, then we should stand in the power of Gods might – BY FAITH! (Ephesians 6:10 KJV) I am telling you, quote verse 10 when tempted or being bothered by the wiles of the Devil and he will flee! Because YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE! You KNOW WHO CHRIST MADE YOU in the Spirit!
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2 KJV)
Jesus Prayed For You And Me Before HE Ascended!
The most beautiful prayer you will read that Jesus prayed to the Father for us is found in John 17. Please read it closely, slowly and then again. So simply awesome!
“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.
And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.“ (John 17:17-26 KJV)
So, do you think that Jesus prayer
to the Father will be answered?
! YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT !
Makes me want to shout every time I read John 17 !
The question for saved believers is not ‘how holy do I need to be to keep myself saved’. The right question is to ask ‘how holy is Jesus to keep me saved’ because believers are in Christ right now!
When God looks at a believer, He sees Jesus! Our sin debt problem is finished! Believers, God is not mad at you! The wages for sin in God’s economy is DEATH. This wage has been paid in full by Christ on The cross 2000 years ago.
+ JESUS IS THE CHRIST.
+ JESUS IS GOD IN THE FLESH.
+ SALVATION IS ONLY BY BELIEF IN HIM.
Jesus is clear that He is God. He became flesh in the person of Jesus as the Christ, who lived as human without committing any sin, and that by belief that He is God come to pay for our sins, we are justified BY GOD – NOT BY OUR DEEDS (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Our sins paid and forgiven, He gave ‘WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM’ eternal life (John 3:14-18). He took our spirit of man (full of sin) to the cross where it DIED WITH CHRIST, was buried WITH CHRIST, and ROSE WITH CHRIST (Romans 6, Colossians 2), our sin debt paid in full as a NEW CREATION of God that HE MADE US , which is the very RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD, IN CHRIST (2 Corinthians 5:17-21 KJV).
All accomplished by His GIFT OF GRACE without works required but UNTO good works (Ephesians 2:8-10).
“And WITHOUT CONTROVERSARY great is the mystery of godliness: GOD WAS MANIFEST IN THE FLESH, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” (1 Timothy 3:16 KJV)
“And the Word as MADE FLESH, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of GRACE AND TRUTH.” (John 1:14 KJV)
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word WAS GOD.” (John 1:1 KJV)
Notice a capital W in Word. That because it is a NAME!
“Ye are my witnesses, SAITH THE LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and BELIEVE me, and understand that I AM HE: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, EVEN I, AM THE LORD; and beside ME there is no saviour” (Isaiah 43:10-11 KJV)
‘Fear thou not; for Iam with thee: be not dismayed; for Iam thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of MY RIGHTEOUSNESS.” (Isaiah 41:10 KJV)
Believers are held by God’ hand and God’s righteousness. Not by ours!
Whenever Jesus repeats Himself in a passage, He wants us to UNDERSTAND THIS! Here is Jesus with more repetition… UNDERSTAND THIS!
“14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM should not perish, but have ETERNAL LIFE.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM should not perish, but have EVERLASTING LIFE.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world THROUGH HIM MIGHT BE SAVED.
18 He that BELIEVETH ON HIM is not condemned: but he that BELIEVETH NOT is condemned ALREADY, because he hath NOT BELIEVED in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:14-18 KJV)
“I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for IF YE BELIEVE NOT , that I AM HE, ye shall die in your sins.” (John 8:24 KJV)
Justification in Salvation is by BELIEF ALONE that Jesus is the prophesied Messiah, the Christ, who is God, who came as foretold to live a sinless life, and with grace and truth had our sins imputed onto Him and paid for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2), as the final once for all blood sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 10:10).
What About Following His commandments?
1. FOR UNBELIEVERS:
For unbelievers, who are believing there is no God or that they rely on being a good person and their good works or relying on religious rituals, to be justified with God; God’s will for them is to believe Jesus is the Christ. To understand that self righteous works will not save them! Law following will not pay for sins!
Jesus answered clearly when asked by unbelievers how they can do the ‘will of God’ ,
“…this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is THE WILL OF HIM THAT SENT ME, that every one which seeth the Son, AND BELIEVETH ON HIM, may have EVERLASTING LIFE: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:39-40 KJV)
2. FOR SAVED BELIEVERS ON CHRIST’S FINISHED WORK :
Jesus gave eternally saved believers two commandments:
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40 KJV)
1. Love the Lord thy God with all our heart, soul, and our mind.
2. Love your neighbor as yourself.
To keep ourselves saved? No. He never said that to BELIEVERS. Jesus constantly states and repeats that our justification is only by BELIEF ON HIM.
These two commands are not a conditional statement like the Law. They are the morals of the Law which is living right and in great gratitude for God’s unconditional love for us. For His GRACE!
Our newly created Spirit (2 Corinthians 5:17-21) and the indwelling Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14) guide and help believers to renew and CHANGE THEIR MIND (the Biblical definition of repentance).
Believers , overtime, start replacing our left over old Spirit of man beliefs (The Flesh) with the truth of God’s Word. Right believing in THE MIND leads and allows our new Spirit of God to make decisions that result in outward good works. This is what Apostle Paul means by ‘walking in the Spirit’ in his writings. Our REAL SELF, our core being is our Spirit and so why walk by our now DEAD OLD SPIRIT OF SIN by our wrong fleshly sinful beliefs in our mind. Renew our mind instead! It is all GOD’S GRACE.
BELIEVER: FEAR NOT!
If you, as a believer in Christ, have sin consciouness and your feelings are deceiving to fear loss of Salvation, stop. God says to believers,
“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities WILL I REMEMBER NO MORE.” (Hebrews 10:16 KJV)
Believers have one thing mentioned to fear and it is not loss of Salvation….
“Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into HIS REST, any of you should seem to come short of it.” (Hebrews 4:1 KJV)
Believers…. REST IN CHRIST’S FINISHED WORK TO SAVE YOU.
“And he that taketh not HIS cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” (Matthew 10:38-39 KJV)
MATTHEW 10: Instructions For Service As Disciples
Up until Matthew 10, the disciples have learned the Gospel message and seen the miracles of Jesus. Now they are about to experience this for themselves. Jesus sends the Disciples out to preach the good news of the Gospel. He sends them to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel”. Jesus knows the threats they will face. He knows the fear they will have in proclaiming the good news to the Jewish people He is sending them to. He is sending them with the message of the Gospel that the Messiah has come and that Jesus from Nazareth is the foretold Messiah that would come and save them from their sins. To share the first hand account of the miracles performed by Jesus even to rising people from death back to life.
The fear in proclaiming the Gospel to the Jewish people is because the teachings of Jesus went directly against the grain of what the Pharisees taught. The nation of Israel at that time, from the religious leaders down to the people themselves, were believing in following the Law of Moses (which was 613 Laws which included the Ten Commandments given to Moses) in order to gain righteousness before God. Jesus’ teachings were threatening this belief and the people were following Christ more and more. The Jewish Pharisee leaders felt threatened about losing the power they had over the people. As Jesus taught, they were all about the ‘letter of the Law’ but ignored the ‘heart of the Law’. Jesus proclaimed that He is the foretold Messiah and that He forgave sins and many called His saying this as blasphemy. Jesus told the Jewish people and Pharisees that He is the Son Of God. He did this right at the start of His ministry to the Jewish people in the synagogue of His home town, by quoting Old Testament prophecy about the Messiah to come, saying ‘in your hearing this has been fulfilled’ (Luke 4:21).
Jesus knew the fear they had and also knew what they would go through in each city and town they were being sent to. He knew they , as He, would be rejected by many, and also threatened in persecution by many in this endeavor.
Jesus did give them powers to heal and to cast out demons from people. He gave them the ability to heal even lepers and to raise people from the dead! These were some serious powers Jesus bestowed on them for their missions to preach the Gospel to the cities and towns in Israel.
However, Jesus also told them that they will have to rely on God for everything. They were denied bringing their own money, no extra cloths, no extras sandals for their journey (a big deal in the sandy region back then!). They could not even bring a staff with them for protection. They will have powers but they would also be vulnerable to an extreme (Matthew 10:9-11). They are being sent out as “sheep among wolves”! I believe what they went through also prepared them for what was to come after Christ ascended and they went out to preach the Gospel.
Jesus explains to them that this is not going to be an easy task, even with the powers He bestows on them. He tells them things that will happen that would give anyone great fear. They will be facing arrest, possible beatings, persecution (even by their own family members and friends). A fear that those being preached to would want to kill them even (Matthew 10:16-23). Jesus explains to them that if the Master is persecuted then so shall they as the disciples preaching the same message that Jesus was preaching to the Jewish people. The Pharisee religious leaders were brutal towards Jesus and so the disciples too are being sent directly into the same kind of situation. After telling them this Jesus encouraged the disciples to not fear these people that will do such to them. Instead FEAR GOD. Trust in God in this task with every fiber of their being.
This is the context of Matthew 10, sending the disciples to preach the Gospel. They were sent to “the house of Israel” and we need to keep that context in focus. At the same time, there is something relative to us today on this side of the cross as well. Telling others about Jesus is not easy. Witnessing can be a fearful endeavor. Even family members are known to turn backs on believers. Even today there is great persecution against Christians in the world. So this whole chapter can apply to believers who choose to be disciples in this way. We may not have all those powers Jesus gave them but we have the complete Word of God today.
This is the context of Matthew 10. In Matthew 10:38-39 we then read,
“And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” (Matthew 10:38-39 KJV)
Some are taking these two verses out of the context for Matthew 10 and making it about our salvation. That would be wrong because Jesus is talking to already saved disciples here. Matthew 10 is all about instructions for service as a disciple. It is not about salvation other then helping others hear the good news of the Gospel to help others believe in Christ for righteousness and salvation.
Some are also saying that Matthew 10 applies to us as well today as believers, fully. Remember that from verses 5 to 10 that the commission here in Matthew 10 is specific to the original Twelve Disciples, not all who came to believe on Jesus at that time. The powerful abilities Christ gave them was for them alone at that time. No one since that time has been given such authority and power. In Matthew 10, this is focused on the disciples alone preaching the truth to the Jewish people of Israel, to the “house of Israel”. That said, once Jesus went to the cross and rose again and then ascended, the Church Age believers too are called to preach the Gospel (See Acts 1:8). So there are points here we too can take to heart.
DISCIPLES: Take The Cross & Follow Jesus
By saying to take the cross and follow Christ, Jesus is telling the disciples they will now have to carry a cross to bear as He has. At this point in time, Jesus has not gone to the cross and so to the disciples, they did not see that cross event. That stated, they certainly knew what the cross bearing meant! It was going against the powerful Roman Authority. The teaching of the Gospel to Israel caused quite a bit of turmoil. The Jewish leaders were in fear of the turmoil Jesus was causing as well. The disciples understood this well. The punishment of death by crucifixion was a very public and painful punishment unto death for anyone convicted and sentenced to face it in those days. Criminals and even those who went against the authority of Rome feared it. Jesus was telling them that they needed to follow Him and preach the Gospel even under the most fearful of all persecutions, even such a horrible death. They did not know it at the time, but Jesus Himself would be crucified and here we see Jesus foreshadowing this event which only those of us on this side of Jesus’ crucifixion see clearly.
DICSIPLES: Lose Your Life For Jesus’ sake And Find Eternal Life
Jesus is encouraging them that even though they are about to face persecution and great fear from some of those who they will proclaim the Gospel truth to, they will be helping others find eternal life and they themselves as well. It is about aligning their lives to God and the Gospel and that means they will forgo living their lives for the worldly.
This is what “making disciples” of others is about. This is sharing the Gospel in face of anything that comes. What the Twelve Disciples did, changed many minds unto salvation for all who believed. And after Christ ascended, look what the Apostles did. Look how they changed people’s minds. Because of what they did, we today know the truth of the Gospel and God continues to bring people around the globe, both Jew and Gentile, to the knowledge of the truth.
Applications Of Matthew 10 For Today, On This Side Of The Cross Of Jesus Christ
A person is saved from the very moment of belief when we TAKE the cross. That is, when we believe the Gospel. This word TAKETH in Strongs Greek Concordance is ‘Lambano’, which means to ‘grab a hold of’. We accept the GIFT of Salvation Jesus paid through the cross of Jesus. God’s hand reaches out to every person and offers the gift of Salvation. It can be accepted and TAKEN or rejected and not taken. When a person takes it and grabs hold of Salvation (Lambano), that person is saved that very moment (John 3:18, Ephesians 1:13-14). This is to be saved by the cross. A person believes by faith and taking the gift is how they receive it.
BEING A DISCIPLE IS THE NEXT STEP OF A BELIEVER
Later, in Matthew 16:24, we notice that Jesus uses a DIFFERENT Greek word, Strongs G142, ‘airo‘. It’s meaning is different that lambano. It is defined as ‘to lift up; by implication, to take up or away; figuratively, to raise ‘:
“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and TAKE UP his cross, and follow me.” (Matthew 16:4 KJV)
So Lambano is simply to ‘grab hold of’ and airo is to ‘lift up’. So we are to grab hold of the cross in Salvation and then lift it up. This is what Jesus asks us to do with the cross. Just as the man who helped Jesus carry the cross when He stumbled and fell carrying the cross. The man grabbed the cross of Jesus and lifted it up (see Matthew 27).
So we are to not only make a decision to take hold of the cross in receiving the unmerited gift of Salvation; We are to lift it up on our shoulders and SHARE IN the cross.
WHICH CROSS BEARING SAVES US TODAY?
Jesus bore the suffering and paid for the sins of the whole world on that cross. Only He can do this! Why? Because He is the only one who never sinned! He is God in the flesh who bore our sins on that cross.
Are we without sin? Nope…we have sin right? So Jesus saying we need to ‘take up’ (airo) is not about our cross bearing and being the once for all sacrifice for sins that Jesus is (Hebrews 10:10).
However, by taking and grabbing hold of the cross, we partake in belief. The cross is about one thing to criminals and that is DEATH! Paying for their crimes with their very lives! Before being saved, it must be understood that by believing Salvation by the cross of Christ that we know where it is going to head… to the death of our Spiritual self.
TWO DEATHS ARE REQUIRED FOR OUR SALVATION
In Romans 6:23, Paul tells us that,
“… the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life THROUGH Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Our self righteous efforts nor good works can save us. These things are not the currency that can pay for our sins committed. In God’s economy, the payment required is death. And looking at the Greek for this word it is actually talking about Spiritual death.
By grabbing hold of what Jesus did on the cross and lifting it up onto our shoulders, we willingly share in losing our life WITH CHRIST as partakers.
“He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” (Matthew 10:39 KJV)
Only Jesus paid for our sins. But by belief on Christ Paul tells us that…
“Knowing this, that our old man is CRUCIFIED WITH HIM, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that IS DEAD is FREED FROM SIN. Now if we be DEAD WITH CHRIST , we believe that we shall also LIVE WITH HIM:” (Romans 6:6-8 KJV)
“Buried WITH HIM in baptism, wherein also ye are risen WITH HIM through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.” (Colossians 2:12 KJV)
The real us is our Spirit. You see, by taking hold of the cross in belief that Christ paid for our sins, our old unsaved Spirit of Man (which Paul referred to as our ‘old man’), was placed on the cross WITH CHRIST. Christ’s death paid the penalty required for our sins; Spiritual death. But we too, as believers in Christ had our sins paid in OUR Spiritual death WITH CHRIST. In that moment, an exchanged happened ON THE CROSS.
When Christ died, we died (in the Spirit). When Christ rose, WE ROSE a new being in the Spirit. In foreknowledge of all who will believe on Christ for Salvation, God placed believers, IN CHRIST, on that cross! God took all our sins and imputed them onto Christ. At the same time God imputed Jesus’ righteousness onto us (2 Corinthians 5). Our spirit was placed in Christ and Christ bore the physical and Spiritual punishment and pain on the cross and we BOTH DIED.
The wages of sin was completely satisfied with the Father!
Paul says clearly, in the present tense, right now, as believers in Christ,
“And YE ARE COMPLETE IN HIM, which is the head of all principality and power:” (Colossians 2: 10 KJV)
Did we earn that? NO WAY. It was imputed to us by belief on Christ alone. Believers are in Christ, FOREVER. Our body is here on Earth but the real us, The Spirit of God is wherever Christ is, because we are in Christ!
In Ephesians Apostle Paul tells us,
“And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:” (Ephesians 2:6 KJV)
We also read this in 1 John 4:
“Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because AS HE IS, SO ARE WE IN THIS WORLD.” (1 John 4:17 KJV)
The seat is about our position in Christ. Our Spirit resides in our soul and is housed in our body. But our Spirit is now also one with Christ, who is one with the Father and the indwelling Holy Spirit.
BEING A DISCIPLE TODAY IS ABOUT LIVING OUT OUR FAITH, FROM SALVATION
The world is offended by Salvation. In pride, the unsaved person thinks they are a good enough person in self righteous good works, Law following and religious rituals to appease God. “Do good…Get good.” Be good to pay for the bad deeds. Do a ritual and God will forgive. DO, DO, DO….but that is a bunch of “doo doo!’ It simply is not Biblical.
Apostle Paul considered everything the law gained him as “skybalon” which is in the Greek the literal word for “poop”! (Philippians 3:4-8) Pretty graphic and strong words again from Paul. See, this is important for a person’s very Salvation and witness to others!
We read in Luke 14:26-27 KJV,
“If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be MY DISCIPLE. And whosoever doth not BEAR his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.”
Again, in proper context, we see here that Jesus is talking about being a disciple. He is sending the future apostles out to preach the Gospel and He is telling them many will be greatly offended and lash out at them.
The Greek word BEARING OUR CROSS is Strong’s G941, ‘bastazo‘ and means ‘to lift, literally or figuratively (endure, declare, sustain, receive, etc.):—bear, carry, take up.’
This word is about our ‘enduring’ and ‘bearing’ the truth of the cross when sharing it with others. Especially with those living under a performance based belief for righteousness with God, steeped in traditions and Law following with no assurance of Salvation. That is so horrible!
Being a disciple of Christ and the atonement for sin by the cross carries with it persecution and suffering by the unbelieving world in response. Mention GOD and some may disagree and others will say they believe there is a God. Well, try mentioning Jesus is the only way to have our sins forgiven because of the cross and we get a very different response indeed! A major offence resulting is persecution and ridicule. I have been called ‘narrow minded’ many times – but they do not understand GRACE!
WHEN IS A BELIEVER, A DISCIPLE?
At what point do we become a disciple then? Is it when we accept the gift of Salvation by belief on Christ and ‘Lambano‘; grab hold of and take the cross? The prerequisite is believing the Gospel of Salvation through Christ’s finished work. Following Christ and sharing the Gospel with others is where discipleship comes into play.
Being a disciple of Christ means that we are willing to live out who we now are in Christ and it means we will have to endure persecution at times. The enduring is not what keeps us saved. It is just a reality of being a disciple of Christ.
Know who you are in Christ. You are no longer your dead old spirit of man, with a very nature to want to sin all the time. Your old self DIED WITH CHRIST, so why walk in the ways of the flesh (Romans 6:2) ? Deny your old self thoughts in the mind by replacing wrong beliefs with right beliefs. This is what Paul tells us to do. Renew our minds by the truth of the Gospel (Romans 12) and who God made us at our conversion; the very righteousness of God, in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21)
“Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:11 KJV)
We all have things that happen in our life that blindside us. Others fail us or betray us expectantly. Work situations affect our financial well being. Family situations arise. That’s life. I say.. THAT’S LIFE!
This is how I look at this in the Spirit. Not only is it important to be careful what you say to others – but even to yourself out loud!
Demons / Fallen Angels Are Real
Fallen angels are everywhere. They cannot hear our thoughts – only God can. Yet, fallen angels have RANKS like an army just as the good angels do. (Jesus is commander in chief, Cherubim, Arch angels.. etc) Remember what the definition of the word ANGEL is.. It is defined as “a messenger”.
Lower ranking ones inform the higher ranking ones, who will then scheme and make plans against you.
KNOW THIS! UNDERSTAND THIS
If your thoughts come out of your mouth and one is hanging around (and there are many of them out there! 1/3 of all the angelic host fell) – they will hear and they will at on it against you.
For example, if you are upset or worried about some particular situation at work… and you scream it out in frustration at home by yourself with no one around, and they hear, that fallen one will go tell the higher ranking fallen angels.
The higher ranking ones will then start schemeing a plan and send out orders for other fallen angels to DO THINGS and to excite the ‘flesh’ emotions in he minds of people at work, who can affect the situation even more negatively. They are good at this. They have observed and done this to people for thousands of years now!
Jesus told us clearly that trouble will hit us at times in life.
“…In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. ” (John 16:33 KJV)
I love it when Jesus uses that little word “BUT” in Scriptures. When He uses that little word it usually means… SIT DOWN – THIS IS POWERFUL. It is so important to pray to God in faith about frustrating and worrying situations we all face. When I face such situations I immediately pray to God in my mind. He is the number one ‘goto’ in bad situations! He loves us! I pray to stop the fallen ones and for God to make a show of their efforts and to foil them at every turn when I face these situations that cause worry. We need to remember as Apostle Paul told us,
“…all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28 KJV)
Act in faith with full assurance that God is all knowing and all powerful and that He loes you so much that He sent Jesus to die on the cross for us. The amazing LOVE OF GOD! GOD IS ALWAYS THE FIRST PLACE TO TURN TOO IN FAITH when things blind side us in life ! He is right here – within us and FOR US ALWAYS.
It’s complicated right? We are after all a complicated creation of a even more complicated God! Some Scriptures seem to convey that our Soul is the same as our Spirit. Other Scriptures show they are not the same. And then we read Apostle Paul’s letters which are teaching about our Mind and the Old Man and our New Man. Then we see passages about the Body being corrupted. This thing called SIN. It is complicated!
Yet, as believers in Christ, we really need to bring all these things together to understand who we really are as a redeemed human being. And understand what happened to us when we received the gift of Salvation through belief on Christ for our justification with God.
Let’s look closer in the Word of God for the truth together shall we?
There are Old Testament passages that are about The Soul written before the event of the cross. Before the New Covenant of the Gospel of Grace Through Jesus Christ crucified, that Apostle Paul taught. Most in the Old Testament, speak of our OLD SELF, what Paul refers to as our OLD MAN. Unredeemed. Needing sins covered by sacrificing unblemished Lambs to cover the sins of the Jews of Israel. The high priest doing his thing to keep the people’s sins covered until, as the writer of the book of Hebrews puts it, the Messiah would come and be the once for all payment for the sins of the whole world (Hebrews 10:10).
In John 3, Jesus told a top Jewish Pharisee, (Nicodemus) that we must be born again in “The Spirit”. Jesus then goes on to tell Nicodemus HOW to be born again in verses 14-18; which is by belief on Christ.
SALVATION STARTS WITH A DEATH
∴ The Spirit Of Man
When Apostle Paul writes about our ‘old man‘ he is talking about the Spirit Of Man. He also refers to this as our Adam nature. I also refer to it as my ‘old self’ to give clarity in my writing. If you think about it a moment, who is the real you? Is it your body or your spirit? It is your spirit, it is the ‘self’. It is the real us. We control our body by our spiritual self. It is our very core being. So I sometimes refer to it as our ‘self’.
The Spirit of Man is our Spiritual Self Before Salvation.
This is the core spiritual being of every person before they are saved. For a believer in Christ for righteousness, this core being, our Old Self is now DEAD. It is dead and raised again as a new creation called The Spirit Of God.
Apostle Paul tells us that from the moment we believe on Christ for righteous, and not Law of Moses following nor by good works, that our OLD SELF DIED and this was written in the past tense (Romans 6). Paul wrote this in the past tense because it already happened and it is finished now. It was fully accomplished on the cross by Jesus. It is not that we need to work to attain, nor to keep, this new self, this new creation called The Spirit Of God. Paul is clearly telling us that our Old Self, our Old Spirit Of Man, literally DIED on the cross WITH CHRIST, was baptized in Christ (born again), became eternal and was SEALED by the Holy Spirit of promise (John 3:14-18, Ephesians 1:13-14), buried WITH CHRIST, rose WITH CHRIST a new creature, is right now (in present tense) SEATED WITH CHRIST and COMPLETE IN CHRIST (Colossians 2), hidden IN CHRIST (Colossians 3), and has become the righteousness of God, IN CHRIST ( 2 Cor. 5:21). This is all in The Spirit – not The Body.
∴ The Spirit Of God
In Paul’s writings we see that Paul refers to the new creation in us, TheNew Spirit Of God believers now are through Salvation by belief in Christ, as ‘The Spirit’. When Paul talks about The Spirit he is referring to who a person has become from the very moment of belief on Christ. He is talkig about or New Spirit Of God. This is the new us now and is the very CORE of our being. Our very NATURE was changed and we are a NEW CREATION in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17), that Paul calls ‘The Spirit‘.
The Spirit never sins (1 John 3) and is the very righteous of God, in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21) and is deemed by God as without sin. Why? Because Jesus already paid for all our sins on that cross. But we can and do still sin in the body. Our OLD SELF thoughts in The Mind were ‘sin bent’ because our very nature of our old self, our old Spirit Of Man, wanted to sin as it’s very nature. We sinned because we had a sin nature. Born into sin. Our sin nature died with Christ and was replaced with The Spirit Of God. Why then do we still sin as believers if The Spirit is our very core being now? Thankfully, Apostle Paul wrote much about this very question in his letters in the New Testament.
The answer is when Paul writes about The Mind of a believer. Paul explains that it is because our Body has not yet been regenerated, and will not be until our bodily resurrection. Our old sin nature is dead as believers but our Mind is still corrupted with the Old Self thoughts and emotions and thought processes, left over in the mind. This is what Paul refers to when he is writing about ‘The Flesh’. That is why Paul says we need to Renew OUR MIND by the Word of God and bring every THOUGHT into submission to the image of Christ (Romans 12).
This is a believer’s process of sanctification (John 17:17). Our Spirit is IN CHRIST. By belief on the only payment for our sins, Christ crucified died and risen (1 Cor. 15:1-4), a person is Redeemed, born again. Christ abides in us and we abide in Christ (John 15). Jesus explains that believers are one with the Father and Holy Spirit because Christ is one with the Father and we are in Christ. (John 17). Our body is still corrupt, not regenerated though.
∴ The Mind
The Mind seems to be the connector between The Body and The Spirit, inThe Soul.
However, as believers, we have this war in our mind between thoughts of the new self, the new real us which God made us at our conversion (The Spirit) and the left over sin bent thoughts and processes of the OLD MAN, our Old Self; The Flesh. Paul explains it in Romans 7. And we see that it is SIN...not the new us in The Spirit that does the acts of sin when we sin in The Body, as believers.
“For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
Now then it is NO MORE I THAT DO IT, BUT SIN THAT DWELLETH IN ME.
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for TO WILL IS PRESENT WITH ME; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Now if I do that I would not, it is NO MORE I THAT DO IT, BUT SIN THAT DWELLETH IN ME.” (Romans 7:15-20 KJV)
The battle for right living AFTER SALVATION, is in The Mind. Paul tells us that the battle is in our mind which is in our Soul which is connected to our Spirit, yet is NOT our Spirit.
Before Salvation, our old man (our Old Self), which was of a sin nature, controlled our Soul. Influenced so strongly our very thoughts in The Mind and so affected how we lived in The Body. The mind connected the body with our old sin nature self. So you see, Sin came naturally. It takes only one sin to be deemed UNRIGHTEOUS by God, because God is perfect in every way and we are not. We were lost. Separated from God by this thing called SIN.
The Romans Road to Salvation is something many use to bring people to Christ and so let us get this right! If you read Romans believing all instances of the word SIN have the same meaning; that is where confusion starts. Many times overlooked, the New Testament was written in Greek and translated into English. There are TWO Greek words for SIN in Romans and they are hamartanō (a verb) and hamartia (a noun). What is the ratio of use between these two words of either SIN as a noun or SIN as a verb? Hamartia(a noun) is used a stunning 46 out of the 48 times! Apostle Paul is talking about SIN as a noun. And what is he definition of a noun? Is it an act of doing something? No. A noun is a person, place or thing. And so when Paul uses the word SIN as a noun, he is referring to sin as a ‘place’, as ‘a position’ and as a ‘thing’. This is so important to understand!
In Romans, Paul used the word ‘sin’ the overwhelmingly majority of the time as a noun…nota verb. As a noun it is a THING and a place or position that a person is in. Before Salvation we were prisoners to this thing called sin and stuck in a position of sin because our very nature was a sinful nature at our core being. And our body, even now as believers, has been corrupted with this thingcalled sin. Paul says our corrupt body can not inherit the kingdom of God – not even after Salvation. It will die, and go back to dust.
“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood CANNOT inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.” (1 Cor. 15:50 KJV)
Paul explains about The Body to tell us our redeemed Spirit goes to God at physical death (2 Corinthians 5:8), one day to be united with a new glorified resurrected body, with no disease of sin on resurrection day when finally our corrupt body will be recreated, just as our Spirit already has.
“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be CHANGED.For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” (1 Cor. 15:51-52 KJV)
Old Testament Scripture states, that the SOUL that sins will die right (Ezekiel 18)? That is certainly true BEFORE our conversion. But our born again Spirit replaced our old sin nature , the very core of our being IN our Soul. The Spirit Of God, our new self, will never die now. We are IN CHRIST. How long will Christ live? FOREVER! We are in Him, so how long will we live as believers now? FOREVER! Amen!
So although not the same, The Spirit and The Soul are definitely connected forever in a believer. No, they are not the same, but are most certainly connected right? We need the mind. The Mind is in our Soul and is what connects to our physical body.
The body is not The Soul as some are teaching. The mind isinside The Soul. So our mind and body are not together. We see in Genesis that God first created the body and then breathed into the body and we BECAME a living Soul.
“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (Genesis 2:7 KJV)
The body alone is useless. It needs to be ALIVE. The alive part is The Soul. In The Soul is the connector between the body and our Self; The Mind. The mind is ultimately controlled by our core nature. What we call The Self, our Spirit. The real us deep inside. Before Salvation that Spirit was corrupted with a sin nature called the Spirit Of Man. After Salvation, a believer has the Spirit Of God. This friend is game changer for how we CAN live.
The wages of this THING called SIN is DEATH (Romans 6:23). When a person accepts Christ and trusts His once for all sacrifice (Hebrews 10:10) for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2) for righteousness, their OLD SELF DIED and rose with Christ. God changed the very core of our nature, in our soul.
An internal OPERATION by God, not ourselves (Colossians 2:12, Ephesians 2;8-9). The body is not yet regenerated and the mind needs to be renewed to our new core being by the guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit, who is one with Our Spirit. This takes time while we are still residing in this corrupt body.
This renewing of the mind is repenting (a word defined in the Bible as ‘changing our mind’) about many corrupt beliefs and thoughts in our mind, by God’s truth in the Word of God. The mind connects the real us to the physical world in which we live, in the body. Our Soul and Spirit as believers are absolutely eternally connected.
! Right believing in The Mind results in right living outwardly through The Body.
Why Demons Cannot Possess The Truly Born Again Person
Some are teaching that a believer can be possessed by a demon. That is just not possible after the moment of Salvation!
A demon cannot occupy where God has redeemed us. The Spirit is Holy, the very righteousness of God and one with God. Can demons influence a believer to commit sins by exciting the corrupt thoughts left over by our Old Self death though? Oh yes! They TEMPT US! Where? Do they tempt is in our new SPIRIT? NO! They know you have left over OLD THOUGHTS from your Old Self that died with Christ…where? IN YOUR MIND! that is the battle ground for living right! Not our external forced good works. It is an INTERNAL change of your mind! And demons use the senses of The Body to excite the corrupt thoughts still in The Mind, where the true battle is fought (not for redemption but for right believing and right outward living).
Yet, as we renew our minds by the truth of God’s Word, the demons cannot influence believers so easily over time. It gets harder for them indeed! It is as Jesus said,
“And ye shall know THE TRUTH, and THE TRUTH shall MAKE YOU FREE.” (John 8:32 KJV).
We start to see God’s world view more and more through the guidance of the Holy Spirit teaching us ALL TRUTH of God’s Word. And as Paul says, since our Old Man died, why walk in it’s corrupt ways anymore? IT IS DEAD! We need to realize this fact! Now live in the newness of this new you! You are alive, IN CHRIST, forever! you are rigt now, regardless of your feelings (in the mind that needs renewing) the very RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD, IN CHRIST in The Spirit. That is the amazing GIFT of our Salvation folks! Paul says to “…Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” ( Galatians 5:16 KJV). I wondered for a long time what exactly ‘walking in the Spirit’ was and how to do it. Once I understood the relationship between the Body, Soul, Mind and Spirit a big light bulb went off! Of course! I need to believe that I am now as a believer, who the Bible says that I am. Not what I ‘feel’ I am. Not that I am a sinner because I struggle with sin. Not I have to still earn my salvation. I AM THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD, IN CHRIST RIGHT NOW. Since my old Spirit is DEAD… why am I still walking by it’s ways?
Know who you now are as believers; IN CHRIST. And walk by the NEW YOU thoughts by renewing your mind by the truth of the Gospel of God’s Grace Through Jesus Christ. The Gospel of our Salvation, that Apostle Paul was commissioned by Jesus to preach to the gentiles. The Holy Spirit is within you to guide you to ALL TRUTH. How amazing! And that is for you, and for me TODAY, living today under the NEW COVENANT and in the dispensation of the Grace of God.
I have created a diagram below so you can visually see who a believer has become in Christ.
When someone asks if you are Christian today…. what do they believe Christianity actually is in these End Times?
Confusion actually. What I mean is, many think CHRISTIANITY is going to church and doing good to earn your way to Heaven. There are so many church religions teaching this false Gospel that the term ‘Christianity’ is skewed actually in these end times. In fact, the majority of ‘Christian’ formal religion organizations and denominations are teaching false gospels and are filled with many many unsaved people – who think they are saved by works. Jesus warned about this in Matthew 7.
When I am asked ‘what religion are you?’, my response is .. NONE. I am a ‘Biblical Christian’ saved by God’s grace through the once for all sacrifice for the sins of the whole world by Jesus Christ crucified, died and risen.
》》 When I say I am Christian… that does not mean the other person really knows what I mean see?
The world sees ‘Christianity’ as a RELIGION – not a relationship with Christ and a Spiritual rebirth, where we become one with Christ who is God in the flesh.
It is time to stand fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Time is short, the Lord is coming and people need THE TRUTH of the Gospel of Grace Through Jesus Christ.
It’s complicated right? We are after all a complicated creation of a even more complicated God! Some Scriptures seem to convey that our Soul is the same as our Spirit. Other Scriptures show they are not the same. And then we read Apostle Paul’s letters which are teaching about our Mind and the Old Man and our New Man. Then we see passages about the Body being corrupted. This thing called SIN. It is complicated!
Yet, as believers in Christ, we really need to bring all these things together to understand who we really are as a redeemed human being. And understand what happened to us when we received the gift of Salvation through belief on Christ for our justification with God.
Let’s look closer in the Word of God for the truth together shall we?
There are Old Testament passages that are about The Soul written before the event of the cross. Before the New Covenant of the Gospel of Grace Through Jesus Christ crucified, that Apostle Paul taught. Most in the Old Testament, speak of our OLD SELF, what Paul refers to as our OLD MAN. Unredeemed. Needing sins covered by sacrificing unblemished Lambs to cover the sins of the Jews of Israel. The high priest doing his thing to keep the people’s sins covered until, as the writer of the book of Hebrews puts it, the Messiah would come and be the once for all payment for the sins of the whole world (Hebrews 10:10).
In John 3, Jesus told a top Jewish Pharisee, (Nicodemus) that we must be born again in “The Spirit”. Jesus then goes on to tell Nicodemus HOW to be born again in verses 14-18; which is by belief on Christ.
Salvation Starts With A Spiritual Death
∴ The Spirit Of Man
When Apostle Paul writes about our ‘old man‘ he is talking about our spirit BEFORE being saved; The Spirit Of Man. He also refers to this as our Adam nature. I also refer to it as my ‘old self’ to give clarity in my writing. If you think about it a moment, who is the real you? Is it your body or your spirit? It is your spirit, it is the ‘self’. It is the real us. We control our body by our spiritual self. It is our very core being. So I sometimes refer to it as our ‘self’.
The Spirit of Man is our Spiritual Self Before Salvation.
This is the core spiritual being of every person before they are saved. For a believer in Christ for righteousness, this core being, our Old Self is now DEAD (Colossians 2, Romans 6). It is dead and raised born again as a new creation called The Spirit Of God.
Apostle Paul tells us that from the moment we believe on Christ for righteous, and not Law of Moses following nor by good works, that our OLD SELF DIED and this was written in the past tense (Romans 6, Colossians 2). Paul wrote this in the past tense because it already happened and it is finished now. It was fully accomplished on the cross by Jesus. It is not that we need to work to attain, nor to keep, this new self, this new creation called The Spirit Of God.
Paul is clearly telling us that our Old Self, our Old Spirit Of Man, literally DIED on the cross WITH CHRIST, was baptized in Christ (born again), and was made by God, eternal and was SEALED by the Holy Spirit of promise (Colossians 2, John 3:14-18, Ephesians 1:13-14).
Believers were Buried WITH CHRIST in baptism of the Spirit, rose WITH CHRIST a new creature, is right now (in present tense) SEATED WITH CHRIST and COMPLETE IN CHRIST (Colossians 2), hidden IN CHRIST (Colossians 3), and has become the righteousness of God, IN CHRIST ( 2 Cor. 5:21). This is all in The Spirit – not The Body.
∴ The Spirit Of God
In Paul’s writings, we see that Paul refers to the new creation in us; TheNew Spirit Of God believers now are through Salvation by belief in Christ, as ‘The Spirit’. When Paul talks about The Spirit he is referring to who a person has become since their very moment of belief on Christ. He is talking about our New Spirit Of God. This is the new us now and is the very CORE of our being. Our very NATURE was changed and we are a NEW CREATION in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17), that Paul calls ‘The Spirit‘.
The Spirit never sins (1 John 3) and is the very righteous of God, in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21) and is deemed by God as without sin. Why? Because Jesus already paid for all our sins on that cross. But we can, and do, still sin in the body. Our OLD SELF thoughts in The Mind were ‘sin bent’ because our very nature of our old self, our old Spirit Of Man, wanted to sin as it’s very nature. We sinned because we had a sin nature. Born into sin. Our sin nature died with Christ and was replaced with The Spirit.
Why then do we still sin as believers if The Spirit is our very core being now? Thankfully, Apostle Paul wrote much about this very question in his letters in the New Testament.
The answer is when Paul writes about The Mind of a believer. Paul explains that it is because our Body has not yet been regenerated, and will not be until our bodily resurrection. Our old sin nature is dead as believers but our Mind is still corrupted with the Old Self thoughts and emotions and thought processes, left over in the mind. This is what Paul refers to when he is writing about ‘The Flesh’.
That is why Paul says we need to Renew OUR MIND by the Word of God and bring every THOUGHT into submission to the image of Christ (Romans 12). The battle for a believer is not in our Spirit – it is in our mind!
This is a believer’s process of sanctification (John 17:17). Our Spirit is IN CHRIST. By belief on the only payment for our sins, Christ crucified died and risen (1 Cor. 15:1-4), a person is Redeemed, born again in the Spirit. Christ abides in us and we abide in Christ (John 15). Jesus explains that believers are one with the Father and Holy Spirit because Christ is one with the Father and we are in Christ. (John 17). Our body is still corrupt, not regenerated though.
∴ The Mind
The Mind seems to be the connector between The Body and The Spirit, inThe Soul. Read that again.
However, as believers, we have this war in our mind between thoughts of the new self, the new real us which God made us at our conversion (The Spirit) and the left over sin bent thoughts and processes of the OLD MAN, our Old Self; The Flesh. Paul explains it in Romans 7. And we see that it is SIN...not the new us in The Spirit that does the acts of sin when we sin in The Body, as believers.
“For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
Now then it is NO MORE I THAT DO IT, BUT SIN THAT DWELLETH IN ME.
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for TO WILL IS PRESENT WITH ME; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Now if I do that I would not, it is NO MORE I THAT DO IT, BUT SIN THAT DWELLETH IN ME.” (Romans 7:15-20 KJV)
The battle for right living AFTER SALVATION, is in The Mind. Our Spirit remains redeemed! Paul tells us that the battle is in our mind which is in our Soul which is connected to our Spirit, yet is NOT our Spirit.
Before Salvation, our old man (our Old Self), which was of a sin nature, controlled our Soul. Influenced so strongly our very thoughts in The Mind and so affected how we lived in The Body. The mind connected the body with our old sin nature self. So you see, Sin came naturally. It takes only one sin to be deemed UNRIGHTEOUS by God, because God is perfect in every way and we are not. We were lost Separated from God by this thing called SIN.
The Romans Road to Salvation is something many use to bring people to Christ and so let us get this right! If you read Romans believing all instances of the word SIN have the same meaning; that is where confusion starts. Many times overlooked, the New Testament was written in Greek and translated into English. There are TWO Greek words for SIN in Romans and they are hamartanō (a verb) and hamartia (a noun). What is the ratio of use between these two words of either SIN as a noun or SIN as a verb? Hamartia(a noun) is used a stunning 46 out of the 48 times! Apostle Paul is talking about SIN as a noun. And what is he definition of a noun? Is it an act of doing something? No. A noun is a person, place or thing. And so when Paul uses the word SIN as a noun, he is referring to sin as a ‘place’, as ‘a position’ and as a ‘thing’. This is so important to understand!
In Romans, Paul used the word ‘sin’ the overwhelmingly majority of the time as a noun…nota verb. As a noun it is a THING and a place or position that a person is in. Before Salvation we were prisoners to this thing called sin and stuck in a position of sin because our very nature was a sinful nature at our core being. And our body, even now as believers, has been corrupted with this thingcalled sin. Paul says our corrupt body can not inherit the kingdom of God – not even after Salvation. It will die, and go back to dust.
“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood CANNOT inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.” (1 Cor. 15:50 KJV)
Paul explains about The Body to tell us our redeemed Spirit goes to God at physical death (2 Corinthians 5:8), one day to be united with a new glorified resurrected body, with no disease of sin on resurrection day when finally our corrupt body will be recreated, just as our Spirit already has.
“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be CHANGED.For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” (1 Cor. 15:51-52 KJV)
Old Testament Scripture states, that the SOUL that sins will die right (Ezekiel 18)? That is certainly true BEFORE our conversion. But our born again Spirit replaced our old sin nature , the very core of our being IN our Soul. The Spirit Of God, our new self, will never die now. We are IN CHRIST. How long will Christ live? FOREVER! We are in Him, so how long will we live as believers now? FOREVER! Amen!
So although not the same, The Spirit and The Soul are definitely connected forever in a believer. No, they are not the same, but are most certainly connected right? We need the mind. The Mind is in our Soul and is what connects to our physical body.
The body is not The Soul as some are teaching. The mind isinside The Soul. So our mind and body are not together. We see in Genesis that God first created the body and then breathed into the body and we BECAME a living Soul.
“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (Genesis 2:7 KJV)
The body alone is useless. It needs to be ALIVE. The alive part is The Soul. In The Soul is the connector between the body and our Self; The Mind. The mind is ultimately controlled by our core nature. What we call The Self, our Spirit. The real us deep inside. Before Salvation that Spirit was corrupted with a sin nature called the Spirit Of Man. After Salvation, a believer has the Spirit Of God. This friend is game changer for how we CAN live.
The wages of this THING called SIN is DEATH (Romans 6:23). When a person accepts Christ and trusts His once for all sacrifice (Hebrews 10:10) for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2) for righteousness, their OLD SELF DIED and rose with Christ. God changed the very core of our nature, in our soul.
An internal OPERATION by God, not ourselves (Colossians 2:12, Ephesians 2;8-9). The body is not yet regenerated and the mind needs to be renewed to our new core being by the guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit, who is one with Our Spirit. This takes time while we are still residing in this corrupt body.
This renewing of the mind is repenting (a word defined in the Bible as ‘changing our mind’) about many corrupt beliefs and thoughts in our mind, by God’s truth in the Word of God. The mind connects the real us to the physical world in which we live, in the body. Our Soul and Spirit as believers are absolutely eternally connected.
Right Believing In The Mind Results In More Right Living Outwardly & Less Sinning.
Why Demons Cannot Possess The Truly Born Again Person
Some are teaching that a believer can be possessed by a demon. That is just not possible after the moment of Salvation!
A demon cannot occupy where God has redeemed us. The Spirit is Holy, the very righteousness of God and one with God. Can demons influence a believer to commit sins by exciting the corrupt thoughts left over by our Old Self death though? Oh yes! They TEMPT US! Where? Do they tempt is in our new SPIRIT? NO! They know you have left over OLD THOUGHTS from your Old Self that died with Christ…where? IN YOUR MIND! that is the battle ground for living right! Not our external forced good works. It is an INTERNAL change of your mind! And demons use the senses of The Body to excite the corrupt thoughts still in The Mind, where the true battle is fought (not for redemption but for right believing and right outward living).
Yet, as we renew our minds by the truth of God’s Word, the demons cannot influence believers so easily over time. It gets harder for them indeed! It is as Jesus said,
“And ye shall know THE TRUTH, and THE TRUTH shall MAKE YOU FREE.” (John 8:32 KJV).
We start to see God’s world view more and more through the guidance of the Holy Spirit teaching us ALL TRUTH of God’s Word. And as Paul says, since our Old Man died, why walk in it’s corrupt ways anymore? IT IS DEAD! We need to realize this fact! Now live in the newness of this new you! You are alive, IN CHRIST, forever! you are rigt now, regardless of your feelings (in the mind that needs renewing) the very RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD, IN CHRIST in The Spirit. That is the amazing GIFT of our Salvation folks! Paul says to “…Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” ( Galatians 5:16 KJV). I wondered for a long time what exactly ‘walking in the Spirit’ was and how to do it. Once I understood the relationship between the Body, Soul, Mind and Spirit a big light bulb went off! Of course! I need to believe that I am now as a believer, who the Bible says that I am. Not what I ‘feel’ I am. Not that I am a sinner because I struggle with sin. Not I have to still earn my salvation. I AM THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD, IN CHRIST RIGHT NOW. Since my old Spirit is DEAD… why am I still walking by it’s ways?
Know who you now are as believers; IN CHRIST. And walk by the NEW YOU thoughts by renewing your mind by the truth of the Gospel of God’s Grace Through Jesus Christ. The Gospel of our Salvation, that Apostle Paul was commissioned by Jesus to preach to the gentiles. The Holy Spirit is within you to guide you to ALL TRUTH. How amazing! And that is for you, and for me TODAY, living today under the NEW COVENANT and in the dispensation of the Grace of God.
I have created a diagram below so you can visually see who a believer GOD MADE US in Christ.
We cannot be SINLESS until our bodily resurrection when we receive our glorified bodies. Understanding who God made us at our conversion and belief can help us SIN LESS though! As a believer we need to focus on RENEWING OUR MIND by God’s Word, believing that we are who God said He made us, IN CHRIST. Do not focus on or be sin conscious because that will lead you to SIN MORE.
“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16 KJV)
“For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers ONCE PURGED should have had no more conscience of sins.” (Hebrews 10:2 KJV)
Do believers have to ‘Die To Self’ to be saved or to remain saved? We here this phrase all the time don’t we? Yet, can I ask a question? Where does that phrase read in the Bible? In reality, it actually does not even exist as a phrase in the entire Bible.
Now, we need to put off the old man, our old Adam/Flesh thinking and renew our mind by the Word of God. This is repentance for a believer (changing our minds) about many things according to the truth of the Word of God. It causes an inward change in our thinking and beliefs and that works it’s way outward into our lives. I agree with that completely.
But, there is just something about the ‘die to self‘ phrase being thrown around so often these days that many say we must do to be saved or remain saved, because what I read in the Bible is that my old self is ALREADY DEAD as a believer. In fact the Bible teaches that we have been given a NEW SELF called The Spirit which is the very seed of God (1 John 3:9) and it cannot sin.
That is not to say that we do not sin as believers. We still reside within this corrupt body and we still have wrong thinking about many things in the mind which Apostle Paul calls The Flesh (or sometime referred to by some as the Adam Sin nature) but God circumcised the SIN off the new real us now, our Spirit. The Spirit is the real us now and we are a New Creation in Christ which is at war with The Flesh, in our minds.
Yet, as Apostle Paul taught in Romans 7, verses 17 and 20… it is not our Spirit (our new self) that wants to, nor sins. It is The Flesh. And God severed the Flesh from our spirit when He made us a new creation in Christ.
That is why at physical death, our Spirit goes to be with the Lord. It has no sin. It is perfect and Holy, fully redeemed and complete in Christ. Yet, our flesh, our body, it cannot inherit the kingdom of God because it is corrupt with this THING called sin. (Note: In Romans, the word SIN is a noun mostly! It is a THING.)
What I see in the Bible, what Apostle Paul taught, is that God gave us a new heart, a new self, and WE DIED (past tense) with Christ. Did you know that as a believer in Christ? Our Salvation begins with death. Apostle Paul tells us that “the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23 KJV). But not just Jesus’ death! As believers, our old self died with Him on the cross!
In fact, we were buried with Christ and we rose again with Christ in the new created Spirit. We are right now as believers, COMPLETE IN HIM, in The Spirit.
“For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
And yeare complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, inputting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;” (Colossians 2:9-14 KJV)
So yes, we put off our old Flesh sinful ways. Yes, we strive to not do what The Flesh/Adamthoughts we have, tempt us to do. In that sense, we sort of ‘die to self‘. I get that. But that really is dying to our OLD SELF. But the phrase, kinda goes against the way to say that because the language in the Bible tells us we died with Christ.
Maybe I am picky on the wording because I know MOST believers use this phrase describing our struggle with the old sin nature thoughts we have after Salvation.
And then I hear some preachers using ‘you must die to self!’ …. as if that is how we get saved or stay saved; by our SELF righteous efforts. They take this phrase to mean the very opposite of the Gospel of Grace Through Jesus Christ, which is without works required, but is a GIFT to be received or rejected. (Eph. 2:8-9)
Maybe it’s just me. Yet, maybe it is something we should think about before telling others to ‘die to self’.
This phrase confuses new believers. A more accurate phrase would be, ‘our old self died with Christ so why walk it the old self ways? It is not who we are anymore. We are now IN CHRIST. And Christ is living IN US.
“And we know that ALL THINGSwork together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be CONFORMED TO the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also JUSTIFIED: and whom he justified, them he also GLORIFIED. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, WHO CAN BE AGAINST US?” (Romans 8:28-31 KJV)
Why do bad things happen to believers ? Why do good things happen to believers?
1. For HIS PURPOSE.
2. So that we can be CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF CHRIST.
In ALL, ALL, ALL THINGS you face as a believer. The good. The bad. Love, compassion, joy, peace, times of plenty. Also, Persecution, Financial difficulty, Bankruptcy, Threat of death, Terminal illness, Sudden medical emergency, Death of a loved one, Loss of work. ALL MEANS ALL! The list goes on and on and on.
When bad things happen in your life. Sudden things that make you doubt the love of God. HANG on these verses!
God has a perfect plan and the plan is HIS – NOT OURS
And the plan, in the end of your life, you will see that it was all for GOOD. Good for you. Good for someone else’s Salvation. GOOD. GOD’s GOOD. God’s WILL. In God’s PERFECT WAY. Amen.
