Before I talk about the subject of Salvation, I want to clarify and illustrate a truer definition of the words "life" and "death." Merriam-Webster reveals what most people believe about these two ideas, defining "life" as: the quality that distinguishes a vital and functional being from a dead body ... and "death" as: a permanent cessation of all vital functions: the end of life.
You'll notice that the Merrian-Webster definitions are focusing narrowly and only on the state of the human body and, although the definitions are accurate ones, they miss God's truth by a thousand miles! And I don't know about you, but I am much more interested in what God says about the world we live in than I am in mankind's limited understanding of things.
Having been indoctrinated into thinking only in terms of the physical body, the average person thinks of life and death the way they think of a light switch on the wall -- it's either on or off ... a person is either alive or dead; existant or non-existant. And in terms of the physical body, in and of itself, this is an accurate understanding.
However, when you look more deeply into what the Bible has to say about life and death, you very quickly realize that the definition given by man (as Merriam-Webster reveals) is absolutely mistaken; incorrect; blunderous; confusing and wrong! Wrong, because you and I are quite a bit more than just flesh and bone!
According to God's Word, no one ever ceases to exist; everyone will exist forever ... and, in terms of eternity, it's just a matter of where -- in Paradise or in The Outer Darkness.
Regarding Life: Some important points from the Word:
And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame [and] everlasting contempt. Daniel 12:2
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. Matthew 25:46 King James Version
It's quite obvious, from the above references to Daniel and Matthew, that no one ever ceases to exist ... and, further, that "life" is something more than "the vital physical functions of a body."
Further, if life was like a light switch, either on or off, we would either have it or we wouldn't; we wouldn't be able to have it more abundantly, right? But, in John 10:10, Yahshua (Jesus) says He came that we might have life more abundantly ... and if that is so (and it most definitely is), then "life" must mean more than just being alive.
I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly. John 10:10 King James Version
Therefore, Life is: Being "born again;" receiving God's indwelling Holy Spirit and being filled with happiness, prosperity, well-being, and joy.
Regarding Death: Some important points from the Word:
For to be carnally minded [is] death; but to be spiritually minded [is] life and peace. Romans 8:6
Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and the Messiah shall give thee light. Ephesians 5:14
But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth. 1 Timothy 5:6
The body without the spirit is dead ... James 2:26
For this cause was the good news preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men [regarding] the flesh, but live according to Yahweh [regarding] the spirit. 1 Peter 4:6
I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Revelation 3:1 King James Version | my notes
From Ephesians, above, we see that some are sleep-walking ... still dwelling in darkness, without accepting God's Free Gift of Salvation; not having accepted Yahshua (Jesus) as Master and Savior; not yet "born again" of the Spirit and, therefore, dead. Not buried ... but dead, nonetheless, as is pointed out in the quotes from Romans, 1 Timothy, James and Revelation.
Next, take a look at the quote below from 1 Thessalonians and you can see that there will be some people who will never know what it is like to experience a physical death at all! Ever!
For the Master himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of Yahweh: and the dead in the Messiah shall rise first:
Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Master in the air: and so shall we ever be with Yahweh. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 The Word of Yahweh, King James Version
There are different kinds of death. There is the Spiritual death that came to all of mankind through Adam, where all of us are without the indwelling Holy Spirit (see "Regarding the Spirit" below) until we accept God's Free Gift of Salvation through His Son Yahshua (Jesus) ... there is soulical death, where the life experience can be full of darkness ... and, as we are all well aware of, there is a physical death as well.
So Death is: Existing without God's indwelling Spirit; not accepting His Free Gift of Salvation, lacking prosperity, having poor health and being unhappy.
Therefore, you see, death is much more than a physical burial and you and I are much more than a physical body ... we are triune beings, with a soul and a spirit as well!
Soul & Spirit: What's the Difference?
I've often wondered, as I'm sure you have, what the difference is between the soul and the spirit. In hearing phrases like "you can lose your soul," I've found myself confused and bewildered, pondering what that might mean. Losing my soul seemed to imply, again, some form of non-existance! And yet, whenever I ask those who are supposedly educated in these matters, no one seems to have a clear idea of what the differences are.
Merriam-Webster defines "soul" as: the immaterial essence, animating principle, or actuating cause of an individual life ... and "spirit" as: an animating or vital principle held to give life to physical organisms -- see what I mean? I don't see any distinction at all between these two definitions!
Regarding the Soul: An important point is made in the book of Mark:
And when he [Yahshua (Jesus)] had called the people [unto him] with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Mark 8:34-37 King James Version | my note
Notice how Yahshua (Jesus) refers to "soul" and to "life" (see bolded, above) as one and the same? In Hebrew (the language of the Old Testament) or in Greek (the language of the New Testament), the word for "soul" is the same word for "life." And if the word for soul is the same word for life, then I think a good description of the phrase "your soul" would be: Your life ... or your living experience. This is why I bolded the words "deny himself" and "take up his cross," in the Scriptural quote above -- these two phrases say a lot, regarding what "your soul" is all about: Your experience of life.
Our life experience ... our soul ... is eternally effected by these two paths: We either "deny our present worldly interests," "take up our cross," follow the Messiah and seek His Kingdom ... or we follow the passions of the flesh and pursue worldly desires. One way or the other, each path has its effect on our living experience now, as well as in our eternal future. Remember: People may die in the physical sense, but no one ever ceases to exist.
So the Soul is: One's living experience ... now, as well as in eternity.
Regarding the Spirit: A most important point is made in the book of Genesis:
And Yahweh Elohim [God] commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
But of the tree of the knowledge of [the difference between] good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Genesis 2:16-17 The Word of Yahweh, King James Version | my notes
Now, we know that Adam did eat thereof ... but did he die? Yes ... and no.
Yes: He did die a Spiritual death that very day ...
and ... No: He did not die a physical death that day, but continued on the earth for many years.
The point is that Adam died Spiritually; he lost the indwelling Holy Spirit [the breath and mind] of God; he lost the direct communication that he had known with the Father. In Hebrew (the language of the Old Testament) or in Greek (the language of the New Testament), the word for "spirit" is the same word for "breath" or "mind."
So the Spirit is: The Holy Spirit (the breath and mind) of God, active and alive in us; direct communication with our Creator.
Consequently, everyone born after Adam is spiritually dead and full of sin ... and the word "sin," by the way, comes from the Greek word, hamartia (hah-mar-TEE-ah) ... an archery term, meaning to miss the mark; anything short of a "bullseye" is a sin.
Synopsis: Life & Death | Soul & Spirit
Life: A person can be living and yet not experiencing life. The true definition of "life" is: The experience of having a personal and eternal connection with our Creator; the experience of having our eyes, our ears and our hearts (our understanding) opened; the experience of knowing Spiritual joy and the peace which surpasses all understanding.
Death: Everyone exists forever; there is no such thing as non-existance. The true definition of "death" is: The experience of any form of separation from our Creator; the experience of having our eyes, our ears and our hearts (our understanding) closed; the experience of the absense of joy, absence of peace; the experience of confusion and misery.
Soul: The soul is one's living experience ... not only in the present, but in eternity. And what we do with our soul in the present; what we do with our life in the present, will bring untold rewards and/or lack of rewards -- permanently -- in eternity.
Spirit: The indwelling Holy Spirit brings a direct connection and an intimate communication between us and our Creator. Adam's fall, in the Garden of Eden, caused a death of the Spirit and a condition of sinfulness -- an inability to "hit the mark" -- in all of mankind. Today, everyone on earth falls into one of two categories regarding the Spirit: They are either Born Again or Spiritually Dead.
Yahshua (Jesus) has paid Adam's price and has restored the Spirit to anyone who has accepted or is willing to accept His Free Gift of Salvation. Without the Spirit, a person is incapable of receiving the things of God; incapable of understanding the great mysteries that are in the Living Word of the Bible and incapable of communing with their Creator ... and this, naturally, leads us to the subject of Salvation: The Fix.
Salvation: Past, Present & Future
Salvation Past = Salvation of the Spirit
We Are Justified & Separated from the Penalty of Sin
We Receive the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit & We Are Declared Righteous
Salvation first occurs when someone accepts the Free Gift of God and is born again of the Spirit ... it has nothing to do with personal works and everything to do with faith. No one can add to or take away anything from it because it is solely dependent on the Work of the Messiah. This is Salvation of the Spirit; receipt of the indwelling Holy Spirit; a reconnection with our Creator which is aquired by simply praying to God and asking Him for His Free Gift: Here's How - Click Here (then Scroll DOWN).
It is "Salvation Past" because it was achieved 2,000 years ago by the Messiah ... and it is "Salvation of the Spirit" because the Spiritual death of Adam carried forth to all his bloodlines and required restoration. It is here that the Spirit is restored; we become justified by Yahshua's blood, declared as righteous and separated from death; the penalty of sin.
Before a person accepts the Free Gift of Salvation through the Messiah, they can read the written Word of the Bible, but they are incapable of receiving the living Word (the revealed messages in the Bible) because they are Spiritually dead and these deeper messages of the Bible can only be discerned by the Spirit.
But once someone accepts the Messiah, they become born again, Spiritually; they are marked with the Seal of the Father and are guaranteed eternal life; the Holy Spirit indwells them and the Spiritual Death that came through Adam becomes reversed into Spiritual Life.
Now they are capable, for the first time, of receiving the things of God, but how do they receive the things of God? By getting into His Living Word ... getting into a daily prayer life ... developing a true relationship with Him. But how many professed Christians do this? And how many don't? This is where Salvation Present comes into play!
Salvation Present = Salvation of the Soul
We Are Sanctified & Separated from the Power of Sin
We Receive the Filling of the Holy Spirit & We Are Made Righteous
Here is "Salvation Present." So called because, after being born again Spiritually (Salvation Past), another work begins -- in the here and now. It is called "Salvation of the Soul" because it has everything to do with works (one's living experience) ... not the works of the flesh but, rather, the works that are done through the Spirit!
As we spend more time studying the Bible and understanding what God's Plan is and what He wants from us ... as we begin developing a relationship with His indwelling Holy Spirit through a daily prayer life (preferrably done in the morning; the first part of your day), we begin to see changes in our soul! Changes that we know are supernatural; changes that come from within and not from our own efforts; changes that are being done in us by His indwelling Spirit. We discover that we have a greater peace about us ... a greater joy ... and a greater level of self-control. Scriptures in the Bible begin to jump out at us; we are suddenly seeing messages in His Word that we've never quite noticed before.
Further, it is here that we are separated from the power of sin ... we discover that sin is still all around us and even in us, but that it has less and less power over us ... we are being sanctified ... made righteous, in direct proportion to the filling of the Holy Spirit that occurs ... which is in direct proportion to the amount of attention we are giving Him each day.
We Express Our Love For God Through Obedience to His Word
During this time in our lives ... now; today ... we are in the phase that Paul often refers to as running in the race for the great prize!
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:24
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14 New International Version
Note: There are those who have been born again (Salvation Past), but never pursue a relationship with God any further (Salvation Present). The faith of such believers will be noticably weak and they will be found lacking in the Gifts as well as the Fruit of the Holy Spirit because they are not receiving the filling of the Holy Spirit; they are not pursuing the relationship they began when they accepted His Free Gift.
Some such persons are even seen as pastors, priests, healers and teachers of the Word - these would be those who say to the Messiah, Yahshua (Jesus), "Have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?" ... to whom Yahshua will reply, "I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (see Matthew 7:22-23) They may have had works, even honorable works, but works of their own doing; works of the flesh, not works of the Spirit ... and the Messiah says that He never (!) knew them.
Salvation Future = Salvation of the Body
We Are Glorified & Separated from the Presence of Sin
We Receive Eternal Life & We Are One With Righteousness Himself!
Salvation Future occurs at the Harpazo (Rapture) ... it has everything to do with faith and works combined.
Before the Great Tribulation, believers will be "snatched up" ... forceably removed, to meet Yahshua in the air and to escape the Day of His Wrath on the earth. They will face the Judgement Seat of the Messiah, where they will be rewarded for their good works and not rewarded for their lack of good works. Their bodies will be glorified, as Yahshua's was when He rose from the dead ... they will be in Heaven ... separated from the presence of sin ... at one with Righteousness; Yahweh (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit) ... and will be in Eternity, separated from sin and darkness, forevermore!
Even the angels in Heaven are unaware of exactly what the Creator is doing with these "Called Out Ones;" the Eclessia ... they long to look into what He is doing with us -- see 1 Peter 1:12. For, "we are Benai Elohim (Sons of Yahweh) and what we will be has not yet been made known!"
1 John 3:2
Note: All true believers in Christ will be raptured ... but not all who are raptured will be the Bride of Christ. I'm still studying and discovering more about this area of the Scriptures, but I recently found a very, very significant passage that reveals what I'm saying here.
If you look at Philippians 3:10-11, you'll see two occurances of the word "resurrection" -- Paul is once again talking about winning the Great Prize, as he writes: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
Philippians 3:10-11
The first occurance of "resurrection," in verse 10, is accurately translated from the Greek word "anastasia" ... however, in verse 11, the translation is incorrect; the original Greek word in verse 11, is "exanastasia" ... which means "out of the resurrection" and paints quite a different picture!
Rather than Paul saying that he so greatly desires the possibility of attaining a place in the Harpazo; the Rapture; the resurrection, he's actually talking about attaining a place among those who are selected out of those who are raptured. I believe he is referring to a difference between the Body of Christ and the Bride of Christ; the Body of Christ being all those who are raptured ... and the Bride of Christ being those who are selected out of all those who are raptured.
At any rate, this future event happens in Heaven and can only truly be described or explained in terms with which we have no real reference, at present. It speaks of Glorification ... and the only ones who ever saw a glorified body were those who saw the Messiah, risen, some 2,000 years ago. It speaks of being separated from sin and darkness ... and who can even imagine such a thing, at present, where sin and darkness rules the world in which we live? It speaks of eternity; being outside of time ... can you even begin to grasp the idea of timelessness? I can't! And it speaks of being one with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit ... who among us can describe such an experience!?
But there will come a Day when we may be able to ... and that depends, first, on Salvation Past; have you prayed to Him? - Click Here (then Scroll DOWN) ... and, second, on Salvation Present; the only time we have is now -- and that is fast running out.
Get to know your Father ... call out to the One who created all things ... study His Word, the Bible ... pray to Him daily ... ask Him to reveal Himself to you ... and just watch and see the wonderful changes that take place inside yourself and everything around you!
May Abba Yahweh Bless you and Keep you ... may He shine the Light of His Countenance upon you and be gracious to you ... may He turn His Face toward you and give you His Shalom -- in Yahshua's Name, Ahmein.
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