Three Fold Salvation
George Kirkpatrick  

Vital Words to the Body of Christ

Proclaiming the Everlasting Gospel of God's Kingdom

Vital Words to the Body of Christ 
Freely We Have Received, Freely We Give
E-mail: Vitalwords@aol.com
http://www.newfoundationspubl.org/titles.htm

 

Paul prayed our whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of the Lord. Man is a triune being created in the image and likeness of God. The word triune means "to be three in one". Man is spirit, that has a soul, which dwells in a body. God's plan of salvation for His creation man is three-fold, reaching into all three realms of man's existence.

The churches use key terms interchangeably to describe our relationship to God: saved; born again; being a believer.

The word saved is the Greek word SOZO and means "to protect, to heal, to preserve, to rescue from danger, and to make whole". 

What does "being saved" mean"? We need to ask ourselves the question: "Saved from what?" or, "Saved to what?" If we are saved from something, we must be saved to something. 

Many who have asked God to forgive their sins, and have gone through water baptism, believe this is all God requires of them. Others believe, in addition to initial salvation and water baptism, it's necessary to be baptized in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. At this point they are taught that they are born again and have become believers. Having forgiveness of sin, water baptism, and the baptism in the Holy Spirit are necessary in God's plan of salvation, but they are only the first steps in the complete salvation plan God has instituted for mankind. The writer of Hebrews informs us:

What has been taught as God's complete salvation plan is only the foundation of what God intends to build in each life. We need to take what we have been taught to the Scriptures to decide if they are correct or if they are just religious doctrines. When we ask the Lord Jesus to forgive us our sins and come into our life, we need to ask, "What part of our being was saved?" Was it our spirit, was it our soul, was it our body, or was the whole man saved? God's salvation plan is a process, it is not just an initial act. All three parts of man must be saved, and it is a continual process until we come into the image and likeness of the Father.

The church uses the word "salvation" interchangeably with the term "saved". The word salvation is the Greek word SOTERIA and means "deliverance, preservation, justification, purification, and becoming righteous". We need to ask ourselves, "Do these changes happen at our initial salvation experience?" No, salvation is a process that takes place in our daily life as we submit to the will and cleansing power of the Holy Spirit. Our initial salvation is only the beginning. Most who have entered into God's salvation process have been quoted the scripture:

This is the first step in bringing full and complete salvation into our lives, but this is not the stopping point. As we rightly divide the Word of Truth we discover there must be continuing action on our part if we are to move forward in God's complete three-fold salvation plan.

What is the process to enter into initial salvation? The first step is to confess the Lord Jesus. The word confess is the Greek word HOMOLOGIO, which is made up of two Greek words HOMO which means "together" and LOGEO which means "word". When we confess the Lord Jesus, we must come together in agreement with the Word, the written Word of God. 

The next step in the process of God's salvation plan is to believe in our heart. The word believe is the Greek word PISTEUO and means "to trust in, to think to be true, to be persuaded, and to place confidence in". The Greek word PISTEUO comes from the base word PISTIS which is translated "faith". When we confess with our mouth, we must come into agreement with the Word. Then we must begin to act in faith. This is done by believing in our hearts and learning to put our confidence and complete trust in the Lord. We must be fully persuaded in our heart that God has raised Jesus from the dead, and is alive forevermore, sitting at the right hand of the Father. It is by putting our faith into action that the salvation process begins in each of our lives. Paul wrote to the church at Corinth:

If we do not believe with our whole heart that Jesus was raised from the dead then our faith is vain (worthless) and we remain in our sin. We must confess with our mouth and believe in our heart if we are to walk into God's complete salvation plan. Then and only then will He protect, heal, and preserve us until we are made completely whole. Jesus informed us:

If the fact that God raised Jesus from the dead is not resident in our heart, then our faith in God and His Word is truly vain and worthless, and our sins are not forgiven. Paul continued in his letter to the Romans:

If we are to act in faith, our believing cannot be with just lip service, repeating what we are told to repeat. We must speak and come into total agreement with the life-changing power of the Word of God. This is the only way we can come into righteousness. Our heart (mind, soul, and spirit) must change because as Paul related, "...with the mouth confession is made unto salvation". Jesus informed us:

What our mouths confess must line up with the Word of God. As we come to the realization that God's salvation plan is a three-fold process by which we were saved, are being saved, and will be saved, our way of thinking must totally change. As this process unfolds, our mouths will confess what is becoming more and more evident in our lives. To come into God's complete plan of salvation we must know three things. The writer of Hebrews informs us:

The three things we must know are:

All these must be evident in our life if we are to become what God created us to be. 

When we begin to understand the scriptures more completely, we need to realize that when God speaks of the heart He is not speaking of the blood pump that circulates the blood through our body. The heart is the center of our physical and Spiritual life. The soul, or mind, is the fountain and seat of all thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, and endeavors. It encompasses our understanding and is the seat of the intellect that controls our will and character.

Since man is a triune creation, it stands to reason that God's salvation plan for His creation man must be three-fold. Man's spirit must be saved, his soul must be saved, and his body must be saved if the whole man is to be preserved until the coming of the Lord. Jesus informed His disciples:

As we search the scriptures, God's three-fold salvation plan is revealed for all to see. Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus:

To the Romans Paul wrote:

To the Ephesians Paul wrote:

Paul stated we were to work out our own salvation. How can we work out or own salvation if it's a gift from God? If it is the gift of God, then how are we saved by hope? James, the Apostle, wrote:

James asked the question, "Can we be saved by faith?" We know without faith it is impossible to please God, *** Hebrews 11:6. James explains:

Faith in God is dead unless it is accompanied by works.

The question is, "Can faith save us?" It can if it is accompanied by the works God has given us to do. What are these works we must act upon? God has given each one He has called a particular task to perform for Him. These become our works we must perform for Him. So many think because God did not call them to preach, teach, be an evangelist, prophet, or apostle, they were not called by God to do anything except warm a pew. Then, there are those who perform on every committee, every board, and are the center of all activities in the church. They believe their "busy" ness is acceptable before God because they have neglected every other duty to serve Him. Both are mistaken. 

God has many jobs in His body He has called His people to fulfill, but there is no honor, glory, or recognition in doing it, so it goes undone. God has called many to be prayer warriors. God has given many the ministry of uplift and encouragement. Helps is another ministry that is neglected. The ministry of giving is another ministry God has ordained and supplied, but some have lavished the money on their own lusts. This neglect has limited the growth of God's kingdom. 

Our works is when we seek God's will and His purpose for our life. God has given some the ability to share the Word on a one-on-one basis. To others He has given the ability to admonish through the Word (in love of course). God's works are for His glory, not ours. When we perform God's works our reward and recognition comes from the Father, not man. 

The Bible speaks of one more way we can be saved:

The last way we can be saved is by fire. This is not the eternal or everlasting fire called the second death, but the fire of God's judgment He will bring upon the earth.

The Scriptures proclaim we can be saved:
1 -By Grace
2 -By Hope
3 -By Faith accompanied by works
4 -By Fire 

1 -Salvation By Grace

Since man is a triune being, what part of man is being saved by what process in God's plan of salvation? First, Paul writes we are saved by Grace.

When Jesus was born in the flesh to be the Saviour for all mankind, He fulfilled the law. Jesus' words were:

Jesus came to fulfill the law which mortal man could not keep. He came to fulfill the law and bring man again into the grace of God.

As Paul wrote, "We are saved by grace through faith". There is nothing in ourselves that can bring God's saving grace to pass in our lives. It is strictly the gift of God. Yet we hear the expression, "I accepted the Lord". Jesus declared to His disciples:

We were called, chosen, and ordained. This is God's grace in our life. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians:

God has chosen those who will be part of His wonderful plan of salvation from the beginning. He has sanctified them in the Spiritual realm. In his second letter to Timothy, Paul further elaborated on this same fact:

Our calling into God's salvation plan was in Christ Jesus before the world began. There was nothing we could do to earn this calling. It was all in God. So we may ask, "What part of man is saved by grace?" The Spirit of man is saved by grace. Man communicates with God through the Spirit. When the spirit of man communicates with the Spirit of God, then and only then can man come into complete fellowship with the Father. Jesus is our example. His Spirit and the Spirit of the Father became one. Until the spirit of man has been made alive by God' grace, man has no fellowship with the Father. To understand this, we must look again at the creation of man:

When God breathed the breath of life into man, man became a living soul. Before God breathed His Spirit into man, the soul of man was dead, as was his body. It was only after God imparted His Spirit into man that the soul and body lived. When the soul became alive man's body began to function. The Spirit is the life of the soul, and the soul is the life of the body. Man became a whole being: Spirit, soul, and body. 

When man sinned by becoming rebellious and disobedient to God's Word, he became soulish and fleshly. Although man lost God's Spirit as the controlling influence in his life, God continued to give him physical life. But man had become soulish, only doing the things to please the flesh. Man remained in his soulish condition until Jesus gave him a way to be reconciled back to the Father. It is recorded at the time of man's sin:

When the Spirit of God departed from man, man got his eyes upon his flesh. Man's eyes have remained there until this day. Man is still trying to cover his sin nature so many ways. Man stands naked before God without His Spiritual covering.

Another example of God's Spiritual covering leaving man was in the wilderness at the time of Israel's Exodus. Moses was in Mount Sinai receiving the law from God for His people. Because the children of Israel doubted Moses' return they demanded Aaron to make them an idol to worship. They removed all their gold earrings and Aaron made a golden calf. When Moses returned:

Israel had not removed their clothing as has been taught. They were Spiritually naked before God and their enemies. Because their Spiritual covering and protection had been removed, they became an easy prey for the enemy to conquer.

When God appeared to Adam and Eve, He knew man had no covering for his sin. So God clothed them with animal skins. From that time forward man has been clothed in his beast nature. It was only by the shedding of blood that Adam and Eve's sins were covered.

The word remission means "to be released from bondage and free from penalty". When Jesus died for all mankind, He brought God's salvation plan into being. Those who have their sins forgiven by His shed blood have entered into God's grace where their Spirit is saved. Again the word saved means "to be protected, to be healed, to be preserved, to make whole, and rescue from danger." 

The Spirit is eternal. The All-Wise Solomon gave us insight into the spirit of man:

We know all flesh returns to dust when it dies, whether the flesh of man, animals, or fowls. All flesh returns to the dust of the earth. But the spirit of man returns to God who gave it. When we come into God's plan of salvation, our spirit is saved. Our spirit will return unto God. We will again come into a complete, unhindered relationship with the Father, the same relationship Adam and Eve had in the garden when God walked and talked with them in the cool of the day. Paul wrote to Titus of God's plan of salvation for the spirit of man:

Our works of righteousness have nothing to do with the salvation of the Spirit. It is God's grace and mercy. By grace our spirit is saved. It is God's perfect gift in our life.

2 The Salvation of Man's Soul

The next area of our life that must be saved is the soul. The soul is the life of the body. If the body is to be saved, first the soul must be saved. The word soul is the Greek word PSUCHE. It was translated fifty-eight times as "soul" and forty times as "life". It is also translated as "mind" and "heart". The definition of PSUCHE is "the breath of life, the vital force which animates the body". The soul is the seat of feelings, desire, and affections. The soul is the heart of man. King Solomon informed us:

The soul area is where man makes all his decisions, whether for good or for evil. Man's conscience is in the soul. The conscience is where man hears the voice of God. As long as we are listening to our conscience, we are hearing from God. When our conscience is hardened we can no longer receive from God. This is when we listen to the spirit of darkness and fall into sin. Paul informed the Romans:

If we yield our soul to God, then our conscience will lead us into the paths of righteousness. If we resist God, we will fall into sin and away from God. His grace and mercy will be withheld as long as we remain in this condition. Paul informed the Romans:

When man refuses to retain God in his or her thinking processes, God gives them over to a reprobate mind. This is a mind that is rejected by God. Man never repents of his evil unless he is convicted of his sin by and through the Spirit. His mind only serves the flesh and the things that please the flesh. If he does not repent he will be given totally over to the spirit of darkness because there is no light in him. Peter wrote of those who have departed from the way of righteousness:

The holy commandment is the Word of God. As we study the Word and search the scriptures we come to the realization that our spirit has been saved and our body will be saved. The area of our life that is in the process of being saved now is our soul. The Apostle Peter who was given the keys of the Kingdom informed us:

We know without faith it is impossible to please God, *** Hebrews 11:6. Now, the end of our faith is the salvation of our soul. Our soulish area must be saved if we are going to stand before God. Our heart, our thinking, and every area of our lives must line up with God's holy commandment, the Word of God. Too many today are serving their religious ideas and believe they are righteous before God. Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, informed the Philippians:

If we are to be part of the first resurrection, we must be made conformable unto His death. This is "dying to self, self-rule, self-esteem, and selfishness". This is how we become conformable unto His death. Jesus never exalted self. All glory was returned to the Father. The writer of Hebrews wrote of Jesus:

Jesus is the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him. How can we obey Him? By becoming the example of the life He lived. This life can only be lived when our souls are saved from the influence and destruction of the world. The beloved Paul wrote to the Philippians:

We are to work out our own salvation before God with fear and trembling. Our spirit is saved by God's grace, and there is nothing we can do to add or subtract from that process. Our soul is a completely different situation.

God's salvation plan for the soul must be worked out before God with fear and trembling. It is a continual process in our lives and must not be taken lightly. The words fear and trembling mean "to be quaking, one who distrusts his own ability completely in meeting any task". Today the church has put forth an easy religion; "simply believe and hang on, and try to do what is right. God understands the weakness of the flesh." This message has caused multitudes to come up short of what God has stated in His Word. Solomon wrote:

Those who sin against God wrong their own soul. When sin is resident in the soul, it not only destroys our relationship with the Father, it destroys the body. Sin causes sickness, both of mind and body. By the unction of the Holy Spirit, Solomon informed us when we sin we hate God and bring death upon our flesh. Peter proclaimed:

Fleshly lusts war against our souls. It would appear that most of those who call themselves Christians have forgotten, or have never been taught, that we are only strangers and pilgrims in this world. We witness Christians who are accumulating wealth and amassing great estates, as if the world was their hope of glory. Korah, the Psalmist, wrote:

Those who are desiring the things of this life are warring against their own souls. The salvation of their souls has yet to begin. John, the beloved, wrote:

Many are prospering in the things of this life, but their souls are destitute, devoid of any love, joy, peace, long-suffering, or any other of the fruits of the Spirit. These still call themselves Christian, yet there is not one Christian principle in their lives. They are not becoming that example Jesus gave us to live by. 

Jesus came as mortal man, clothed in flesh, to demonstrate God's overcoming power available to all flesh. Paul wrote to the church at Corinth:

Jesus came as the first Adam, a living soul. He came in the likeness of fallen man. 

Jesus came in the likeness of sinful flesh, in order to condemn sin in the flesh. Jesus came to show His creation the way back to the Father. Paul also informed the church at Rome:

The original Adam God created in the garden was a figure of Him who was to come; "Jesus". The word figure means "example, pattern, or image". Jesus came in sinful flesh as a living soul. This is the same condition of every other man born into the earth. Jesus came to demonstrate the overcoming power available to all His creation through the Holy Spirit. The writer of Hebrews recorded:

Jesus was tempted with every temptation known to man, yet He sinned not. He never wronged His soul. He never failed the will of the Father. Why? Because His soul was pure before God. Jesus was the Word made flesh, *** I John 1:14. We are informed in the book of Hebrews:

The Word of God is both physical and Spiritual. Jesus came as the physical Word to live His life as an example to His whole creation. The Spiritual Word is the Anointed Word we are to live by. This Word is sharper than any two-edged sword. The Word divides our soul and our spirit. We are directed by the Spiritual Word. By the Spiritual Word our souls will be saved. The Spiritual Word divides the joints and the marrow. The Spiritual Word goes to the most innermost part of man. Everything that moves (joints) must be directed by the Spirit of God. The Spirit is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. The prophet Isaiah revealed:

Jesus was the Word that went forth from the Father's mouth. Jesus did not return unto the Father void. The word void means "empty, worthless, and without effect". Jesus accomplished the purpose the Father sent Him for. Each and every man who is called according to His purpose has the same opportunity to succeed in what the Father has purposed in his life.

The salvation of our soul is a daily process in our Christian walk. As the old man with His old ways are dealt with, and as our minds are changed to think only on the things of God, then we begin to move into His promises for our life. The prophet Isaiah wrote:

God has promised we can have perfect peace, the peace that passeth all understanding, if we do two things: 

First we need to keep our mind on the things of Christ, and, secondly, we need to trust Him in all things. In order to accomplish this we must have a change of heart (mind). When our thoughts are controlled by our conscience instead of the lust of the flesh, then our soul has entered into God's salvation process. This is when we can lay claim to the word of the Psalmist:

This is when our praise for God, the things of God, and allowing God to work in our lives comes from our innermost being, not by the way of our own thoughts, or the words of our mouths. When our soul praises God, then our whole being praises God for who He is, not what He has done for us. The Hebrew writer proclaimed:

There are many today who are drawing back from going all the way with their Creator. These draw back to perdition. The word perdition means "destruction, loss of eternal life". Only those who believe and act upon what they believe will receive the salvation of their souls. Those who only mouth their faith, but their lives do not line up with God's holy commandments are only deceiving themselves. 

Our utmost thoughts as Christians should be to change our way of thinking. Yet many are more interested in what others think of them, than what our God thinks of them. These make time for everything, but they have no time for God or His Word. The Psalmist David wrote:

When we sin our soul is wounded, the same as when we cut our finger. It needs healing. When we miss the mark of God's calling in our life, we must repent and receive God's healing touch in our souls. God has provided a way for this healing to take place. Again the Psalmist David addressed this in the nineteenth Psalm:

The law of the Lord is the whole Word of God, from Genesis through Revelation. His Word was given for the healing of the soul, to bring our soul again into a right relationship with the mind of Christ. When we are in tune with the Holy Spirit anointing, it brings us unto the new creation man that is created in righteousness and true holiness. We cannot come into the new creation man until our thinking process changes. Our thoughts must come into the complete control of the Holy Spirit anointing in our lives. Again David revealed:

Our soul must be redeemed. The word redeemed means "ransomed, rescued, and delivered". This process can only be accomplished through God's anointed Word. We must not only trust completely in His Word, it must be applied every day in every situation in our life. The Word must be as frontlets before our eyes. It must constantly be before every thought and circumstance. Our trust must be wholly and completely in God and His Word. When we trust completely in Him we shall not be desolate (guilty). We will then be free from sin (guiltiness). We will then be ready to have a personal meeting with God. The Psalmist Korah revealed:

Korah was pouring out his heart before God. His soul was thirsting for God. Korah knew he had to have a change in his thinking process before he could stand before the living God. Korah continued his lamentation:

Korah sought God with tears. Others mocked and scorned Korah for his diligent search for his God. 

Korah had gone with the multitude to the house of God. He displayed joy with his voice. He praised God. He did as the multitude. He kept the holy days. Korah, like many today, went with the multitude to the house of God. They do all the religious things. They praise and worship God with their voice or mouth. They still keep their religious rituals, and because of this their souls continually cry out for God because their religious activities do not fulfill their need for a personal relationship with God. All their religious activities do not change the soul (their way of thinking). This can only be accomplished by the Anointed Word of God.

The salvation of man's soul has been neglected by the religious system. Those who are called by God's name remain in their carnal, worldly thinking processes. They miss what God has for them because the riches, pleasures, and the cares of this life have choked the Word out of their life, and they fall by the wayside, *** Luke 8:14. In his letter to Titus, Paul revealed those whose souls have been changed:

Those who are allowing the salvation of the soul to take place in their lives are becoming pure. To the pure all things are pure. Their thinking is pure, their way of life is pure, their relationships are pure, their words are pure. Those who have not allowed the Word to change their way of thinking are defiled and unbelieving. Nothing to them is pure. Their minds and consciences remain defiled. 

We would like to believe Paul wrote the last part of this scripture to the worldly people. We must remember the Bible is written to the people of God. There are many who have taken the name of "Christian", whose minds and consciences remain defiled. They have not changed their way of thinking. The old man is still evident in their walk. Their thinking remains as the world. God's salvation process for the soul is not evident in their lives. Paul wrote to the Philippians about a changed way of thinking:

God is going to have a people whose thinking is changed. He will use these to inhabit His Kingdom. The old things must pass away if all things are going to become new in our life. The change must come in the way we think, then our actions will change, and our lives will change. The salvation of the soul will be complete. Then, and only then, will we become acceptable before our God.

3 The Salvation of the Body

The last part of man's triune existence to be saved is the body. Man's spirit is saved by grace, his soul is saved by works, and his body is saved by hope. Paul revealed:

Paul was speaking of the redemption of the body. Then he stated, "We are saved by hope". The word hope is a futuristic word and means "to anticipate, expect, and to have faith". Paul proclaimed, "Hope that is seen is not hope". When we see something it becomes fact. Hope is not seen. Therefore, with patience we wait for it. We have the hope of a new body. In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul related a change to our mortal body:

The mystery Paul revealed to the church at Corinth was, "We shall not all sleep (die), but we shall be changed." How will our bodies be changed? They will be changed from a natural body to a Spiritual body. When speaking of resurrection, Paul stated:

Jesus is our example of the natural body. He is also our example of the Spiritual body. When Jesus walked the earth, He had a natural body. He occupied the same type of body every human on earth occupies. Jesus' body felt heat, cold, pain, anger, emotion, and humiliation just as we do today. The body Jesus had while on earth was terminal because it was in the likeness of sinful flesh. He bore the image of the earthly.

After Jesus' resurrection, Jesus walked the earth for forty days in a different body. This body was not recognized by those who knew Him. It was a body that could appear and disappear. It was a Spiritual body and could only be seen when God opened the peoples' Spiritual eyes. When He re-opened their physical eyes, He would be gone. This happened with Jesus' disciples on the road to Emmaeus and in the upper room.

The body Jesus walked in for forty days is our example of the Spiritual body we will changed into, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, *** I Corinthians 15:52. This mortal body will put on immortality and this corruptible body will put on incorruption.

When this change takes place, then death will be swallowed up in victory. This will be the redemption of the body spoken of by Paul. This is when God's salvation plan will be complete in His creation man. This is not some new doctrine. It is the revelation of the oldest doctrine God planned for man. In his letter to Titus, Paul revealed:

The hope of eternal life coming forth in mankind has been promised by God since before the world began. Unfortunately, eternal life has been related to a place, not a time. The church system, because of their lack of Spiritual understanding, have relegated eternal life to a place called Heaven. Once we realize heaven is not a place, but a realm, our whole outlook on the Bible changes. Heaven is the realm over the earth realm or flesh realm. It is the higher realm where God dwells. When the change in our bodies takes place, then the bonds that tie us to this earth will be broken. By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the beloved John wrote:

John asked the question, "Now are we the sons of God?" No matter how you read it, John's words were a question. John states, "It doth not yet appear what we shall be". What we are going to be has yet to be revealed, not only to man's eyes, but his thinking. Man has been so busy with this life and the things of the world, he has little time to consider the things of God. 

John continues, "When He shall appear we shall be like Him." If His creation would take time to consider this revelation, their way of thinking would change. 

"We shall be like Him". Everyone is looking for the return of Jesus. They expect Him to come crashing through the heavens, stand on the earth in His fleshly body, destroy all that is evil, and set them up to rule the earth. These need to take another look at the book, and a longer look at themselves. These need to pray to God for understanding of what He has "written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world have come," *** I Corinthians 10:11. 

"We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is". We need to ask, "How is He?" The answer is very simple, He is Spirit. If we are to see Him we will see Him with our Spiritual vision, not our natural eyesight, as those who saw Him on the road to Emmaus and in the Upper Room. The writer of Hebrews gives us hope:

Christ is going to appear to those who look for Him. Who is He going to appear to? He is going to appear to those who are without sin, those who are like Him. John continued his admonition:

If we have the hope of the salvation of the body, then we must purify ourselves. Again, we are to be like Him. As we allow the Lord to take control of our thinking, we become more and more like Him. 

Our outward man, the natural man is getting older. We suffer aches and pains. Our physical body continues to lose its vigor and vitality. The skin changes, the color changes, the old body is not being redeemed. In Paul's second letter to the Corinthians, he reveals our hope:

Our old man must perish. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, *** I Corinthians 15:50. The word perish is the Greek word DIAPHTEIRO. It does not mean to die, it means "to consume bodily vigor and strength", as we would say "grow old". God has assured us, even though we are growing older, our inner man, the man of the spirit is being renewed day by day. This is when we allow the cloven tongues of fire to do its work in our lives. 

Many are claiming to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The flesh could not survive the full power of God being released in it. The flesh would be consumed. As we re-examine the Day of Pentecost, it is recorded:

The Spirit sat upon each of them. The same is recorded when the Spirit came upon Jesus after John baptized Him:

The Spirit came in the form of a dove, and lit upon Jesus. As we study this fact, we discover fifteen times in the Old Testament where the Spirit of God came upon men or groups of men. 

The Scriptures record:

The word filled has the meaning of "being fulfilled or accomplished". The coming of the Holy Spirit and sitting upon each of them, fulfilled or accomplished the anointing that came on the Day of Pentecost. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul stated:

Paul told the Ephesians, "Be filled with the Spirit". How can this be accomplished in our lives? The Holy Spirit can only inhabit that which is yielded to Him. Only as we begin to seek God and submit to His way, can the Holy Spirit inhabit our being. Only as we yield to the Spirit to give Him pre-eminence in our lives, can the filling process take place. When we yield our finances to Him, then He can become the God of our finances. When we yield our health to Him, then He can become our Health Plan. When we yield our job, our household, our car, our innermost being to Him, then He can fulfill or accomplish His purpose in our life. He can only inhabit that which is submitted unto Him. Of course, we can throw Him out, and begin again to try to work out our problems in the flesh. It won't work, but we can try.

On the Day of Pentecost, the Spirit came as cloven tongues of fire. The fire is the cleansing fire of God in our lives. The fire came to bring us again into His image and likeness. When the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus it came in the form of a dove (peace). Jesus did not need the cleansing fire because there was no sin in Him. God could inhabit every part of Jesus' life. John recorded:

Jesus was given the Spirit without measure. The Spirit rested upon every aspect of Jesus' life. Jesus could state without reservation:

Everything Jesus did and said pleased the Father because He allowed the Holy Spirit to direct every move and action in His life. Jesus is our example of the salvation of the body. The wages of sin is death, and since there was no sin in Jesus' life, death was not resident in His life. 

God has laid out His plan of salvation for His body in His Spiritually, inspired Word. Paul was inspired to write to the church at Rome:

The same Spirit that raised Jesus from His death state can also raise us from our death state. As we yield our life to Him, He will totally consume the old, flesh man. By the same Spirit, He will quicken the inner man and renew us day by day. Paul revealed to the church at Corinth:

The change God has promised His people will come in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump. The question arises: "What is the last trumpet?" It is the seventh trumpet of God. In the book of Revelation, Jesus revealed to John what would take place at the blowing of the seventh trumpet:

When the seventh trumpet is blown, the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. The word Christ means "the anointed one, or ones". His Christs are those who are totally yielded to and filled by the Spirit of the living God. His Christs will rule and reign with Him for all eternity. His Christs are those who can say as Jesus, "I do always the things that please the Father". Paul revealed "...His Christs..." to the church at Corinth:

God has His Firstfruit Company, and He will have His Christs (His anointed ones) at His coming. Paul revealed the blowing of the seventh trumpet to the Thessalonians:

When the seventh trumpet is sounded the dead in Christ shall rise first. Paul was not speaking of those who have gone by the way of the grave. He is referring to those who have died to self and the old carnal ways. These have become alive in Christ. Paul became our example of those who are the Christs at His coming. He proclaimed:

Paul had died to self, and the life he was living was the Christ life that God was living through him. Paul was living by the faith of the Son of God. He was not living by his own faith, conjured up in himself. He was living the resurrected life, free from the bonds of death. Death no longer had a hold in Paul's life. Paul had a vision for all who would see. The vision Paul had was the salvation of the body. 

Paul spoke much about the change he witnessed in the Spirit. These changes would come upon our mortal bodies. In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul declared the desire of all God's people:

God's true body is groaning, being burdened with the old, fleshly man. God's true body is desiring their Spiritual house, their Spiritual flesh. This is when mortality "a body that will die" will be swallowed up of eternal life. This can only come through the Spirit. As Paul proclaimed: "We are saved by hope:" *** Romans 8:24. But what is our hope? Paul revealed:

It is not the Spirit that rests upon each of us that is our hope of glory, it is Christ in us that is our hope of glory. When we submit our will to the will of the Spirit and yield our whole being to the anointing, we will be filled with His glory. This is when the salvation of the body takes place. This is when our mortal bodies will be quickened and we will be changed. This is when mortality is swallowed up of life, the life of Christ the living God.

 

4Salvation by fire

God has a people who will be saved by fire. Paul wrote to the church at Corinth:

Paul was writing to the church at Corinth about the works they were to accomplish for God in their Christian walk. Paul wrote of two different groups:

The first group's work was gold, silver, and precious stones. When their works were tried by fire, their works were not destroyed in the fire. Gold, silver, and precious stones are purified in the fire. 

The second group's works are wood, hay, and stubble. Their works are not acceptable before God and will be destroyed in the fire, but they themselves shall be saved, yet so as by fire. The fire is the wrath or judgment of God He will bring upon the earth at the end of this age. Peter, who was given the keys to the Kingdom, gave a marvelous revelation to those who live in the end of the age. Peter wrote:

Those whom God chose to live in the end of this age are those He has predestined to walk into His Kingdom. We are a chosen generation of people. A generation is forty years. Those who live in the end of this age have the opportunity to become God's royal priesthood and make up His holy nation Israel. These are God's peculiar people. The word peculiar means "those who are preserved", God's own personal property. 

The word peculiar was also translated "purchased possession". God spoke this to no other people, only to those whom He has called and chosen to live in the end of this age. Every person on earth today was ordained by God to live in this age. 

God's judgement will not touch those who have allowed the Holy Spirit to do its perfect work in their lives. They will receive a reward. Jesus revealed to John on the Isle of Patmos those who will receive their reward:

Those whose works are purified in the fire will receive God's reward. Matthew recorded Jesus' words concerning the end of the age. The whole twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew foretells the end of the age and the coming of God's judgment upon the earth. Jesus proclaimed those who would be saved by fire:

It will be necessary for those who have not come into the fullness of God's plan of salvation in this hour to endure unto the end to be saved; the end of what? They must endure until the end of God's wrath. This enduring process is for the multitude of God's people. All who are not striving to enter into God's presence while it is yet day must endure God's wrath to be saved. When Jesus gave John the revelation of Himself He declared who must go through the fire:

Jesus, Himself, foretold that the great multitude of God's people must go through God's judgment. This is because they refuse to come into His complete plan of salvation in this hour. They will cry "salvation" before the throne. All they knew of God's plan of salvation was the saving of their spirit. They never allowed their soul to be saved, and they had no vision for the saving of the body.

The multitude standing before the throne came out of great tribulation. To come out of it, they had to be in it. God's Word is plain and it is sure, yet the multitude of God's people choose to believe a lie. Their hope is that God will deliver them by what is termed "The Rapture" before His judgment falls upon the earth. How foolish they are, to put their trust in this false hope. Jesus continued:

These will serve before His throne day and night. Those whose robes are made white in the wrath are God's servant saints. These are not part of the ruling and reigning saints who will rule and reign for one thousand years on the earth. 

The Harvest of the Vine

Again, Jesus proclaimed what would become of those who must endure until the end to be saved. Jesus spoke of the harvest of His fruit from off the earth:

The time had come when God would harvest the earth. This was shown graphically by two sickles. The first sickle harvested the earth, the second sickle separated the harvest:

The sickle separated the fully ripe fruit first, those who had come into God's full maturity, by the completeness of His plan of salvation in their lives:

Who are the vine that must be cast into the great winepress of the wrath of God? The church system would have us believe the vine is the world. Who is the vine? Jesus stated:

As Christians, we are the branches of the vine. To understand what Jesus is saying, we must understand something about a grape vineyard. Before the vine is allowed to bear, all the branches are pruned back. Only the two strongest shoots of the vine are allowed to reproduce. Everything else is pruned away and burned. Only two branches of the vine are allowed to bring forth the new branches which bear the fruit. The branches that shoot forth from the vine become the new vine that bears the fruit. 

When the second sickle gathered the vine, it was the vine that bore no fruit (fruit of the Spirit). This vine was cast into the winepress of the wrath of God, and the blood that came out of the winepress to the horses' bridles was Christian blood. This was the multitude that stood before the throne of God. They had come out of the Great Tribulation and had been saved as by fire.

Thus, there are two groups, the first harvest, the ruling and reigning saints, who were gathered for the Lord's use. These receive their reward. The second group was the vine who were cast into the winepress of the wrath of God.

Jesus revealed these same two groups to John in another way. These are God's two witnesses:

The two witnesses will witness for one thousand and threescore days. This is the three and one-half year period of God's wrath. 

Notice there are two olive trees and two candlesticks. The olive trees represent natural Israel, or God's ancient people. The candlesticks represent the church, or Spiritual Israel. There were two of each. One olive tree and one candlestick represent those who have come into God's complete plan of salvation. The other olive tree and candlestick will be God's witness in the wrath. These will wash their robes and make them white in the blood of the Lamb, *** Revelation 7:14. 

As revelation comes through the Spirit, we find two groups: those from natural and Spiritual Israel who will rule and reign on the earth, and those from natural and Spiritual Israel who come out of great tribulation. 

First, the ruling and reigning saints:

These have the power of God in their life because they are given over totally to His indwelling Spirit. What they speak is what God wants brought to pass. 

The second group are those who have endured until the end to receive their deliverance:

The one who ascended out of the bottomless pit made war with them and overcome them. There was no overcoming power in this group's life.

These will be resurrected in the same way as Jesus was. They will ascend off the earth as Jesus did. These will stand before God crying, "Salvation!" They will serve in the temple of God for all eternity. These are those spoken of by Paul who have been saved as by fire. They must endure until the end to accomplish God's purpose in their lives. 

God's plan of salvation is sure:

Lastly, there are those who are saved as by fire, those who must endure until the end to be saved. The Apostle Peter proclaimed:

Through His Spirit, God has promised He would reveal His plan of salvation in the last time. We are living in the last time. Paul wrote to the church at Rome:

It is high time, God's people awake out of their sleep of death. They need to begin to walk into God's full salvation plan. Peter asked a simple question:

The word scarcely means "with much difficulty". If it is going to be difficult for the righteous to be saved, how hard is it going to be for the ungodly and those who have not dealt with the old sin nature? Paul wrote to the church at Corinth:

Paul quoted this from the prophet Isaiah. What time was Isaiah speaking of?

Isaiah was speaking of the time when God's people would inherit all things, the time when God's people would rule and reign upon the earth. Behold now is the Day of Salvation. When the last trumpet sounds we will hear the angel of God proclaim:

The Kingdom of God planned for His chosen lies directly ahead of us. The power of God's anointed is about to be released on those who are prepared to receive it. God is desiring to complete His salvation plan in every person who is open to receive it. Today is the Day of Salvation for all who believe and will walk into it.

Your easy religion will not get you through the rough days ahead. Only those who have allowed the Holy Spirit of truth to lead them into all truth will rule and reign in the kingdom of God.

Questions

Part Two

Part Three

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For Further Discussion
*** God's Salvation Plan

Foundation
Forgiveness of Sin
Water Baptism
Baptism of Holy Spirit
*** Salvation by Grace
The Spirit
*** Salvation of Man's Soul
Overcoming Power
Daily Applying God's Word
*** Salvation of the Body
Saved by Hope
*** The Heavenly Spiritual Realm
*** The Christs at His Coming
*** Salvation by Fire
*** God's Purchased Possessions
*** Those who Must Endure the Wrath of God
*** God's Two Witnesses

Answer Key

Part 1.
1.Man is a that has a which dwells in a .
spirit, soul, body
2.What are the first three steps to come into God's salvation plan?
Forgiveness of sin, water baptism, baptism in the Holy Spirit
3.What has been taught as God's complete salvation plan is only the .
Foundation
4.God's salvation plan is a process, by which we saved, saved, and saved.
Complete, are, are being, will be
5.Can faith save us?
Yes, if it is accompanied by the works God has given us to do
6.List four (4) works God has given His people to accomplish.
1 - prayer warriors
2 - uplift and encourage
3 - help
4 - giving
7.The Scriptures list four (4) ways we can be saved:
1 - grace
2 - hope
3 - fire
4 - faith accomplished by works
8. What part of man's triune being is being saved by grace?
The spirit is saved by grace
9.What part of man's triune being is saved by fire?
The Spirit
10.Is the following statement true of false? Explain:
"I accepted the Lord". John 15:16 says we have not chosen Him, but He has chosen us
11.Our calling into God's salvation plan was in Christ Jesus before the .
World began
12.What part of man's triune being is saved second?
The soul
13.The soul area is where man makes .
All his decisions, whether for good or evil
14.What will happen when we yield our soul to God? 
our conscience will lead us into the paths of righteousness. 
15.What will happen to us if we resist God?
If we resist God, we will fall into sin and away from God
16.Our , our , and every area of our lives must line up with God's , the of .
Heart, thinking, Holy commandment, Word, God
17.To be made conformable to Christ's death, we must die to , , , and .
Self, self-rule, self-esteem, and selfishness
18.God's salvation plan for the soul must be worked out before God with and . It is a .
Fear and trembling, continual process
19.Finish the following sentence: When sin is resident in our hearts... 
then our faith in God and His Word is truly vain and worthless, and our sins are not forgiven
20.The salvation of our soul is a .
Daily process
21.How can we have perfect peace?
keep our mind on the things of Christ and trust Him in all things
22.Finish the following sentence: When our thoughts...
are controlled by our conscience instead of the lust of the flesh, then our soul has entered into God's salvation process
23.When we sin our soul is , the same as when we .
Wounded, cut our finger
24.God's from to was given for the healing of the .
Word, Genesis to Revelation, soul
25.Our soul can only be redeemed by the daily application of .
God's Word
26.Religious activities do not fulfill our need for a with God.
Personal relationship
27.Those who are allowing the salvation of their soul are becoming .
Pure

Part Two

1.The third part of man's triune being to be saved is the .
Body
2.Man's body is saved by .
Man's soul is saved by .
Man's spirit is saved by .
Hope, Works, Grace
3.God's salvation plan will be complete when the body is .
Redeemed to life
4.Heaven is not a place, but a .
Realm
5.Heaven is the Spiritual realm over the realm, or the .
Earth, flesh realm
6.If we are to see Christ, we will see Him with our , not our .
Spiritual vision, Natural eyesight
7.If we have the hope of the salvation of the body, then we must .
Purify ourselves
8.The Holy Spirit can only that which is to Him.
Inhabit, yielded
9.Finish the following sentence: Everything Jesus did...
Pleased the Father
10.Finish the following sentence: As we yield our life...
The Holy Spirit will totally consume the old, flesh man.
11.Christ is our hope of . Colossians 1:27
In us, glory
12.When will the salvation of the body take place?
When we submit our will to the will of the Spirit

Part Three
1.Gold, silver, and precious stones are in fire. Wood, hay, and stubble will be in fire.
Purified, destroyed
2.Who are those who will be saved by fire? Matthew 24:13
those who have not come into the fullness of God's plan of salvation
3.It will be necessary for those who are saved by fire to .
endure unto the end to be saved
4.Those who have not come into the fullness of God's salvation plan must endure to the end of what?
God's wrath
5.Why will the multitude have to go through God's wrath?
because they refuse to come into His complete plan of salvation in this hour
6.Most only know the saving of their . They never allow their to be saved, and they have no vision for the saving of the .
spirit, soul, body
7.Those whose robes are made white are .
Servant saints
8.Who are the vine that is cast into the winepress of the wrath of God?
The Christian vine who produces no fruit of the Spirit
9.Only pruned branches will become the That bear fruit.
New branches
10.The blood that came out of the winepress to the horse's bride was .
Christian blood
11.Who are part of the first harvest by the angel with the sickle in Revelation 14?
the fully ripe fruit first, those who had come into God's full maturity, by the completeness of His plan of salvation in their lives
12.Explain who the two (2) olives and the two (2) candlesticks are:
The olive trees represent natural Israel, or God's ancient people. The candlesticks represent the church, or Spiritual Israel. There were two of each. One olive tree and one candlestick represent those who have come into God's complete plan of salvation. The other olive tree and candlestick will be God's witness in the wrath. 

Vital Words to the Body of Christ 
Freely We Have Received, Freely We Give
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