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NASB | James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole Law but stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of [breaking] all of it. |
Subject: Moral, Ceremonial, and Civil law |
Bible Note: Salvation: if someone on this forum wants to debate or challenge my views on these issues, then please allow me to state what my definition and understanding is of salvation. Obviously this is my view and I will support it with scripture. But often I find that I am being misunderstood because my definition is not the same as another believer's. That's alright, we are all learning and growing, but it would help if you knew where I was coming from. I am not trying to rewrite the Bible here, I am simply trying to define my beliefs so fellow forum members who may not agree with my view, can at least understand it. The word 'salvation' means 'to be delivered.' Therefore it means that something is taken from one characteristic and moved or changed to another characteristic. Here is what I believe about salvation: 1. At new birth (conversion, general salvation experience, accepting Christ, being born-again, regeneration, asking Christ in your heart, etc.) God removes your 'old self'. This old self is also known as the old man, old sin nature, 'in Adam' spirit, Paul's old 'I no longer live' self. This is NOT the flesh. This is the core of identity. This is the dead- to-God (separated from Him), unregenerate spirit that you inherited from Adam. On our timeline, God does this at new birth. I believe that this is where God separates spirit and soul - Heb 4:12. From God's point of view (outside time) it was crucified with Christ and buried (because it is dead) with Him 2000 years ago - Rom 6:3-8. 2. God then creates in us a brand new spirit, a new creation, a new self that is alive to Him - 2 Cor 5:17. This new spirit is created completely righteous and holy - Eph 4:24. Because your old sinful spirit is gone, you are saved (delivered from the penalty of sin, spiritual death) by a new alive spirit inside. This is why I keep saying the true salvation is being delivered from the wages of sin, death (separation from God) by the free gift of God, eternal life in your spirit - Rom 6:23. This new spirit is eternal because it is joined to Christ's Spirit. It cannot sin. 3. This new spirit is joined to Christ's Spirit (aka the Holy Spirit) - Rom 8:9 and indwells the soul of the believer. This new spirit is your identity, who you really are, your deepest essence and it is forever united with Christ. Therefore, at the core of your being you are spiritually born-again from God, joined to Him and you (the old self) no longer lives but you have a new self. The Holy Spirit does all of this. We do none of it. Because it is a spiritual truth, we cannot reason out the mechanics of it. We can only accept it by faith. 4. The believer now is a new creation in Christ but he (or she) still has the same unregenerate soul (mind, will, and emotions), the source of behavior, and the same unregenerate physical body wherein 'flesh' dwells. But there is a comeplete, dynamic change is the identity. So much so that believers in the NT were often given name changes. We are no longer who we were. Unfortunately though, we have the same old soul and body. 5. As we live and have our minds (part of the soul) renewed by the Spirit and God's Word, the righteousness and life of the spirit within 'works it's way out' to change our behavior. It is an inward out sanctification process. It is not from the outside in. "Out of your inner-most being..." Jesus said. This, I believe, is the soul's sanctification process. It is the means by which the man of God is being renewed day by day so that his behavior is brought in-line with his new identity. The saving of the soul (deliverence from the power of sin) is gradual but it is assured because it has a new spirit (with God's Spirit as the seal and guarantee) within as it's power source. But if at any time the physical life is cut short by death (from our view), your righteous spirit standing before God allows you to go immediately into His presence without further salvation of the soul and body. But the soul part of us can, obviously, still sin depending on where we draw our sufficiency out of. 6. The believer's body is not saved (delivered from the presence of sin) until the rapture or the resurrection. In this body, dwells what Paul calls the 'flesh'. This flesh is not the true self. It is old thoughts, patterns, and habits stored in our physical brain that tempts us to get our needs met apart from God. God does not give you a new brain when you get saved. He also does not wipe out your intellect, will and emotions. But He does intend for you to choose to live your life out of the Spirit (walk after the indwelling Spirit) instead of the 'flesh.' Those that walk (live) out of their flesh cannot please God. Only by walking in the Spirit can our souls be renewed and Christ's life within be displayed through our bodies. So who are you going to obey, the Spirit of God within you or your flesh? See Part 2 |