If it is not our works that save us but rather our faith, what are we to have faith in that saves us, and from what are we saved?
Titus 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”
The renewing of the Holy Ghost saves us. How does the Holy Ghost renew us and again, from what are we saved? And how are we to have believe or faith that this renewing is what will save us? And how do we gain the faith in this Holy Ghost renewal?
2 Timothy 1:9 “Who hath saved us, and calledus with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,”
Again it is not our works that save us [from whatever it is we are to be saved]. God saves us according to his own purpose, which has already been given to us for what we were previously made. Our calling has already been determined. He will call us as he will. So are we to have faith that whatever calling he has for us will be, and he will save us as he will?
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Through faith we gain the grace which saves us, but again what are we to have faith in, or what are we to believe? And how does that faith give us grace.
Romans 4:24-25, 5:1 “But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”
We are to BELIEVE on HIM that raised up Jesus. Who is it that raised up Jesus? And what is it that we are to believe about him?
It also says that Jesus our Lord was raised for our justification (to make us righteous). Now let’s look at Romans 8 to see if there is a spiritual meaning to the “raising” of Jesus and how the spiritual meaning affects us.
Romans 8:9-18 “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christbe in you, the bodyis dead because of sin; but the Spiritis life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer withhim, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present timeare not worthyto be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us
It says that it was God who raised up Jesus, and that if Christ be in you, your “body” is dead. Now this should be interpreted allegorically because our body is not physically dead just because it has Christ in it. It means [we realize] that our life is meaningless (dead) without the Spirit when we have Christ in us. We realize our inabilities without the Spirit because of the failing factor of the Law of Works (sin). Look at verse 8, it begins by saying “you are not in the flesh”, meaning we are not talking about the flesh here! we are talking spiritually here [if that Spirit of God is in you]. Meaning, if that Spirit of God is not already in you, than you may try and interpret this carnally, which means you are in the flesh still.
The Spirit of God can dwell in us, and if we are led by that Spirit, that Spirit (the Holy Spirit) will mortify (put to death) the deeds of the body. And when we understand this and witness this, we BELIEVE in the ability of the Spirit of God. And with Christ in us, him who raises Christ will bring to life (quicken) us as joint-heir (joint participant) of Christ the child of God. When Christ is in us we suffer and are glorified together as Christ.
1Corinthians 12:27 “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.”
If Christ be in us, we ARE the body of Christ and “our” body is dead. Which means as a member of the body of Christ you live as Christ and not your ego self (your “dead” body because of sin).
So then we are to believe in God who raised up Jesus, and in that belief in him we gain the understanding that we, when we are the body of Christ as Christ lives in us, will be brought to “life” rather than “die” as we do when we live in the flesh (“dead” body).
So again what are we believing in and how does that save us? From Romans 8 above, it appears that we are to believe that Christ is in us and God will bring him to life in us through his Spirit, if that Spirit lives in us. It appears we are saved from a carnal mind (living after the flesh, or living through the ego mind or our old man) which bring death, when we believe that the Spirit of God brings us to true life, through the Christ who lives in us.
Romans 6:5-8 “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be alsoin the likeness ofhis resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified withhim, 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:”
The word “likeness” used here means representation. So we are to use the death of Christ as a REPRESENTATION and EXAMPLE of what WE are to DO to gain salvation from our carnal fleshly lives. And the word “dead” here does not mean physical death. See previous posts on the death of the carnal mind. If we are dead with [the body of] Christ, than he can therefore also live. His death story is simply a REPRESENTATION of what we must do. We are to use the story of his death as a carnal example to be understood spiritually.
2Corinthians 5:15 “Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know wehim no more.”
We initially understand the story of Jesus in the flesh as a carnal story, but then we know him no longer after the flesh. The story is a representation of a means to our salvation. Jesus Christ is in us, and the stories are to represent that life that can live in us. We are to NO LONGER to know him after the flesh [carnal stories].
2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”
Galatians 4:19 “My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,”
Christ is something or someone who is to be formed in us, which is the “body” of Christ. We travail in birth to form him! See previous post on April 15, 2014 on the woman or female counterpart in all of us. And what are these “birth” pains we go through?
1Corinthians 3:1-2 “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal,even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.”
Are you able to understand the meat, or is it still too hard to take? The meat is the spiritual aspect of the word. See previous posts on July 19, 2014.
2Titus 1:14 “That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by theHoly Ghost which dwelleth in us.”
How do we gain access to this Spirit, the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost: see also Titus 3:5 quoted above at the beginning of this post), that lives in us? And how do we believe that it can live in us and bring Christ to life?
Romans 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove whatis that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
Luke 9:23-24 “And he said tothem all, If anyman will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.”
1Corinthians 15:31 “I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.”
2Corinthians 12:9-10 “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's.”
See also Romans 6:5-8 above. Our old man (self) is to die. That is our self or egotistical mind (i.e. self-righteousness, self-will, self-pride, self-glory). The beginning of allowing the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 4:22 “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;”
And what are deceitful lusts that our old man has? They are appetites of the mind that really deceive us in this world (i.e. gossip, pride, competition, revenge, contention, all things opposed to compassion), into enjoying fleshly pass times.
There is a counter intuitiveness to presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice. There is a counter intuitiveness to losing our life to gain it. There is a counter intuitiveness to denying yourself to taking up your cross in saving yourself. There is a counter intuitiveness to dying daily. How are we made perfect in our own weakness, and how do we rejoice in infirmities? It is all pretty counter intuitive. When our ego is weak, then Christ can “overcome” our self and live instead (in our place through us). Which is really our true only righteous self that can be. So in losing our false pride filled lustful life we gain our true humble self. The person God is then able to live through, which is our salvation from SELF.
What is this POWER of Christ that rests upon us when we glory (take joy) in our so called problems rather complain about them. Knowing that our “problems” actually are good such that they teach us patience.
Hebrews 10:36 “For ye have need ofpatience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.”
And what is that promise? And how do we believe in God if we do not know him and about him and what we are to have faith in. What is the knowledge we are to gain that gives peace and patience?
James 1:3-4 ”But let patience haveher perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. Knowingthis, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.”
James 5:11 “Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.”
Romans 8:24-26 “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not,then do we with patience wait forit. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”
We are saved from ourselves by hoping in something better through the Spirit, and we really do not yet understand what that salvation may be or bring until it happens. And to think we already know what we need is arrogance. We are to hope in the unknowable God. We are to hope for the strength of God in through our weakness.
2Peter 1 “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things thatpertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they makeyou that ye shall neitherbe barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
Where is the kingdom? And what does it mean to “see afar off”?
Luke 17:21 “Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.”
Like Christ who is in us, the Kingdom of God is also in us. And to see afar off, means to able to look past your own self and your abilities and passions and desires, and to see something beyond yourself and possibly DEEP within yourself.
Romans 4:19 “And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb:”
The example is that Abraham did not even consider his former old self that was dead and unable to perform via the self-ability and self-glory and pride it lived through before. Look beyond yourself and your abilities and do not even consider them.
Do not fret, because it is when your self is weak, God is able to be strong. Use each “problem” in your life as a means to God’s strength, and as a way for Christ to shine rather than you.
When you are shining by your own self effort you are living through the flesh.
So, did we answer our initial question of “If it is not our works that save us but rather our faith, what are we to have faith in that saves us, and from what are we saved?”?
It appears that we are to have faith and believe that Christ is in us, and if we surrender our self-will each day (die daily and take up our cross) to Christ, we may have a chance to truly live through the Spirit. And we can be “saved” from our fleshly carnal mind who is against God, when we renew our mind and put away carnal ideals and ideas.
Galatians 5:22-26 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.”
It is a daily effort, and faith without works (this daily effort to crucify our carnal view of the world), is dead. Because if we truly believe that Christ is in us, we will do everything God tells us to ensure he lives [in us]. And that is ego denial.
1Corinthians 15:42-51 “So alsois the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adamwas made quickening spirit. Howbeit thatwas not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first manis of the earth, earthy: the second manis the lord from heaven. Asis the earthy, suchare they also that are earthy: and as is he heavenly, suchare they also that are heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,”
Adam is a representation of how we are sown with a natural body (born into this world), with the potential to be raised and awakened. We are made to first be natural, with the seed (potential) who is Christ. Our fleshly carnal mind cannot obtain that Kingdom of God that is within us. But we have to change our understanding by the renewing of our mind and changing of our minds idea of what salvation is. But indeed the meat of the word is a mystery and counter intuitive.
1 Corinthinas 8:22 “And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.”
We have to be open to change from our former understanding [of things in this world]. We have to be willing to allow our seed (carnal ideas) within us to sprout (spiritual ideas). We have to say “I don’t know” Then the Spirit can begin quicken (arouse by the spirit) our mortal bodies and minds and give us new understanding (Romans 12:2).
Added comment
Adam represents us as the body of Christ and how we go from life to death to life a new. The first Adam is a representation of the beginning of the knowledge of sin (the law) which includes our self righteous efforts to do good through the knowledge of good and evil, which is death and suffering. Which is the death of Adam in the Garden as he ate of the tree of knowledge. The first Adam becomes the last Adam when the self righteous efforts end and, the earthly understanding changes. The last Adam (our second man) is brought back from death (raised) and raised in glory. "Christ in you the hope of glory".