Salvation of the Soul
There is a difference between the gifts and the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
1 Cor 12:7-11:
7. The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8. To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9. To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit. 10. To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues. 11. But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
Galatians 5:22 KJV:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.
We are a tripartite being: made up of spirit, soul and body.
When we get saved by Grace, the part of us that immediately gets saved is our human spirit.
Salvation of the soul follows much later and takes a journey, the length of which differs from person to person.
This happens with every believer. When we get saved, the soul and the body especially the soul (as the body often gets directives and orders from the soul) remains carnal and raw, still abiding in the law, causing more error in one’s life.
Salvation of the soul often happens when a saved person attains ability to control their soul and body. Saved life is foreign to all humanity. Humans are born sinful Romans 3:23 ( all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God)
All we know is sin. When we get saved, new life in Christ requires a change in how we live our lives. Our spirits are often in the right place, but the soul will always be inclined to old ways of living. Our mindsets, emotions, thinking patterns disposition and predispose us to acts of sin and error.
Self awareness and knowledge of God is vital.
Paul in Romans 7 spoke of his own struggle with the flesh. He described that his spirit wanted and desires to do good but his soul still fought to do that which he hated to do. It feels like war inside a person. The spirit and the soul fighting. The spirit has to win and get the soul in order.
This, in most cases is accomplished by dying to self. Dying to self doesn’t always come naturally. It is made possible by trials and tribulations.
Most of the time many people talk and even teach about the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5. Some even boast about how they think they have acquired them, but when faced with situations they fail horribly. It could be things like when someone isn’t what they would like them to be, or they don’t seem to be listening to them, or they feel disrespected by them or the person may be too slow in some ways. They get upset, hurt or offended by it and begin to act in ungodliness towards the person. Simple things like this often reveal that someone is still short of a certain fruit of the Spirit.
What seems to be a simple thing as patience and loving unconditionally are often commonly lacking in most people.
People often like or love those they can get something out of, those who can benefit them. It’s like a pay back, you do this for me, I will like or love you. You don’t, I will hate or despise you.
In his book Salvation of the soul, Watchman Nee spoke of these:
meaning - is SELF-DENIAL through self awareness
the means - is the CROSS
the manifestation of the soul's salvation - is the KINGDOM
Phil 2:12-13:
“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed – not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence – continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his purpose.”
First, the Greek verb rendered;
Actively pursuing obedience in the process of sanctification, which Paul explains as. “pressing on” toward the goal of Christlikeness Phil 3:13-14.
A healthy Fear of offending God through disobedience and an awe and respect for His majesty and holiness.
Trembling - being aware of our weaknesses , which brings us to a state of dependency on God. Obedience and submission to the God we revere and respect.
James 1: 2-4 (My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.) It’s not nice to be going through trials and difficulties. It can be very dark and gloomy. It’s only after surviving them that one emerges out very enlightened and stronger.
Abraham had his soul saved. He life led him to a place of tests that proved his faith in God. He became the Father of Faith. He walked the way of faith. He was ready to deny his feelings to a point of killing his own son in obedience to God’s command. He was able to bring God from heaven to earth.
Divide had his soul saved. He was a man after God’s own heart. David travelled through life by way of the Cross. He was able to bring God into the midst of people and to cause God to rule over them.
David was not praiseworthy from his youth. Even his own father wouldn’t think anything of him. But looked at his heart and chose him King of Judah, over his respectable older brothers.
Praise is man’ s greatest enemy. It works on one’s soul. It flatters one’s soul and birthed pride and self importance. A sense of grandiosity.
David’s heart condition was revealed when Saul began to have an issue with his reputation among the people. When the women praised him after he slaughtered Goliath and declared that he killed ten thousands and that Saul only slaughtered thousands.
David’s Heart was revealed to be in a state of humility and never moved by the praise and honour from the women.
On the other hand, Saul’s Herat was also revealed to be negatively affected by the under praise.
He felt humiliated and sought out to kill David from then onwards.
His soul was so saved that praise
David throughout a life of trouble and tests, learnt humility. His soul got saved. He learnt to depend on God. The Bible talk about a series of inquiries David made with God before he could take up war with other nations.
Life’s defeats are necessary to help get our souls saved. To get us to depend on God.
In Romans chapter 6, our spirits get saved we die with Christ, we cease to live by our soul is demands and commands but it doesn’t end there. Paul was to personally experience that even though he was saved, only his spirt was actually saved and his soul was still very much in charge of his life.
He realised that he still lived a life of no victories even after salvation.
He realised that there was a battle inside him between his soul and spirit, good and evil, God and self in man. He got to see that he needed the defeats of Romans 7 for him to stop relying on his own abilities.
Romans 7:6 and 11 explain how the death of self in man is a necessity without which, no one can experience the victory found in Romans chapter 8. Paul knew that up till his soul is saved, there will be nothing good in him. It takes authentic self knowledge to come to this place.
May you find this hidden treasure as you seek God to reveal the true state of your soul and self, the need to die and live only through your spirit leading the way in you as it connects and remain connected to God through the Holy Spirit.
