FAITH FILLED AND AT REST
By Pastor Michael Heil
FAITH WORKS THE SALVATION OF MY SOUL: The soul of man-including my soul-is made up of the elements of personality. A person’s persona or personality, or the way they are viewed by others is the manifestation of their mind, their emotions, and the decisions they make in life. These are the three parts of our soul: mind-emotions-will.
The problem with most people recognizing this is most people have no idea how God created us! So, if we don’t know who we are, it is hard to recognize the changes that happen spiritually in our life. Genesis 2:7 says, “and God created man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.” Dust of the ground = our physical body; breathed into his nostrils the breath of life = our spirit; and man became a living soul = our soul. So, God reveals in Scripture there is a difference between our spirit and our soul. This is further confirmed by God in I Thessalonians 5:23 and Hebrews 4:12.
"now that you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
1 Peter 1:9 (Berean Study Bible)
The verse that God laid on my heart is I Peter 1:9 that tells us that God reveals our steps and walk of faith are daily bringing about a salvation to our souls, our souls, not our spirit. Our spirit was saved entirely, completely, and fully in one act when we were born again. Our spirit is alive unto God through the presence of the Holy Spirit now indwelling our human spirit. It does not need to go through daily salvation.
However, I Peter 1:9 also reveals to us that our souls are receiving salvation every time we move in faith with God. Each step I take in faith or you take in faith is working some new refinement or extension of salvation in our soul. Is that not a blessing to know?
SALVATION OF OUR MIND: Every time we meditate upon God’s Holy Scripture or receive the leading of the Holy Spirit, our mind is being renewed and, to whatever degree it is renewed, is being saved from those thoughts and opinions of the world that destroy and defile our thinking. Is that not salvation to be freed from the group thinking of the world that molds us and manipulates us? Recently I watched on television and Facebook, a clip of a mob of Antifa yelling and screaming at a person to raise their hands in support of their perversion. Extreme as that is, that is what the world wants us to do to us daily. God saves our mind from that type of control as we meditate on His Word and rest in His presence.
SALVATION OF OUR EMOTIONS: Our walk of faith also works in us a joyful and peaceful change in our emotions. Is that not salvation? The world stresses us so we end up confused, frustrated, and troubled, always walking on eggshells emotionally. It’s interesting to me. One of the verses in Scripture says that we can believe the “simplicity of the gospel.” Our emotions become scrambled as our mind becomes overwhelmed with details and nuances of life; that is what Satan and the world try to accomplish in us every day. However, God, hallelujah, saves our emotions. As we meditate on the Word and receive the touch of the Holy Spirit in life, a peace and tranquility encompass us; a peace and tranquility eases and relaxes the mind. Is that not salvation in our emotions?
SALVATION OF OUR WILL: Our will is so precious; what a gift from God. It is that we are free to choose! God will never overwhelm our will. God will never browbeat us into submission. God loves us so much and so completely that He would never try to dominate our will. The one who pushes us, intimidates us, confuses us is the one who wants to crush our will-the evil one, the prince of darkness. God allows us the freedom of will, and yet every time we exercise our will to submit to God’s will, there is a strengthening in our will. There is an expanding of confidence in our will towards God. Is that not a salvation working in our will? Is that not a salvation giving us strength for the next step of faith our will has to take?
TO SUM IT UP, these words in I Peter 1:9 are so powerful in our life. They tell us of a God, who is our Father, is daily freeing our mind-our emotions-our will to rest in his loving arms. As the little baby cuddles up into the arms of their mother, so we cuddle up in confidence and faith into the arms of our God knowing we are at home!
Praise & Worship: Oh Lord You're Beautiful by Keith Green https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtzCD_8KbjI