Getting Saved
“By your perseverance you will win your souls.” Luke 21:19 NASB (1963)
Souls – How do you acquire salvation? It’s a fair question, especially since the evangelical world provides a clear answer. “You get saved by confessing Jesus as your Savior and Lord.” There’s just one small problem. The idea of “getting saved” really doesn’t include all of you, does it? It’s your soul that gets saved. The body is left behind when you go to heaven, to be replaced with a new body, a “resurrection” body. So you don’t get saved. Only a part of you is delivered.
That Platonic dualism (the separation of human beings into body and soul) is probably responsible for the NASB translation. The ESV makes a substantial correction by translating this as, “you will gain your lives.” The Greek word is psyche, historically translated as “soul” based on its use in classical Greek philosophy. But Hebraic thought makes the Greek idea of soul impossible. Hebrew does not envision Man in parts. It is either life or no life. In Hebrew, you don’t save your soul. You save yourself.
Yeshua’s comment gives rise to another difficulty. Contextually, He is speaking about the dangers when Jerusalem falls. Those who endure will save their lives. They must persevere (Greek hypomone). If He is speaking only of avoiding the tragic end when Jerusalem falls, then His comment carries no implications about an eternal life. It is simply a statement about what is necessary to survive the coming Roman oppression. But this comment opens another discussion. How much of acquiring deliverance (salvation) depends on human endurance? Heschel sometimes indicates that faith is really characterized by perseverance. The man of faith just continues no matter what the circumstances. Faith isn’t some set of eternal beliefs or a one-time confession. Faith is continuing! You just keep going. You just pick yourself up and start again. You just press on. God might not visit you for thirteen years while you deal with the results of not trusting His promise, but that doesn’t mean you have lost your faith. You just keep expecting His arrival. You just keep waiting for Him. And one day He comes.
It seems to me that we have a lot of corrections to make when it comes to matters of faith. First, we have to correct the idea that faith is about our souls. That contribution from Plato and Augustine has to go. God is the God of life and it is lives that are in the balance, not souls. It’s all of you or none of you.
Secondly, it seems to me that Scripture places a lot more emphasis on our part in the plan than we have been taught. Obedience, perseverance, endurance, tenacity and determination—these actions are faith. Faith is not a thing, a creed, a treasure that I keep on my shelf. It is the dynamic of continuing to trust, of acting in light of His character. And when I fall down, faith is getting back up again.
So how do you acquire salvation? It’s a fair question.
Topical Index: soul, psyche, salvation, perseverance, Luke 21:19
This whole piece rang like truth in me! Awesome! Thank you!
“Salvation” is your embarkation, not your destination. It’s like getting married. technically and legally you are married when you say “I do”. But the perfected marriage of heart mind and flesh is at the end of the faith relationship. It is achieved by “crossing over” (definition of Hebrew) to the promised land (which is a relationship more than a “land”). It is a “passing through the flesh together” (covenant ritual). Obedience is a transitional calling in a transitional creation, moving to a higher calling (love) in a higher creation (which will be the result of spontaneous interaction). It is the journey which makes us into a heroically selfless (unconditionally loving) people who will populate the “promised land”. As in marriage, the commitment is ” til death, no matter what”. Those who divorce by definition stop “believing”. The fact is they never believed in the first place. They just didn’t realize that, while initializing the relationship costs you nothing, consummating it costs you everything. Somewhere on the journey, they turned back. They sold the promise for a morsel.
All of Me
May 2, 2014 at 8:14am
Body. Soul. Breath. (all of the above) No Ifs. Ands. Or buts.
Exhibit “A”
After my heart surgery, I woke up (revived- to live again) with a new (and improved!) heart. The aortic valve (of flesh) was replaced with a metal St. Jude valve. (My heart is fixed, O LORD, my heart is fixed!- I will sing and give praise Psalm 57.7) Yes, this is a “literal” heart with a “literal” valve and this “literally happened. For realz. ~ ~ (literally)
But, – I was never told- “you’ll “click” for the rest of your life. I (when it is very quiet) sound like the Big Ben alarm clock that was swallowed by the crocodile in Walt Disney’s Peter Pan movie. Tick. Tick. Tick.. – this “literally” gives new meaning to “with every beat of my heart.” Savvy?
So, I’m awake, now in recovery.. weak as a kitten- but inside of my chest is this HUGE “thing” pumping enormous volumes of “literal” blood (you would think I like this word -“literal!” (I do!). Wam. Wam. Wam. – What (he inquired) is this monstrosity inside of me? The heart of a teenager. (or so it would seem). But then again, there is this constant- (and way too loud!) “noise.” And I am not going to “get away” or “escape” this either. There is no escape, for as we all know..- wherever you may go in life..- there you are! (sorry, -but “literally!).
After two sleepless nights, (it’s just too noisy around here.. tick.tick.tick)- I decided to go find some coffee, – maybe around the nurses’ station, so I gather my monitoring equipment and weakly wended my way, slowly, in search of java juice.
Here, is where it gets weird. Body. Soul. Spirit.- All three decide to “show up!” A- mazing. A (random?) thought enters my head. (This, is where “thoughts” occur) “Run up the stairs!” Huh? Run up the stairs? – I can barely walk ten feet! No way, Hose! Where, on this green planet is this “random?” thought coming from? -It is the “little boy brain” inside of me. Yes, even after “all these years” of living in the flesh (literally) the “boy brain” is “in there..” Run up the stairs, indeed! Lol!
The mind of a child. The heart of a teenager. And the body of an old man. All three.. body-soul-and breath (spirit)- all present and accounted for. Ahh.. – but which one was “me?” Which one would I rather “do without?” No, dear friends- all are critical for life. Life that now is. It takes “three” to tango.. – body-soul-breath. Ahh, please do “notice” the “dashes” between the words. Body(dash or hyphen)soul-breath. Not. Commas.
All three are necessary for life. (yes, here we are again..) -literally.
SOS. Save our souls. Does God care (literally) for our bodies? Yes. Our Father wants us to be healthy, happy and holy, and has promised to feed us with the finest of wheat. Good for the body (and soul and spirit!) ~ Eat that which is good ~ At the “Last Supper” did they disciples eat and drink “literal” food? Did Christ prepare a “literal” breakfast after His “literal” resurrection? Yes. He did.
Man (generically speaking) is a triune being. Body-soul-breath. If one is missing, so are we! You can’t have one- without the others! No breath- we are in serious trouble! Dead as a doornail. He’s not breathing! You’re nobody with no body!
When Christ ascended into Heaven, did the disciples present “see Him? Did Thomas the Doubter (what a title!) place his hands in the (yes, literal) nail-pierced hands of the Savior? He was invited by the resurrected Christ (Himself) to do so. Thomas, – doubt no more. “See” for yourself. Literally.
Jesus Saves (Completely!) Friends, -it is so! (amein!) for literally!, I am.. with every beat of my heart..- Exhibit “A”
And isn’t it strange that we would trust Him with our souls, (for all time and eternity) and yet we still fear, fret and fuss over our daily bread, when He has promised- “I will provide!” His eye is on the sparrow, – and I know… (literally)
And ~ The One who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all [other] things? ~ (Romans 8.32) Has He? Does He? Will He?
What do the scriptures say? ~ I AM YHWH, – I change not!! ~ The same yesterday-today-forever! Forever faithful. Forever true. Forever “with us.” Hallelujah! Amein!
Great analogy Brett. Salvation to my mind presently, is a continual process of receiving the Life of Yeshua. I do not get more of him without Him getting more of me. Take up your cross – which empties the vessel, and He will fill it to overflowing with His Life which then touches this lost world. Most never get past the emptying stage. As Skip said yesterday, take up the Cross – let it go and soar. You will find eventually that what seemed like giving up your whole dear life, was mearly taking out the heavy trash.
That was quite a stretch from the Greek word hupomone which has a connotation of patience, endurance, etc. to salvation. But, to answer your question — you don’t get or acquire salvation. It is something God does for you or to you. The Greek word translated salvation carries a sense of soundness/wholeness. When you take your brokenness to God, He makes known to you the lies you are believing and speaks the truth to you. Thus, if you accept what He says, you are freed from the bondage of those lies and are made sound and whole in that area of your life. Salvation is an on-going process.
Brett — your comment on marriage and divorce is spot on as an analogy but it also stands alone! I had never heard divorce described in that way but it is precisely what happens. Thank you. You’ve managed to explain something to me that has nagged at me for almost 30 years now after my husband of 16 years just “suddenly” decided to walk away.
I agree with Ellen, in that there’s nothing we do too “acquire” salvation. It’s a promise. We can put it in the bank, so to speak. He will not lose one of His. David Stern (CJB) translates faith as trust almost always. And that’s the way I see it. Adonai has taught me to trust Him for everything, including His promise of saving me, resurrecting me, as well as keeping me (Salvation). It’s my good pleasure and desire, to do everything within me to honor and serve Him now and forever.
Great post Skip.
Ellen – thanks for that description explaining salvation.
Lately, I’ve been having a small conversation regarding the “P” of Calvin’s TULIP renditions.
Laying aside the other four points, now, the only way I can see any validity to the “perseverance” of the saints is kind of in regard to
what you were alluding to. Salvation isn’t a commodity on the shelf that I can pick up, purchase (through faith) and own in perpetuity.
It’s the soundness/wholeness/life that you step in to after rejecting those lies of bondage. Salvation came to those that stepped out of Egypt
and then into the way/instruction/direction that their King/Master/Lord showed them and offered them. Their faith was rendered effective and real
with the first step THEY took out of Egypt. Afterwards came the obligation of faithfulness in stepping obediently, faithfully in Torah as instructed them
by the Life Giver Himself from the mountain via Moshe. Do this and live. Don’t and die as you were enslaved in Egypt. The walking dead, enslaved
and controlled by a death god, Pharoah.
Isn’t salvation daily choosing life over death, Torah over my own view of how things ought to be? Salvation occupies the place with me where I am aligned with Torah (Yeshua/Elohim/YHWH/Father.) It is persevered through each day, each moment where I come upon a fork in my journey asking me to choose
life or death. As I persevere in obedience, endurance, i.e. my faith – following and aligning myself with Torah, salvation (life) follows me naturally. Life lives in
Torah obedience, Torah faithfulness, Torah enduring throughout my life.
There is a path Yeshua laid out for us to follow. It was Torah. It was Himself. Yeshua perfectly illustrated what choosing life over death. Walk on the path and know and experience life. Take a step off and enjoy the inevitable destruction of death played out in your life’s moments.
Life inherently perseveres. Salvation is experienced as we persevere in walking and choosing life. Our faith is made evident through our persevering obedience.
Our freedom is within the confines of life. Torah is life. Torah is Yeshua. Yeshua is life. Yeshua is freedom as he came to set us free.
There is salvation in no other name than one, Salvation/Yeshua.
Beautifully put, Michael! 🙂
Salvation (itself) is a tri-unity or threefold. It is, in its entirety, past, present and future. We have been saved from the penalty of sin. We are being saved from the power of sin. (Sin shall no longer have dominion/authority over you!) We will (one day) be saved from the presence of sin. Salvation is a crisis, followed by a process, – the process of sanctification! (another ten-cent Bible word!).
Our Sanctification (the process of holiness or “set-apartness”- set aside for sacred use) and salvation- all find their source – *in Christ*. He is (both) the Author and the Completer/Finisher of our faith. Good news? God always finishes what He starts! ~ For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus ~ (Philippians 1.6)
And how is our faith “perfected?” ~ For this light (and) momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison ~ ( 2 Corinthians 4.17) The “Captain of our salvation” was (Himself) “made perfect” how? And the servant is not above his Master.
Carl, I am copying what you said into my Bible. Everybody has something to say to me today, it seems! Thank you!
Hi Carl.. this is what I too have been taught as a Follower of the LORD when I first entered into HIS Kingdom..
Thank you for the reminder for which MANY do not understand.
GREATLY APPRECIATED
That is a good explanation, considering that torah doesn’t mention life beyond this earth. Think how many scriptures will make so much better sense if we replace, “saved/salvation” with, “wholeness,” or “healed, made whole?” “What must I do to be made whole? Believe on Yeshua, the master, the anointed one and you shall be healed.”
“First, we have to correct the idea that faith is about our souls”. Amein!
It is not about delivering our souls nor soulish desires that would affect/control the way we ought to live, but, more so about delivering our will/s which is, determination to choose what would not lead to our death physically, which would lead to our spiritual discontinuation/’death’ as well.
That would mean it is the physical body that needs to be delivered. It is the physical body that suffers the responsibility of the spiritual beliefs. What we believe in is how we will act or live.
It is also the death of the physical body that the nephesh/spirit departs, not the other way around.
It is a deliverance from HOW we live out our lives, if not in accordance to Torah!
It is persevering to trust in the Creator, our only Redeemer.
A wholesome TW.