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Salvation Of The Soul

obtaining now the end goal of your faith, the salvation of your soul (1Peter 1:9)

Jesus is our Savior, not just when we first believed but he continues to save. We are saved and enter the kingdom of God through new birth of the Spirit, and through the atoning blood of Jesus. We have testimonies from God of these, of the Spirit that testifies we exist his children and of the blood that testifies we are forgiven. There is the believing faith of our Salvation, that marks and seals us as his children (Ephesians 1:1-13-14). And there is the perfection or maturing of our faith where we become sons.

... run with endurance the race set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith... (Hebrews 12:2)

The word perfector in this verse and the "end goal of your faith" used in the first verse have the same root word télos meaning "consummated goal." The idea is like pointing or aiming or looking through a telescope and seeing the object clearly in sight. We see Jesus through faith and are seeking to reach that aim. 

out of darkness light shines, which floods our hearts with the light of the glorious knowledge of God in the face of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6)

God so loved the world he sent his Son to save us, when we were dead he made us alive, a new creation, born a new of the Spirit of God. A God who was rich in mercy through his great love for us. Jesus is our savior in this sense, the author of our faith, as we have been given righteousness and born of the promised Holy Spirit. But we only know and see in part as children, we look at ourselves as if looking into a mirror dimly, not knowing how we are fully known as sons of the promise. Thus Jesus continues to save, he is the perfecter of our faith.

for proper that God, through whom and from whom all, leads many sons to glory, perfecting the author of our salvation, perfected through suffering (Hebrews 2:10)

The Spirit is a Spirit of adoption testifying we are his children, fellow heirs with Christ, the Spirit being the guarantor of our inheritance until God takes possession of his own, provided we suffer with him (Romans 8:16-17; Ephesians 1:14). Suffering has the purpose of perfecting us, maturing us so that we are whole and complete (James 1:3-4). 

So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam [Christ] makes alive the spirit (1 Corinthians 15:45)

The end goal of what we are looking at through the telescope is the glory that shines in the face of Jesus. That transforms us more and more into his image. The unveiled glory's goal is so we reach mature adulthood, the measure being the stature of the fullness of Christ, so we are no longer children (Ephesians 4: 13-14).

for the word of God is living and active and sharper than a two-edged sword and penetrates as far as dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow even able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12)

The spirit is dead in the non-believer (Ephesians 2:1-6). Like Adam they are a living soul. The believer becomes a new creation in Christ, the spirit made alive. The spirit and soul are very connected, like joints and marrow or bone and marrow. But they are separated by the living word of God, which is the sword of the Spirit and as Jesus said his words are Spirit and truth. Our mind is an important part of our soul, and transformation renews the mind.

therefore my beloved, just as you always obeyed, work out your salvation... (Philippians 2:12)

Perfection is about consummation or completeness or fullness or maturity of our salvation. We await this consummation of our salvation, the redemption of our bodies (Romans 8:23). Until then we press on toward this high calling in Christ Jesus. Even Paul a great saint said he had not reached this end goal. We as believers are purposed to be conformed to the image of Christ. We are to glorify God in this body, render useless the old man and put on the new man created in God's likeness, in righteousness and holiness of truth (Ephesians 4:24). Through discipline as his children we are trained to bear peaceful fruit of righteousness.

now, may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely and may your spirit, soul, and body be kept whole and blameless in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23) 

Jesus saved us transferring us into the kingdom of heaven and continues to save us and one will save us completely. He is the savior of our souls so we are transformed, having the mind of Christ, so we can discern and obey the will of God, becoming imitators of God as beloved children. The aim or end goal is that we are filled to the fullness of God, in spirit, soul, and body.

So in practical application the words of Jesus are Spirit and truth, so we receive with meekness the implanted word of God, as believers, which has power to save our soul (James 1:21). We can put aside the old and enter into the fellowship of his suffering, putting off the desires of the old man and putting on the new. We can exhort other believers in gentleness of Spirit so they turn from error to truth and save their soul (James 5:20). We can put our faith in action and obey the words of Jesus. To experience his life in this mortal body we must be conformed to his death. 

baptism is an antitype, which now saves, not the removal of dirt bodily but a question of a good conscience toward God... (1 Peter 3:21)

When it is well with our soul, we have a good conscious toward God. There is a testimony of water. So in practicality we can understand baptism and its important teachings. We can endure under affliction, so to mature and receive wisdom from our savior, trusting and giving glory to God so to preserve our soul and not grow weary in our souls (Hebrews 10:39; Hebrews 12:3). 

We can find good teachers and pastors who serve Christ and not themselves as they will watch over our souls (Hebrews 13:17). Through these and prayer and supplication we can cry out for help to our Savior who is willing to save and who words build our faith, which has the end goal of saving our souls.

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