02.04. CHAPTER 04: THE BASIS OF SALVATION

CHAPTER 4: THE BASIS OF SALVATION In order to facilitate the redemptive processes of salvation, the Scriptures declare that the “last Adam” – JESUS CHRIST (YESHUA MASHIAH) – became a life-giving Spirit, as noted in 1 Corinthians 15:45. The life-giving Spirit of JESUS CHRIST is the spiritual ‘genetic’ blueprint for a new man. The genetics of true Spirituality is contained entirely in the life-giving Spirit of JESUS CHRIST! True Spirituality is of the Spirit and Life of JESUS CHRIST! Our new man will be brought into being in the image and fullness of JESUS CHRIST through the life-giving Spirit of JESUS CHRIST worked into our functional state of being – through Word expressions of HIS Spirit and HIS Life (see John 6:63). This is what the redemptive processes of salvation are designed to actualize.

Figure 6 summarizes the salient features of our salvation progressed through the life-giving Spirit of JESUS CHRIST.

FIGURE 6: Schematic Of Salvation Progressing Through The Life-Giving Spirit Of JESUS CHRIST

The spiritual genetic blueprint of the life-giving Spirit of JESUS CHRIST has the potential of becoming a fully functional reality in the inward parts of man - enabling every function of man’s spirit, soul and heart to be developed and made functional in JESUS Name (see John 14:12-14; John 16:13-15)! Hence, the life-giving Spirit of JESUS CHRIST is the exclusive ingredient of Biblical Spirituality.

Romans 1:3-4 reveals the following about the life-giving Spirit of JESUS CHRIST, GOD’s SON: concerning HIS SON, WHO was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, WHO was declared the SON Of GOD with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of Holiness, JESUS CHRIST our LORD.

[The reality of GOD’s SON – as the MESSIAH or ANOINTED ONE - was proclaimed in Old Testament Scripture hundreds of years before the advent of JESUS CHRIST. For example in: Proverbs 30:4 c, 1-4; Isaiah 9:6-7; Daniel 7:13-14; and, Psalms 2:12; Psalms 2:1-12. The reality of JESUS CHRIST being GOD’s SON, sent to fulfill in prophetic terms the position of sonship - to GOD - for the sons of men, is also proclaimed in numerous New Testament Scriptures of the Holy Bible.] In HIS crucifixion and resurrection, JESUS CHRIST - GOD’s SON (see Romans 1:4) - fulfilled the requirements of the Law and the Prophets (see Matthew 5:17-18; Romans 3:21-23, KJV) on behalf of all mankind - by giving expression to the Spirit of Holiness through the actualities of HIS life, ministry and sacrifice in HIS MANhood.

Hence, the final words of the Cross (see John 19:30; Luke 23:46) : It is finished. … FATHER into THY Hands I commit MY Spirit. In raising JESUS CHRIST from the dead, GOD vindicates the sacrifice of JESUS CHRIST on behalf of all mankind by declaring HIS Spirit - CHRIST JESUS’ Spirit - as being the living expression of the Spirit of Holiness. Holiness is the fulfillment of the Law. Holiness is the pre-requisite to the fulfillment of the Prophets. Holiness is the highest attribute of GOD. Holiness is the spiritual attribute – communicated by the Spirit of Holiness - by which, we are aligned to the will of GOD! In this Spirit of Holiness, Biblical Spirituality finds both its positional and its functional credence before a Holy GOD – WHO abhors sin.

Romans 1:3-4 tells us that JESUS CHRIST was declared the SON Of GOD – with power – according to the Spirit of Holiness. HIS Spirit was declared to be the Spirit of Holiness and, HIS Spirit will become the basis for man coming forth in holiness unto GOD. Hence man can become actual functioning sons of GOD by being perfected and completed in the Spirit of Holiness.

Such an actuality of man being holy unto GOD would be the fulfillment of the Law. In being holy unto GOD, man would also be in a position to realize every blessing pronounced over man in the Prophets and this would actualize the functional fulfillment of the Prophets in each one of us. The Prophets comprise GOD’s call upon our life, HIS appointed purposes (personal, corporate and cosmic), HIS promises, HIS blessings, HIS giftings, HIS anointings, our actualized functions in HIM, HIS workmanship in us etc. In HIS resurrection, the Spirit of JESUS CHRIST is being described as the Spirit of Holiness. And, the Spirit of JESUS CHRIST is being described as having been invested with power. The intent is to manifest men into positions of sonship to GOD in fully functional terms. This is what is at the heart of Biblical Spirituality. The life-giving power invested in the Spirit of JESUS CHRIST becomes the basis and conduit of all that will give expression to a new man (see Ephesians 2:10) – in functional holiness unto GOD! The “power invested, Spirit of JESUS CHRIST” is designed to actualize – when imparted, perfected and completed, in a new man – the plans and purposes of GOD for us each in fully functional terms, both individually and corporately. In the light of the foregoing, we must understand that becoming a new man is a deeply personal actualization of Biblical Spirituality in each man’s life and being. And, this ‘new man’ also has the intent of giving expression to a new mankind in a composite unity that will express the glory of GOD (see Revelation 21:9-11; Ephesians 1:3-6; Ephesians 1:9-10; Ephesians 3:8 c-12, 14-19). The design of the new man and, the plans and purposes of GOD for this new man, would unveil - through the ministry of the HOLY SPIRIT (see John 16:14; John 13:1-38; John 14:1-31; John 15:1-27) - from the life-giving ‘contents’ of the Spirit of JESUS CHRIST. The Spirit of JESUS CHRIST is the spiritual genetic blueprint for a new man. The spiritual contents of the Spirit of JESUS CHRIST, is what will express the new man. The actualization of the life-giving Spirit of MASHIAH YESHUA (CHRIST JESUS) – in our new spirit - would be the exclusive and fundamental basis for the progression of our salvation (see John 14:6). Our salvation is progressed on the basis of actualizing the spiritual contents of the life-giving Spirit of JESUS CHRIST as illustrated in Figure 6! The Spirit of MASHIAH YESHUA is the exclusive spiritual blueprint for the new man being developed through the redemptive processes of salvation. The redemptive processes of salvation unveil in the contents of HIS life-giving Spirit. The contents of the Spirit of MASHIAH YESHUA are by definition life-giving (see 1 Corinthians 15:45 c) – giving actual expression to new life. The contents of the Spirit of MASHIAH YESHUA are the basis – and are the exclusive ingredients - of all change and transformation. The contents of the Spirit of CHRIST JESUS give credence to our salvation being actualized in a new man! The Spirit Of JESUS CHRIST (the Spirit of YESHUA MASHIAH) is GOD’s provision and supply (see Php 1:19 c, NASB/NKJV) – with power - for the development of the new spirit man (see Ezekiel 36:26; Ephesians 3:20) so that man will come to live with the potential to do all things (see Php 4:13) through MASHIAH YESHUA.

Man will live in, by and through all that is actualized from the life-giving Spirit of JESUS CHRIST (see John 3:34, NASB). The potential to do all things is designed to unveil the riches of GOD’s glory through JESUS CHRIST (see Php 4:19; Revelation 21:9-11) by HIS life-giving Spirit. The Spirit of JESUS CHRIST has the life-giving power to – when developed in us - do all things as we are led by the HOLY SPIRIT. In this way we are developed in our being, to accomplish the FATHER’s will (see John 16:14; John 16:13-15; Ephesians 1:9-14)! The actualization of the (growing) ability to do all things in the FATHER’s will is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. This “growing ability” comes out of the actual spiritual contents of the Spirit of JESUS CHRIST. The potential for (and the actuality of) the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets is entirely in the contents of the Spirit of JESUS CHRIST (see Matthew 5:17-18; Php 1:19 c, NASB/NKJV)! And, in the contents of the Spirit of JESUS CHRIST salvation is entirely possible and eminently practicable!

And, the Law and the Prophets are brought to fulfillment in us as the contents of the Spirit of JESUS CHRIST are worked (and developed) into the specifics of the actual functions of our spirit, soul and heart. The contents of the Spirit of JESUS CHRIST come from HIS Testimony from birth, to HIS growth to adulthood in obedience to GOD, to HIS Ministry and lifestyle in GOD, through HIS Sacrifice and, the vindication of HIS Testimony through HIS resurrection from the dead - by GOD. In the flow of history, the Testimony of JESUS CHRIST stands as the exclusive Testament of victory over death – actually vindicated by GOD HIMSELF! The Testimony of JESUS is thus the exclusive basis for the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. The Testimony of JESUS communicates through HIS life-giving Spirit!

Salvation grows and develops as the Testimony of JESUS is developed into our inward parts of spirit, soul and heart. How does salvation come about and develop in us?