Spiritual Salvation

I was reading Matthew Chapter 12 and 13 this morning and considering 12:38-45 in particular as they may relate to the history of the Jews as the chosen people of God and the role of the modern politicalized State of Israel.

In vv 38-45 Christ is disclosing the effect of the Jewish people of that age, as a whole, spiritually rejecting Him and His Spiritual relationship as God’s son through the Holy Spirit and their religious denial of his Divine path to full eternal salvation known as partaking with Him in Heaven in the presence of God’s Thrown. He examines and compares the path of a departing “unclean spirit” (a Demon) from a human soul (a place of habitat) as a reference to the Jews rejection of full salvation in Heaven in His Presence. It is explained that demons abide in the “damp” compared to the soul and they continually seek this watery abode. Demons may be cast out but continually attempt to return. They are denied through making the habitat unpleasant. Stengthening oneself against sin is a process. Coming to God, confessing Christ as God’s Son, confessing sin, being baptized and receiving blessing is the means to “salvation” through God’s promise. God will not backslide on this promise. But salvation has levels of reward. There are those that will rise to Heaven but there are those who will be judged by their works. Those what rose to heaven share in the presence of Christ in Heaven at the Thrown of God. This is the full promise. But what if the others that will also receive salvation but not the shared presence with Christ? This requires analysis of chapter 12.

Christ draws attention to the required reverence to the Holy Spirit. It is explained that the denial and blaspheming of the Spirit is the unforgivable sin. One can deny Christ and be forgiven, but not the Spirit. Without the Spirit no one can discern the evil, control it, bind Satan not cast out demons that have inhabited them.

All other sin (all else is equal in evil) is forgivable by God through confession to Christ and asking His intercession…it is promised.

For example, as in the case of the Jews, person who grasps at The Word’s salvation (The Christ) may be weak (shallow in soil as in the parable of the seeds, Matthew Chap 13). The Jews were like this. They grasped at his healings from Christ. For a time they were swept clean and no demons possessed them. But with no faith in the Holy Spirit and it’s critical equation they had no true understanding of the teachings of the New Age Law of the Kingdom of God and the true leadership and teaching and guidance that comes from the Holy Spirit. They rather in unbelief held to teachings of the Old Law religious beliefs and rituals. Therefore out of unbelief in the Spirit’s role they had eyes that did not see and ears that did not hear. The truth of The Word could not take root.. eventually they fell away. Then the demon of sin and perhaps multiplied even more returned to seize upon the attractive dwelling within their souls. These individuals are of the type that are second to rise for judgement by their acts.

As a moment of transgression consider that the thrust of Chapter 12 is that in the coming age following Christ’s ministry, including our own time, those that 1. fail to believe and those that 2. believe and receive salvation, but later sin, fail to confess and fail to ask to be forgiven if their sins by God through Christ’s intercession for them will await their final judgement in Hades. Hades is two realms of inner space. The two realms are on either side of “the chasm”. One realm is a place torment and the other of comfort/ paradise. We know those in torment can see those in comfort, Luke 16:20-26. These souls in Hades make up the second group; they will be judged according to their works. These souls will not share in the ultimate Heaven and participate in worship with Christ at the Thrown of God. Therefore, these souls will not receive the eternity of the heavenly kingdom at its highest level of reward. On the other hand the ones who have received salvation: “confession and Baptism” and have continued to confess their sins and asked to be forgiven and most importantly accepted and received the Holy Spirit will be ascend directly to The Kingdom and be in the presence of Christ to participate with Him (vv 12:22-37). Thus the point turns on having accepted the Holy Spirit and never denying the Spirits critical role in guidance and teaching through the Word or otherwise as God directs. With out the Spirit salvation is still received. This keeps the truth of salvation; it is not the flesh (being a Jew) that brings salvation but doingThe God’s will, v. 50. But one never realizes the highest reward of God’s promise of eternal Heaven in the presence with Christ.

Back to vv 38-45; we see that as with Jonah and the Ninevites, Christ offered the Jews a salvation. And many may have received it. However, those that merely loved Christ’s miracles, teachings and signs and simply followed him confessing sins, seeking Johns baptism and calling Him king, but failing to recognize the Spirit as the critical connection for a spiritual, brotherly and childlike walk with God failed to receive God’s full promise due to their own decision not to believe. As with the cleaned house the evil will return to take root in sin without strength through the Spirit.

God’s promise to the Jews is certain and God will not break His word of salvation, but as this case explains the Ninevites are better off than the Jews. The Jews that fail to recognize the Spirit’s role in guiding them and fail to seek guidance from the Spirit thereby enabling them to to rebuff and bind Satan will not receive Christ’s intercession. This is true for all that come to Christ, confess Him as the Son of the God and are Baptized. This is why people are baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. As confirmed in the text of scripture throughout the Bible, the Jews as God’s chosen people are exemplified and disciplined. Those who “curse or deny” the Spirit once they know its embrace and role will not be forgiven in that they will never find the eternal abode with Christ before God (vv 31,32). Those Jews as with all who have accepted Christ and who later blaspheme the Holy Spirit will upon death of their earthly life descend into Hades for the final judgement…they may receive salvation but not the highest level of salvation and abide in eternity with Christ in Heaven Luke 16:20-26).

For those that deny the Spirit, their remaining earthly life will be one more of constraining ritual of organized religion and dogma in pro formal worship of God rather than freedom of life in spiritual worship and relationship with God in which they walk hand in hand with Christ as a Brother and God and His Spirit As Parent and Helper.

As Chapter 12 tells us. With out the Spirit the demon returns with more. The costs of sin without the Spirit is lifeless motion, ritual and appearance without spiritual understanding of God’s ways and desires. Going through the motion of worship practices without spiritual desire and childlike knowledge of and trust in God is often fodder for corruption of God’s Word and a pathway of abuse and oppression.

I consider the following in contemplating vv 43-45. Is the lesson that plays out today with the modern political state of Israel. Where God is declared but godliness and recognizing God’s New Testament plan for them has been rejected by most of them?

Download Flyer | Palestine Summer Encounter

Download Flyer | Palestine Summer Encounter.

Palestine Summer Encounter

Spend one, two or three months in Palestine.  Get to know the people.

Palestine Summer Encounter.

Religious Practice Making Moral Habitus

http://prezi.com/csbnmb6kqg73/copy-of-practices-and-dispositions/In this presentation I provided an overview of Daniel Winchester’s article Embodying the Faith: Religious Practice and the Making of a Muslim Moral Habitus (2008 Social Forces 86[4]).