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Awaiting Our Salvation

Not only so, but ourselves also groan  having the firstfruits of the Spirit, groaning inwardly, and we await eagerly our adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

Romans 8:23


Paul is talking about creation itself and how it has been subjected to futility and decay, and compares the earth, a body, to our own bodies. Like creation we are awaiting our salvation. As creation itself will be set free from its bondage so will we, experiencing glorious freedom as children of God.

For in this hope we are saved…

Romans 8;24

In this hope we are saved, I believe Paul is saying there is hope in that we await our salvation, which speaks to that we are saved because we have been born of God, but we still exist in this body of death and sin. Without having testimony of Spirit, that testifies of our adoption as children of God, we wouldn't have much hope and certainly would not be saved.

For you did not receive a spirit of slavery leading back again to fear rather you received a Spirit of adoption in whom cries Abba Father! The Spirit himself bears witness of our spirit because we exist children of God. Now if children then heirs, heirs of God, now, fellow heirs with Christ…

Romans 8:14-17

I am an heir because I have been born of God, this seals my salvation, in regards to where I will spend eternity, as the sealing of the Spirit is a guarantee of my inheritance (Ephesians 1:14). Also the blood bought redemption I have testimony of, my sins have been forgiven. If God predestines for adoption, he calls, and justifies, and glorifies. That I am justified in his blood, by grace through redemption, and through faith, speaks of imputed righteousness, which is a gift received along with grace.

do you not know that the unrighteous will not inheritance the kingdom of God?... and some of you existed these but you were washed, sanctified, justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of God

1 Corinthians 6:9-11

That I am born of God and redeemed, bought by the blood of Jesus, speaks volumes to whom I am as a child of God. Who will inherit the kingdom of God? Two conditions we see in the scriptures. First, those born into it, of the Spirit (John 3:5-7). Second, the righteous, those washed cleansed, justified by the blood of Jesus. Who will not inherit the kingdom of God? Those of the flesh (1 Corinthians 15:50). And the unrighteous (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). 

do you not know that the unrighteous will not inheritance the kingdom of God?

1 Corinthians 6:9

Think about it, no sin will inherit the kingdom of God. Paul even writes anything without faith is a sin (Romans 14:23). We can make a list of "damnable" sins but absolutely no sin will inherit the kingdom of God. It really depends on the two things just mentioned. I am righteous if I have received  imputed righteousness? If so my inheritance into his kingdom is because of God's work in Christ. This is good news for those saved by grace, born of the Spirit and washed by the blood of Jesus, bad news for those who are not, who think good works alone will get them into heaven.

we also await eagerly our adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

Romans 8:23

In Christ we were predestined for adoption, and that adoption was received through the Holy Spirit, but we see our adoption is not yet complete, neither is our salvation complete. It is not saying we were saved by grace and now our salvation is conditional on good works of the law? To me the only way I can come to terms with verses like this, is that there exists different parts to our salvation, redemption, and adoption. 

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:23

Even sanctification we see in three parts; spirit, soul, and body. We know we are born into the kingdom of God, of the Spirit. And bought through the blood of Christ. I believe these define the children of God. We are awaiting salvation, the redemption of the body. The Spirit testifies of this, and as such rings true with scriptures like what Paul writes nothing good dwells in my body, sin is there, and evil is near. And like John writes if we say we are without sin we are liars and not abiding in truth. The Spirit testifies in that it moans for freedom from this body of decay. We are saved in spirit, and await the salvation of our bodies. There is one part left which Peter calls the goal of faith, the salvation of our souls.

For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

James 2:26

Here James connects faith with new birth. If the Spirit is not in me I'm dead, no matter how many good works I do. And likewise if I am born of God, I'm indebted to live to righteousness thus to live by faith in the Son of God. To live otherwise is a wretched state, that brings many pains to the mind and soul (1 Timothy 6:10). And we know Paul writes in Ephesians 4 that Jesus gives gifts to the body so that we grow into maturity in Christ, so we are no longer tossed to and fro in deceitful scheming but become mature, like as a plant, we grow up and bear fruit.

even though we existed dead of trespasses, we were made alive together with Christ, by grace you exist saved and raised together and seated with Christ in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus

Ephesians 2:5-6

We were not dead in body, we were walking around in our bodies, so the only way to explain this verse is that we were spiritually dead. Our soul and body existed but we were dead. Without being made alive of spirit, the soul will not inherit the kingdom of God. When we are made alive and raised in spirit, it is a present tense, it happen when we believed (Ephesians 1:13-14). Now, the body will be raised when Jesus returns. That leaves our soul.

This spiritual being that was made alive is different than the soul and body. Our spirit has been made alive and we are awaiting the salvation of our bodies, therefore when the scriptures talk about working out our salvation it is in reference to our soul. When Paul writes of our complete sanctification "may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" he is referring to the three parts of salvation, in which the word of God and Spirit of God is at work in us in regards to glorification to those who were predestined.

now you exist from him in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God and these; righteousness and sanctification and redemption

1 Corinthians 1:30

Christ is these things; righteousness and sanctification and redemption, he purchased these for us. It was his obedience, it was his righteousness, and it was his blood that bought out redemption. He is these things but we are still not complete in these things. We are to be filled with fruit of righteousness (Philippians 1:9-11). We were chosen for salvation spiritually sanctified also of belief, faith (2 Thessalonians 2:13). We were born a new of the Spirit but also "born again not from a perishable seed but imperishable through the living and abiding word of God" (1 Peter 1:23). We were redeemed but we await redemption of our bodies...

This seed that was planted in us is not a perishable one, it is eternal, abiding. It is powerful to save in regards to spirit, and as James writes is powerful to save in regards to our souls (James 1:21). James is talking to believers, get rid of moral filth and receive with meekness the implanted word of God. The way to transformation, the renewing of the mind and salvation of your soul, is through abiding in the word of God. The anointing of the Spirit teaches us to abide in him (1 John 2:27). As it is the word of God that the Spirit works through saving our soul. The word of God is living and active dividing soul and spirit, discerning the thoughts and moral understanding. I take this to mean it is at work in the renewal of my mind (Hebrews 4:12). Bringing the inward being of the spiritual man outward glorifying God in this body. Nonetheless, it speaks of the division of spirit and soul

Now, if the Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one raising Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Romans 8:11

The Spirit testifies that God has given us eternal life and this life is in his son (1 John 5:11). This testimony is that we are currently experiencing life though we still exist in this body, thus the Spirit is giving life to this mortal body. It is a testimony of no condemnation, the Spirit of life has freed us from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2). Does the the law of sin and death exist in the body? Are you dying in your body? Yes, but you are alive spiritually in Christ, already raised and seated with him. And to those that are not born anew they will be judged accordingly. God righteously judges sin in the body and frees us from condemnation through spiritual birth.

In this way also Christ offered once to bear the sins of many, appears for the cause of the ones awaiting him, apart from sin to the extent of salvation

Hebrews 9:28

In this hope we are being saved, Christ will appear again for our cause, in regards to salvation. He appeared once to put away sin through his sacrifice, and accordingly it was appointed for men to die and afterwards judgement (Hebrews 9:26). But for those in Christ, he appears not to take away sin again nor to judge sin but for salvation. It is a glorious thing that we know Jesus as our savior, in regards to righteousness, justification, and sanctification. And glorious still we await him as our savior.

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