The Mystery of Salvation

2025 © Mary Banks All rights reserved.

Mary Banks Ministries & Bible Teachers International PO Box 11563, Spring, TX 77391

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THE SAVING OF THE SOUL

Psalm 116:4

Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.

The title of this book is “The Mystery of Salvation”. However, I must take you on a particular path in order for you to understand the totality of being made in the image of God.

Therefore, I will begin with a subject whose authenticity is being challenged on every hand: the saving of the soul. This is the great mystery that was hidden in God until the formation of the Church.

The revelation of the saving of the soul is the great mystery of godliness revealed. Therefore, I want to get right to the heart of the matter. This chapter is designed to reveal the knowledge of the mystery of Christ that was hidden in God until the establishment of the Church. It is the responsibility of true apostles to install this mystery in the Body of Christ. So, let’s start with the saving of the soul. There is much controversy regarding the salvation of man from his wretched, sinful state. Most schools of thought agree that there was nothing man could do to free himself from the captivity in which he lived. That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world (Ephesians 2:12). I guess this settles the suggestion which implies, saved or unsaved, we are all God’s children.

Before salvation, we were all alienated from God. Sin separated us from Him and each other. Mankind was hopelessly doomed and destined for total damnation. But God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). This is the good news. Man is given another chance to live. But how would this be accomplished?

John 3:3-4

3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?

We have failed to see the fullness of the ‘born again’ message. The first man Adam was a “living soul.” What does this mean?

Well, when God created Adam’s body it was just a lump of clay. It had no life in it. That in itself is a very important point. The body without the soul is lifeless. Thus, it has no wants, likes, or dislikes, and neither feelings of pain or pleasure. But moreover, I want to take this opportunity to persuade you that the soul is the master of the flesh. He is the life that is expressed through the flesh. The body is the temple of the soul. It allows the soul to live in this world. Nevertheless, it is the soul that must give an account for the deeds done in the flesh.

Consider the following scriptures:

Leviticus 5:2

Or if a soul touch any unclean thing, whether it be a carcase of an unclean beast, or a carcase of unclean cattle, or the carcase of unclean creeping things, and if it be hidden from him; he also shall be unclean, and guilty.

How does a soul touch an unclean thing? It does so by using the hands of its body. The body has no desires; these are found in the soul. Therefore, it is the soul that is judged as guilty.

Leviticus 5:4

Or if a soul swear, pronouncing with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these.

How does a soul swear? He does so with the lips of his body. But the soul itself is judged as guilty.

Leviticus 5:15

If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the Lord; then he shall bring for his trespass unto the Lord a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering:

How does a soul sin? He does so by using his body to disobey God. When the body is in physical pain, it is the soul that mourns.

Job 23:13

But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.

Whatever the soul desires, the body is used to fulfill. The soul cannot live on earth without a body. Man is body, soul, and spirit. These three are one. When the soul departs from the body it goes into eternity, whether that eternity is heaven or hell. The body that gave it life goes back to the dust from whence it came. The point of all this is that man is a soul given expression or life in this world through a body. The unregenerated man is a living soul, and it is his soul that is dark in sin and trespasses. It is the soul that is held in captivity by the spirit of bondage. It is also the soul that cries out to God for deliverance.

Psalm 6:4

Return, O LORD, deliver my soul: o save me for thy mercies’ sake. It is the soul that is responsible for the things done in the body. The real essence of this is that the body has no desire of its own. It is completely controlled by the soul. Therefore, it is ludicrous to blame the flesh for sin. It is the soul that uses the body to do its bidding. This is a point we must remember in moving forward in this discussion.

Nevertheless, having sinned against God, it is the soul that cried out for mercy. Not because I am good, and not because I deserve it, but remember your mercy, oh Lord, and save me. I am in the flesh, and the motions of sin are working in my body. Who shall deliver me from this body of death? This was the cry of our soul as we heard the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our faith in God came by hearing the Word of the Lord. We heard and we believed the report. But what does it really mean to believe? The scripture declares that if we believe in our heart and confess with our mouth, then we shall be saved.

Romans 10:9

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

The word “believe” means to commit unto, to commit to one’s trust. It is an action word in the salvation experience. To believe is to trust God. If our trust is in God, then we commit ourselves to that trust.

To believe is to commit the soul to God for safekeeping or preservation.

Hebrews 10:39

But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

The soul pleads, “Take me out of this body, but do not let me perish. Forgive me for all the sins I have committed in this life, in the body You gave me. One day this body will die, and without You, I will surely face eternal damnation. Lord, save my soul. Deliver me from this body of sin and death.”

THE ATONEMENT

Now the great mystery begins to unfold. How will the Father answer the cry of His lost creation? The solution is Jesus Christ. Before the foundation of the world, He was ordained to be the propitiation for sin.

1 John 5:11-12

11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. We know that God loved the world so much that He gave His Son, Jesus, so that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life. This is the condition for salvation. The soul cannot be saved unless it believes in Jesus Christ as its Redeemer. And remember, to believe is to fully trust in Him and commit your life to the One you trust.

Now, before we go any further, I need to insert a very important element that might explain why it is so hard for some people to get saved.

Luke 14:26-27

26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

This is another portion of the gospel that oftentimes is not ministered at large crusades or altar calls. God is offering us another life in a kingdom where we have no earthly mother, father, sisters, or brothers.

Luke 14:33

So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

If the soul wants to be saved, it must be willing to give up every aspect of the life it lived in the flesh. Some find this hard to do even as the rich young ruler did. Light has come, but some prefer darkness. There is one other condition: you must be willing to suffer. There is a cross, designed especially for you, and you must be willing to bear it. Therefore, before you make a decision, count up the cost and consider whether you are willing to forsake this world and walk with God. If there is a yes in your heart, then you are a candidate to be a partaker of the atonement of Christ Jesus.

Romans 5:8

8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

I just want to inject here that some believe Christ only died for those of us who actually receive salvation. But that is not the case.

1 John 2:2

And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Romans 5:9-11

9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

The word atonement means reconciliation and exchange. In layman’s terms, it simply means to be at-one-with. If the death of Jesus is the atonement for sin, then we must become at-one with that great sacrifice. Below is scripture that goes straight into the heart and mind of the Father regarding salvation. It is essential that you understand these passages if you are to ever comprehend the mystery of Christ.

1 3

Romans 6:3-7

3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.

This is the plan of God. This is the great mystery that was hidden from men. God would take the soul of man out of the flesh and put it in the Spirit of Christ.

The word baptized means to sink deep into or to be clothed in. We (our souls) are buried, totally submerged in Christ Jesus. The Spirit of Christ is an eternal Spirit. It is omnipresent. The scripture says, “He that is joined to Christ is one spirit.” Once we are placed in Christ, we live in eternity, past and present.

Therefore, it can be declared that we were in Christ before the foundation of the world.

To believe is to commit to trusting in what He did for us. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we can partake of the sacrifice. Remember the question Nicodemus asked Jesus? He wanted to know if a man had to re-enter his mother’s womb to live again. He realized that the flesh gave birth to the soul. Jesus’ response was, that which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (St. John 3:6).

The soul must be reborn in the Spirit (the Holy Ghost).

When this regeneration is accomplished, it will no longer be a living soul, but a quickening spirit. In the 17 th chapter of St. John, Jesus asked the Father to make us one as they are one. Well, beloved, that prayer was answered when we were joined to the Lord.

The Body of Christ has studied, read, and taught the following scripture dozens of times. But please bear with me, and maybe this time we will allow it to open the eyes of our understanding.

1 Corinthians 15:45-49

45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

47 The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven.

48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

Christ is a life-giving Spirit. He was always a quickening Spirit. He is the Word of God, who is God, who came to earth to live in a human body. It was the Holy Ghost who overshadowed Mary and placed the Word in her womb so that she could provide it with a body of flesh and blood. The fact that He was in a human body did not change who He was. Even in the body, He was the Lord from heaven.

“As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy.” Is not this the same thing Jesus said to Nicodemus? “That which is born of flesh is flesh…” When Paul says, “as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly,” he is in agreement with John who says, “as he is, so are we now in this world.” Could he also be in agreement with Jesus who says, “that which is born of the Spirit is spirit”? This also bears witness to the fact that the new creature is a spirit:

1 Corinthians 6:17

But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

1 Corinthians 15:50

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

I can hear some saying, “Where are you going with this, Dr. Banks? Well, my friends, I am going straight for the jugular. We live in the Spirit, which is the Holy Ghost, which is the Kingdom of God.

Romans 14:17

For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

But if flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom, then we must be something other than flesh and blood. It seems to me the scriptures do not include the flesh when identifying the sons of God. Could it be we are indeed quickening spirits likened unto our Father who by the way, is the Father of spirits?

Hebrews 12:9

9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

Again, the flesh is corruptible; it has proven to be so, and therefore it is not a part of our final inheritance. The flesh is vulnerable to sickness and disease. It ages and it will eventually fall prey to death. Could that explain why we have another body “eternal (incorruptible) in the heavens”?

2 Corinthians 5:1

1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Now, my next slash at the jugular of tradition and false doctrine is the scriptures below:

2 Corinthians 5:21

21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

1 7 The new creature, that quickening spirit, is also sinless.

He is the righteousness of God revealed. He is perfect and complete in Christ. He is everything that Christ is. He is one with the Father and the Son. In my excitement, I am getting ahead of myself. We must not end this discussion until we have seen this marvel called salvation through the eyes of the Spirit.

Hebrews 9:14

How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

The work of the Lord was thorough. He freed our conscience from the power of sin.

All things pertaining to the new creature are new, and all things are of God. But where is the new creature now?

Ephesians 2:5-6

5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus The Holy Ghost is that Heavenly place. We are in Christ, and He is in us. He is the first of many brethren. He was the first begotten of the Father. You may not know which number you are, but just be glad that you have become the son of the Living God. The soul has been saved, which means it has been healed, made whole, protected, and preserved. It lives in the Holy Ghost

Galatians 5:25

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Our life (soul) is hid with Christ in God. The new creature can rejoice in the fact that he is no longer trapped in a sinful body. He is reborn in the Spirit, which gives him life.

He is free, and all He wants to do is tell the good news.

Psalm 16:1

Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.

2 Corinthians 5:17

If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away and all things are become new; and all things are of God.

The born-again, regenerated soul is the new creature.

WE ARE NOT IN THE FLESH

2 1 I know this discussion is supposed to be based on the new man, but some conditions must be pointed out before we are able to truly understand our relationship with the new man. Therefore, before we go any further, let us look at some very familiar scriptures, specifically the 7th chapter of Romans.

Romans 7:5

For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

I am no novice at preaching the gospel. I already know when we go to the 7 th chapter of Romans, many of my esteemed colleagues have attributed this chapter to the struggles of a born-again believer. But let me prove to you that this is not so. Beginning at the 5th verse is where the monkey wrench is thrown into the cartwheel.

My dear friends, this is the position of the soul before salvation. We were in the flesh. But as we learned in the saving of the soul, there has been a positional change. The soul is no longer in the flesh.

Romans 8:8-9

8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. This is the positional change: The soul is taken out of the flesh and placed in the Spirit. However, according to the script; the body without the spirit is dead (James 2:26). When the soul is separated from the body, the body dies.

James 2:26

For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Now, you must know that all of this was done by God in less than a microsecond. Before you can blink your eye, a man is saved and filled with the Holy Ghost.

SUMMARY SCRIPTURE:

Romans 8:8-9

8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

For the sake of this lesson, we have broken the salvation experience down into spiritual slow motion so that we might all come out with an understanding of this great workmanship of the Father.

I want us to look more closely at this positional change. First of all, we must remember it is the soul who cried out for salvation. Therefore, he was taken out of the flesh and placed in the Spirit. In Him (Christ) we live, move, and have our being. Now, let me remind you again that the 5th verse of Romans 7 sets the stage for this whole chapter. It points out that when we were in the flesh, the motions of sin did work in our members. Here, we are going to take a more detailed look at the motions of sin that were working in the body before salvation.

Romans 7:14-18

14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin…

(Here again, we must take note of the fact that sons of God are not sold under the power of sin: they are the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).

..15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good

17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me

18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not The sin that lived in us is the spirit of iniquity, as Paul calls it in Ephesians 2:2.

Ephesians 2:2

Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

But Jesus simply called this spirit the devil in his statement, Ye are of your father the devil, and his lusts you will do (James 8:44). This explains why the writer said, It is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me (Romans 7:17). This sin, iniquity, or satan dwells in the flesh. He is living in the body, bringing forth lust, corruption, and death. Just a side note here, the unbeliever’s lust is created by the spirit of satan living in the flesh, but James says that if the believer is tempted, he is drawn away by his own lust. Therefore, after salvation we are unable to blame the devil for our desire to sin.

Romans 7:19-23

19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. The spirit, soul, conscience, and mind are all used interchangeably. The soul knows the law of God, but it was under the same power of satan as the flesh. But the knowledge of the law of God was not powerful enough to destroy the works of the devil, the craving for sin in the flesh. The soul or conscience was also dead in sins and trespasses:

Romans 7:8

But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.

2 5 Concupiscence is a strong craving for unlawful desires. It was this spirit (sin, iniquity, satan) that lived in the flesh that created this strong craving for sin. It was a spirit of bondage that held the entire being (body, soul, and spirit) in captivity. There was no way for us to ever please God in that state. Therefore, those who live in the flesh will never be able to please God. The only thing they have to look forward to is the fiery indignation of God.

Romans 7:24-25

24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Jesus Christ is the way out of this body of sin and death.

We have always known this in theory, but now the Lord wants us to see the marvelous wonder of this deliverance.

Romans 7:6

But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter Now I spent all that time dealing with the scriptures above just to convince you that we are not in the flesh anymore, but in the Spirit. At this point, you might not realize how monumental that truth really is. This revelation that we are not in the flesh anymore, but in the Spirit, is the essence of our walk in the Kingdom of God.

So far, we have determined that the unregenerate man is a living soul. This means the soul was created with an earthen element and lives in a body that is human, or of the earth. Thus, the soul is a human being. However, Adam, the first living soul, sinned against God, and as a result, the entire human race was sold unto sin and brought into the captivity of the spirit of satan. He became the father of the human race, and every child after Adam was born in sin and shaped in iniquity. This means that the body (shape of man) was possessed by the spirit of iniquity (Ephesians 2:2), which created the motions of sin in the flesh.

Ephesians 2:2

Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Therefore, the soul or inner man was held captive by the power of sin and death. Though the soul might have delighted in the law of God, there was another law working in its members (body), bringing it into the captivity of the law of sin and death. The soul’s response to this captivity was, “Save me, oh God. I know I must die, but save me from the torments of hell.” The Lord’s answer is Jesus Christ.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

When the soul cried out for salvation, it wanted to live. But the fact remains, in order for it to live here on earth, it must have a body. This is where the great mystery of God truly unfolds.

This is that part of the gospel we have not readily preached.

Now we know the soul was taken out of the flesh and placed in the Spirit or Holy Ghost. This is the baptism into Christ. I think we have thoroughly explained it in the previous chapter. The soul is saved, preserved, and hidden in Christ. But the plan was for us to be witnesses of Christ here on the earth. So for this to manifest, the soul must be placed in a body. This also satisfies the law of kinsmanship if we are to preach the gospel to mankind.

Here is that part of the gospel that we, for the most part, have never preached.

CIRCUMCISION OF THE FLESH

Listen carefully, saints. The soul was condemned to perish by the law of God. The sins of the soul were committed and manifested in the flesh. If the soul is to be saved, it must be separated from the flesh. This is the circumcision.

Colossians 2:10-11

10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: There was a putting off of the body. The soul put off the body of sins by the circumcision not made with hands, by the workmanship of the Father. Just as Abraham was instructed to cut away the foreskin, so God also cut away the flesh that covered us. The soul is no longer clothed in the flesh, but it now lives in the Spirit. If the soul is taken out of the flesh, then the body is dead. The soul gave up the life it had in the flesh and accepted a new life in the Spirit. The old man is dead. He is crucified with Christ. This is the thing that God did. (For more on the ‘circumcision of the flesh’ see my book, “Be Ye Perfect,” at www.mbfaithlibrary.com.)

Galatians 2:19-20

19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself me.

When you are born again of the Spirit of God, your body is dead to you, through faith. You are instructed to reckon your body dead to sin. This means you are forbidden to use it to fulfill worldly pleasures. But the point I want to carefully make here is that the body was crucified with Christ by the operation of God, and then resurrected again for His own purpose.

Romans 8:11

But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

2 9 Now Christ is our example in all things. The same Spirit that raised Him from the dead has now raised our bodies from the dead. Again, for us it is dead regarding sin, but it is alive unto God.

Why did the Father bring the body back alive at salvation? Well, I can think of two very good reasons.

1 Corinthians 15:35-38

35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?

36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:

37 And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:

38 But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.

Christ, the Word of God, is the seed that has been planted in the earth as well as in our own bodies. He is here to continue the ministry of reconciliation. But He is not alone. We are in Him. Yes, we are in Him and He is in our bodies.

2 Corinthians 6:1

We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

The body belongs to God. It is the body of Christ. But He has made us stewards of His body. We are instructed not to defile it.

1 Corinthians 3:17

If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

God can demand that we keep His temple holy because He has sanctified it through circumcision by the Spirit. Crucified are all of its affections and lusts. There are no motions of sin working in its members. It is circumcised by the removal of the spirit of iniquity that was able to work in the children of disobedience. And the law of the Spirit of Life has made it free from the law of sin and death.

1 John 3:8-9

8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. There was a time when the devil could create lust in the flesh. This was easy for him because his spirit lived in us. When we would have done good, evil was present with us. Notice that the 8th verse declares that Jesus was manifest in the flesh, our flesh, to destroy the works of the devil. Therefore, the body can no longer fall prey to evil concupiscence, that craving for sin. The seed of God remains in the flesh, and it can no longer crave sin on its own. If any of us experience lust after the new birth, it is because we create it. James said we are drawn away by our own lust (James 1:14).

James 1:14

But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

This is not the work of the devil. Jesus dealt with that by sanctifying the flesh. Now if we walk in obedience, we can be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord.

Let me clearly establish something here. If the body is circumcised, sanctified, and made the temple of God, then there is no truth in the doctrine of dual nature. The flesh is the dwelling place of Almighty God. Are we to suggest that satan also lives in the same body? For us to have a dual nature, then both satan and God have to live in the same body, which is not scriptural. It is time to dispel the myth. We are partakers of the divine nature, simply by the mere fact that God lives in us. And because the seed remains in the flesh, or body, there is no way it will sin on its own. We must carry it into sin.

PUTTING ON THE NEW MAN

3 3 Perfection is choosing to obey God in all things at all times. This is a profound definition, and it has helped many to come to belief. But the truth is, we did not fully understand why perfection was not only a possibility, but also a mandate from the Father. In the previous chapters, we learned how the soul was taken out of the flesh through the miracle of circumcision.

We also discovered that circumcision was the death of the old man, the body of sin, and that all who have received Christ have been baptized into His death. God’s plan, having done all of this, was for us to be witnesses and ambassadors of Christ.

WITNESS:

• To openly profess the faith
• A person who was present and saw an event take place
• The evidence and proof of an event
• To have personal knowledge of an event or change from personal observation or experience
• One who acts as a representative of another country in a foreign land An Ambassador: A ‘servant’
• One who acts as a representative of another country in a foreign land The plan also included entering into the fellowship of His suffering and walking in the power of His resurrection. You might ask, “What is the purpose of all this?” The purpose is the same as it has always been – the ministry of reconciliation. God has given a great gift to the world. He has made a way of escape from His wrath that is coming upon the world, but the world will not know of this great salvation unless some are willing to bear witness of it. However, the world will not believe unless it can see evidence of such a gospel. Summary Scripture:

Colossians 3:9-10

9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

Jesus understood this and brought it before the Father as He prayed in the Garden:

John 17:20-24

20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

I thank God that Jesus prayed for all of us who would come to believe in Him.

21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

Jesus knew that there was no way the world would believe He came as the Son of God to die for the sins of the world, except they saw the evidence. He knew that those who have received this great salvation must walk in the world as He did. They must be as He is.

22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

This is just another way of saying, “Baptize them in the Holy Ghost. For it is the glory of the Father and the Son; and now it is the glory of the sons.”

23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation the world.

Here is where the glory of Christ is manifested. He is going to come back to the earth in the glory that He had with the Father before the foundation of the earth. If we go back to the beginning of this chapter, we see even more clearly how the mystery of Christ is to be revealed.

3 5

John 17:1-5

1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee

2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

It is so very important to grasp the understanding of this prayer. The first thing you must remember is that this is a prophetic prayer. Jesus is looking beyond the cross and seeing the glory set before Him. He is looking at the church. We have known this in the past.

Glorify thy Son, glorify me with your own self. Give me the same glory that I had with you before the world was.

He was with the Father in the Godhead as an omnipresent Spirit. Here on the earth, I am confined to this one body, but I desire to be in them all. Place this life that I lived in the flesh into all that believe on me. You can do this Father, because you have given me power over all flesh.

For us, this is the most powerful of all statements in the prayer. They can be my witnesses and my ambassadors, and just as I have glorified you on the earth, they will glorify me.

Hebrews 10:5

Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

We often say that Jesus was our example, but there is still controversy in the Church as to whether we can live as He lived. The truth is... when John said, “as he is, so are we”, he meant it in every sense of Jesus’ walk on the earth.

Jesus took on the human body supplied by Mary, the seed of Abraham, but the Holy Ghost overshadowed her and prepared the body of Christ to be a holy habitation of the Father.

The Holy Ghost is the Spirit of Life. When it enters a body, it produces the Law of the Spirit of Life, which makes the body free from the law of sin and death:

Romans 8:3

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.

There were no motions of sin working in Jesus’ flesh. Jesus was the Word of God who became flesh. Therefore, as long as His eye remained single, sin was not a temptation to Him. It was not hard for Him to resist the pleasures of this world because He had no desire for them. His affections were on things above. His meat was to do the will of His Father. His eye was single and therefore, His whole body was full of light.

Hebrews 4:15

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Jesus can have compassion towards us because during His tenure here on earth, He was tried and tested in all points pertaining to the flesh. Nevertheless, He did not give in to any. He never knew or committed a sin.

Colossians 2:14

14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.

The sins of the whole world were placed on that sinless body called Jesus. On the Day of Atonement, in the Old Covenant, the sacrificial ram had to be spotless and without blemish. This was our Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God. He carried all of our sins in His body.

Now the seed of Christ has germinated. The single seed that was planted in the earth has produced a full harvest: the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus’ days are prolonged because in Him is eternal life. The pleasure of the Lord was to have a holy habitation, to live among His people. Jesus has fulfilled the eternal purpose of the Father. This is the great love of our Lord for us. He is our atonement. Because we sinned in the flesh, He carried our sins in His body. But it is our soul that was responsible for the sins of the flesh. Therefore, His soul went into hell, surrendered to death (alienated from God) until the law was satisfied. Then came the resurrection. He was born again. Luke writes about this new birth in the book of Acts: God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that He hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee (Acts 13:33).

Because Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, and the record in Heaven states that eternal life is in the Son of God, then it can only be concluded that all who believe on Him, whether they be Jew or Gentile, should not perish, but have eternal life.

Ephesians 2:15

15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; Here again, the mystery of Christ unfolds even more. Please continue to connect the dots here. We have taken a detailed look at how the soul was saved or preserved in Christ. We now understand the atonement that made us one with His death. But what happens to us after His resurrection? Are we only to rejoice in the fact that we are saved and guaranteed a seat in the Kingdom of God? I think not. We were saved through the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Someone had to bear witness of this great salvation, or else we would not have known that such deliverance was available to us. The preservation of the soul was not the end of it.

Romans 6:4-5

4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

3 9 When Jesus prayed in the Garden, He said, “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17:24).

After the resurrection, Jesus returned to the earth in the glory that He once had with the Father. He is an omnipresent Spirit in all who believe on Him. At salvation, the great exchange took place. In exchange for the preservation of the soul, the body is resurrected alive again unto God. It is the body of Christ. He is in our bodies so that we can be witnesses of His resurrection. Therefore, we are instructed that if we live in the Spirit, then we ought also to walk in the Spirit. The same spirit that raised Christ from the dead has quickened our bodies. He lives in us to continue the ministry of reconciliation. But our walk in the flesh is different now.

Galatians 2:20

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

How is it possible for the sons of God to accuse the flesh of being sinful or having the nature of sin? It is Christ who lives in the flesh to do the will of the Father. It is the temple of the Holy Ghost. Our body is the body of Christ.

Ephesians 4:20-24

20 But ye have not so learned Christ;

21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Put on the new man, embrace him. He is Christ in the flesh.

Put him on, or rather, walk in him. John said, “He that is born of God cannot commit sin because the seed remains in him.” Where is the seed? It is in your body. It cannot sin as it did before. Paul wrote, “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15).

We don’t have to be afraid that our body will betray us, nor do we have to worry about a law working in our members to bring us into captivity. The body is a new man. It is Jesus manifested in the flesh. It is the member of Christ.

Ephesians 5:30-32

30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

This is the greatest mystery of all. We are not only one spirit in Christ, but we are also one flesh. Each one of us are members of Christ.

Colossians 3:9-11

9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

The new man is not a Jew, nor a Greek, nor any other race or nationality. He is Christ in the flesh. So, from henceforth, see no man after the flesh concerning their humanity. The body of Christ is the temple of God. Though it is made of earthen or human vessels, its nature is not human. It is impossible for human nature to love its enemies or lay down its life for those who despise them. The nature of the new man is divine.

He craves the things above. His desire is to please the Father.

Yes, beloved, that is the nature of the flesh. It has no will to disobey God; it is His temple. But God has given us complete access.

Remember, we are in Christ and Christ is in us. If we sin, it is not due to the nature of the flesh; it is due to the rebellion of the new creature: the soul. So a man thinks, so is he. As we have already learned in previous chapters, the old man was crucified with Christ. He died because of sin. But in that experience, the soul was saved or preserved in the Spirit. But the plan was for us to be witnesses and ambassadors. Therefore, the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead has quickened our mortal bodies. The body is alive again, and now we can experience the power of His resurrection in our very own flesh.

Just as we were planted with Him in death, now we live with Him in the quickening or resurrection of our bodies. Yes, we are now with Him in our bodies. Wow! Now it is fulfilled that as He is, so are we. Jesus is in our flesh. And remember what He said to His Father, “As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him” (John 17:2). He is the reason we do not crave sin any longer. He is the reason the motions of sin cannot work in us. The law of the Spirit of Life has made us free from the law of sin and death. We are free now to serve without the power of sin working in us. Sin has no more dominion over our bodies.

Therefore, we are commanded to put on this new man. The words ‘put on’ means “to clothe yourself in”. So, let us clothe ourselves in the new man: the body that has received Christ and is ready to manifest himself to the world. Jesus gave us a glimpse of the intent of the Father in His teachings.

Mark 2:22

And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.

Jesus did not bring us back into a body that is unclean and defiled by the law of sin and death. We are complete in Christ and can present our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable unto God.