Minister: Pst. Segun Adeeko
Bible Texts: Genesis 1:26–27; Isaiah 40:28; Hebrews 2:6; Ecclesiastes 1:9–10; 1 Thessalonians 5:23
Salvation is an original intention of God for man. This intention predates the fall of man. God did not introduce the programme of salvation simply to address sin in man. It had already been in His heart before the foundation of the world. If we do not understand this, we will not appreciate the reason for salvation or the processes we are being taken through.
Genesis 1:26-27 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. [27] So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
Genesis 2:7 “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
God created man to be saved, just as He is saved. The essence of Genesis 1:27 is to attain Genesis 1:26. God created man and then formed him from the dust of the earth so that he could be made into the image and likeness of God.
Creation is different from making. We should not claim that we are already made in the image and likeness of God. We are still far from looking like God’s image and likeness. One evidence of this is that even after being born again, we can still exhibit characteristics that contradict the nature of God.
Our spirit is what was born again at the new birth. Our soul did not partake of that experience in the same way. Our soul is still far from salvation. If we do not understand this, we will simply be doing church without progressing in our Christian journey. The preaching of the salvation of the soul is not meant to make us sin-conscious. It is meant to bring us into understanding so that we can eventually attain salvation.
The reason for formation is for us to come into the image of God. Satan has vowed that we will not come into the image of God, and he knows that the image of God being formed in us is what will ultimately take him down from the air.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 KJV ‘And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.’
The essence of the creation and formation of man is for us to come into the image of God. Man was not created with the eternal properties of God; rather, he was created with the everlasting property of God. Coming into formation is what will help us gradually have God’s eternal properties.
The soul is the aspect of man that should carry the image of God. Whatever image the soul is able to attain while on earth determines the placement of that soul before God.
The fall of man has driven man far from the image of God and from attaining it. This is the reason Jesus came. He did not come merely to save us from going to hell. He came so that we could come into the fullness of the image of God. The total plan is to deliver us from the clutches of death and help us journey back into salvation.
Man has been totally beaten down. Jesus came to help us get back on the journey of salvation.
Salvation is not the same thing as making heaven. Heaven is already assured the moment we believe in Jesus at the new birth. Our spirit is immediately ascended into heavenly places.
The devil has redefined so many things for us. This is why we sometimes struggle when God begins to redefine certain concepts for us. For instance, there is a thinking that faith is all about collecting things from God. But not so; faith is also a life.
James 1:21 KJV ‘Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
Salvation is not just the new birth experience. It is a continuing process. This is why Paul says in Philippians 2:12 that we need to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. If we do not work it out, we will not inherit salvation.
Romans 8:28-29 KJV ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. [29] For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
God’s purpose is to imprint His image in man. That is why we are born again. The ministration of the Word, the leading of the Spirit, and the instructions we hear are all meant to bring us into this image and likeness.
The church is not just a social gathering. It is a gathering where we learn His ways and imbibe His things so that we can be conformed to the image of the Son.
Our spirit is saved. Our spirit is Christ. But we have not yet come into the image of God. If we had, we would not, for instance, be able to tell a lie or do the other things we still do that are contrary to God’s nature. We need to know that we are still in the process of getting to where God will have us be.
Our spirit being regenerated into Christ is a gift at the new birth. But it is in the soul that the image of God will be formed. Our mind is the upper part of the soul, and our heart is the lower part. Our mind is the seat of rationality. It is also the window of the soul.
Satan, being a thief, loves to go through the window. He wants us to be rational about what we are being taught. God goes through our heart to reach us. This is why we believe even when some things do not make sense.
The new birth did not bring us to the end, which is God’s image. We still have a long way to go, and we have not yet gotten to where God will have us be concerning salvation. We need a lot of teaching, and we need to remain under submission. We need to hear more things that will facilitate the saving of our souls.
We should not become weary or tired. Salvation is not just an event; it is a process. We should not be discouraged by spirits hovering around us with suggestions. These spirits do not want to lose their foothold in our lives, so they malign the message through men, some of whom are fellow believers.
People say things because they do not yet understand what God is doing in us. God has promised us that we will come to the state of sinlessness. We should not take Satan’s position that it is impossible for us to be sinless.
God has promised us sinlessness, and we will get there. God is our salvation, and He is going to save us to the uttermost.
ROUND UP
Pastor David Kilanko
Salvation is God’s life. Language cannot fully explain salvation. It existed before language. Satan himself does not understand salvation.
The plan of salvation is still ongoing. Grace brings salvation. This was what Noah found:
Genesis 6:8 KJV ‘But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
The great light of salvation is still appearing. Everything God is doing is still to get us saved.
Psalm 74:12 KJV ‘For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.
Jesus is the reason that takes away the reason why man cannot be saved. This is why every one of us must sit up.
Hebrews 2:14 KJV ‘Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
We can be sensitive to God’s heart so that we do not fail God, even in the face of legitimate things. If we understand the Father’s business, we will do our natural jobs with salvation in mind.
God has given our parents the meal plan. We are not taking this series to respond to arguments. Whether there are arguments or not, we must understand salvation. It is possible for us to do things and live our lives with the mind of salvation. That is the goal of this teaching.
Message Ends