The teachings of the triune man and the three aspects of salvation reconcile many scriptures. Without these teachings scriptures that tell us that as Christians we can be disqualified contradict other scriptures that confirm we are sealed and cannot loose our salvation. Likewise, verses that speak of a working out of our salvation would, without further teaching, contradict the teachings of salvation through grace aside from works. These issues resolve in the revealing of the 3 parts of man and the three aspects of salvation.In Ephesians 1:13 and in Ephesians 4:30 the scriptures say we are sealed by the Holy Spirit.  This is strong evidence for the premise of security of salvation or a salvation that cannot be lost.  This idea is confirmed in Romans 8:30-40 where the Word talks about us not being able to be separated from the love of Christ. And finally, in John 10:27-30 Jesus makes it clear that no one can take us out of the Fathers hand once we are his sheep. These verses lead us to a belief in the permanence of salvation.  In contrast, however, Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:27 warns that even as a Christian he could be disqualified. He also warned of Christians suffering loss on the Day of Judgment. Jesus said in Matthew 7:21 that not everyone that called upon his name would enter the Kingdom. Other scriptures encourage us to persevere so we may be approved and to ensure our salvation. It is the teaching of the 3 parts of man and the 3 aspects of salvation that reconcile these verses.  It is not the salvation of the Spirit Paul is speaking of in Corinthians, which is sealed as we see in Ephesians, but a salvation of the Soul that must be persevered and worked out.

We see in Ephesians 2:8-9 and Acts 15:11 salvation is by grace and not of works or our own doing. What we try to do toward covering our sin is completely insufficient.  Adam trying to hide himself with fig leaves is a good example of man’s inadequacy to do anything about his own sin. 2 Timothy 1:9 reinforces this when it says we are called not of our works but according to his own purpose and grace. Other scriptures speak of works and an on going salvation. James 2:18-26 says that faith without works is dead. Jesus said in Matthew 7:16 that we will be known as his by our fruit, implying a significant importance on works of the Spirit or fruit from seeds of the Spirit.  Philippians 2:12 simply says “work out your salvation” again implying that it is an ongoing process and not a one time event. All these passages are reconciled with the revelation of the three aspects of salvation.

The First aspect of salvation is at the moment of surrendering your life to Christ and accepting his free gift of grace through faith. This is a one time event that is necessary for any part of the salvation of man. This is the salvation of the Spirit of man. Secondly, there is an ongoing salvation of the soul that must be worked out and persevered to the end. This is also through faith in Christ and his completed work but will be judged based on fruit or works produced through us as described in 2 Corinthians 5:10. Third, there is a salvation of the body, a resurrection to a glorified body that is spoken of in 2 Corinthians 15:42 and in other scriptures such as Acts 23:6, 1 Corinthians 15:12-14 and Philippians 3:11. This salvation is always spoken of as something we obtain in the future, although secured for us with Christ’s finished work.

There are also three baptisms spoken of in Scripture. These are clearly laid out as separate by John the Baptist in Matthew 3:11. These correlate to one for each of the parts of man. There is an emersion of water for the body as described in Acts 8:36-38. This is a physical act of obedience symbolizing our death and resurrection and publicly professing our belief that Jesus Christ is the son of God.  There is more than a baptism of water however as Acts 18:25 and Acts 19:4 clearly point out. There is also a baptism of fire for the soul that is an invitation to God to burn up and remove all things in our lives that are not of God and or not to His glory. This is promised by John the Baptist in Matthew 3:11 and in Luke 3:16 but is further defined in Acts 2:3 as tongues of fire descended on the disciples. It is explained in 1 Peter 1:7 as a refining of our faith through trials but it is not necessary to wait for trials to refine our faith. We can and should ask God to burn up anything in our lives that is not of him. Accepting this baptism freely can cause us to avoid many trials. The emersion into God the Consuming Fire is described in 1 Corinthians 3:13 as a testing of our works where in only those good works will survive.  The baptism of the Holy Spirit is explained in Acts 8:15-17. This baptism is for our Spirit and its purpose is to empower us for ministry and the fruits of His work.

The studies of the triune man and the three aspects of salvation reconcile many previously mysterious scriptures. This is accomplished by rightly dividing the Word of God as instructed in 2 Timothy 2:15.  Christians can be disqualified from rewards in the soul salvation but cannot loose the Spirit salvation that Christ has sealed with the Holy Spirit. As 1 Corinthians 3:15 says even if our works are completely burned up, we ourselves will be saved. Man is made in the image of God having three parts or aspects, each requiring salvation. All three of these were provided by the grace of God though faith in the complete work of Christ on the cross and by His resurrection.

Jer 38:4-13

 

4 Then the officials said to the king, “This man should be put to death. He is discouraging the soldiers who are left in this city, as well as all the people, by the things he is saying to them. This man is not seeking the good of these people but their ruin.”

5 “He is in your hands,” King Zedekiah answered. “The king can do nothing to oppose you.”

6 So they took Jeremiah and put him into the cistern of Malkijah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the cistern; it had no water in it, only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.

7 But Ebed-Melech, a Cushite, an official in the royal palace, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern. While the king was sitting in the Benjamin Gate,

8 Ebed-Melech went out of the palace and said to him,

9 “My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all they have done to Jeremiah the prophet. They have thrown him into a cistern, where he will starve to death when there is no longer any bread in the city.”

10 Then the king commanded Ebed-Melech the Cushite, “Take thirty men from here with you and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.”

11 So Ebed-Melech took the men with him and went to a room under the treasury in the palace. He took some old rags and worn-out clothes from there and let them down with ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern.

12 Ebed-Melech the Cushite said to Jeremiah, “Put these old rags and worn-out clothes under your arms to pad the ropes.” Jeremiah did so,

13 and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.

 

In the middle of Jeremiah’s story and prophecies there is the story of Ebed-Melech a Cushite. Cushite means he was from Ethiopia which means he was black. Ebed-Melech means he was a king’s servant and a eunuch. So when we read “official” understand that he wasn’t some hoity toity running around the kingdom getting great tables at booked up restaurants but was actually a castrated slave with a title probably in charge of the king’s harem. Not a job I would want that’s for sure.

In the story Jeremiah had been put into a cistern. (A cistern back then was an upside down water tower, built underground. When they got old they collected a lot of mud in the bottom of them.)

Do you think Ebed-Melech was the only one to know about Jeremiah being in the cistern? It stands to reason that if one servant knew about it that probably others did. Guards as well I would imagine. It was most likely the talk of the palace: “Who’s the screamin’ idiot in the well?”

Do you think he was the only one to disapprove of the action? There were probably others that thought that this was a horrible thing to do to a person. After all there had been no trial. No official accusation of any crime. No authorized execution. In fact even the people that did this were obviously not to secure in their actions either. They had told the king on the sly instead of accusing Jeremiah of treason in the open court. They had no real case evidently. So the king said do what you want I won’t kill him but I won’t stop you. And the way they lowered him into the well with ropes instead of just knocking him over the head and chunking him in there. They didn’t really want to be responsible for his death (reminds me of Jacob a little.)

 

Another thing was that it was very inappropriate for Ebed-Melech to go to the city gates and speak out in public about Jeremiah being in the cistern. A good servant may have said something quietly to the king, probably a better servant would have said nothing. But Edbed-Melech knew the best way to ensure the king would do the right thing was to bring it up at the place of judgment while the King sat at the gates to hear cases.

 

I don’t know how many of us would have left our post and gone before the king, risking his disfavor, to point out an injustice that he had allowed in his own house. I would hope some. I pray that I would.

How many would have volunteered to go get the ropes and help get Jeremiah out once the king said do it? –I would hope most of us! We are good at getting the ropes aren’t we!

“The king has said I can take thirty of you with me to help a poor sop get out of a hole. It’ll take you five minutes and you can feel good about yourself for a week!” Heck, I could probably get 30 just out of our Sunday school class! Yep us Christians are good with the ropes!

But here is the rub. This is the thing that has stuck with me like a sandbur in my sock since the pastor asked it: How many of us would have thought to get the rags?

 

Wow! The first time I heard the passage I didn’t even consider the rags? Then when the Pastor asked about them I didn’t ever remember what they were for. To wipe the mud off of him I guess? I thought it trivial. Ebed-Melech didn’t. He made it a point to get them at the same time he got the ropes. It was certainly important enough to Jeremiah! He made it a point to convey in his story!

“…to pad the ropes…”

The thoughtfulness.

The compassion.

It makes me shiver.

I am afraid I would be wiping my forehead of sweat and saying “Man, what was I thinking, I am glad he didn’t throw me down there with him.” Or maybe even scared to death that I would disappear in the night to come. At the least worried about what he would say to me the next time he saw me in the castle corridors. But this man under all this stress and going out on a limb like he did still had the thoughtfulness to consider the strain on pulling a man out of the mud whose skin had been softened by the moistness. How much more difficult it would have been to pull him out wet and exhausted verses lowering him dry and healthy.

I have pulled my share of cows out of the mud. I know what the skin can do after a night in those conditions. I know how easy it is to hurt a cow when its muscles are exhausted but I didn’t think of it when I was reading the passage. I doubt I would have thought of it in the heat of the moment.

 How many of us would have dislocated his shoulder or ripped his flesh from his body trying to save him? And then just thought well how terrible but at least you are safe. I wonder if I would just consider the wounds the fault of the wicked that put him down there? I wonder how many of us would have been able to be thoughtful in crisis?

I don’t know, I might possibly be very surprised but I know whom I thought of when the pastor asked the question. I know whom I would place my bets on. I know whom I would want to be in charge of getting me out.

Julie and Scott have their problems but I thought it was neat to see her kind of character portrayed in the bible (at least I saw her there). The scripture doesn’t say whether or not Ebed was a very likable guy, but I figure a black man penned up with a harem of women all day with his gooblies whacked off would not be very pleasant conversationalist!

So Julie might not be the one I would turn to for advice on matters of the heart but in a crisis or stuck down a well I think you could trust her to not only get you out but do it “thoughtfully”.

PS. God saved Ebed-Melech:

 

Jer 39:16

16 “Go and tell Ebed-Melech the Cushite, `This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill my words against this city through disaster, not prosperity. At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes.

17 But I will rescue you on that day, declares the LORD; you will not be handed over to those you fear.

18 I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the LORD.’”

I have found that there is really one meaning for the word Grace. We use the word in a variety of different ways: referring to a prayer “Saying Grace”, describing someone’s flawless performance “she was so graceful”, a forbearance interval “grace period”, and a spiritual state of God  “Amazing Grace”. The more I researched and thought about it came down to one definition the original: Grace is from the latin word gratia which in its purest definition means simply “unmerited favor”.

 

But then I realized that I was not really trying to define the word itself but more the idea of the “Grace” as preachers and Christians refer to it.  I hear the word “grace” so much in so many ways that I began to feel that it had lost meaning for me. I knew that it had to do with Mercy and that it had to include Justice. It seemed to be the reason for our forgiveness. I asked a lot of people and most could volunteer good examples but shrugged at a concise definition. So I began the word study with concordances, bible dictionaries, and online study guides. In the end, however, the definition of grace as it applied to God I settled on came from the Holy Spirit. Here it is:

 

Justice is the payment or collection of what is due.

Mercy is the forgiveness of what is due.

Grace is when both occur through the charity of a third party.

 

Grace is justice by God’s mercy through Christ’s sacrifice.

 

The wages of sin are death (that’s eternal death, Hell). That is our debt. We must become righteous to enter Heaven. For Heaven is a Holy place. (If the unrighteous were allowed to enter then it would not be heaven.) To become righteous we must pay our debt of sin. Because Jesus had no sin he had no debt but with his death he paid ours. So that those that accept him become righteous in God’s eyes and can enter heaven: Perfect Justice, Absolute Mercy… God’s “Grace”.

This is one just for us local idiots. If you can answer yes to any 5 of the following you prolly live in SS TX:

And even more You may be from Sulphur Springs…
If you ever shed a tear cause your favorite car dealer died.
If you give directions by landmarks that aren’t there anymore! Example: “Turn down beside where Quickie’s used to be.”
If you call things by their old name even though they have been 10 other things since then.: Even if you use “The Old” in front of it. If its still Silverleaf  or its still The Old Big H or its still The Old Howards.
If you remember who was at the Alamo by remembering Elementary School Names.
If you still talk to more than 10 people every week you went to 1st grade with.
If you remember what year it was by what truck you were driving.
If you know 2 or more of the following Scary Larry, Johnny Cash, Willy Wildman, Joe David, Big Rick.
If you still as an adult call people names like Tiger, Bubba, MoOse, and Lumpy.
If you know more than 3 couples with twins.
If “the mall” is 6 stores in an old jean plant.
If you have ever bought something to wear at Wal-Mart because your deprived senses thought it was “cute”.
If on laundry day you can do a whole load of camouflage.
If your Daddy has told you not to date someone cause you “might” be kin.
If you have ever referred to Catfish as seafood.
If you have ever listed “The Prom” under synonyms for disillusionment.
You can give accurate directions on how to get to Dike from Coke.
If a trip next door requires a 3 mile journey around the county cause some idiot made the service roads one way, you may live in Sulphur Springs!

If you like this post you might enjoy this one too.

Don’t forget to check out the podcast  where Chaz and I go over the history of the list.

Robin Steed said:
Some friends and I have come up with a few:

These are in addition to what you have:
If you know 2 or more of the following: Scary Larry, Johnny Cash, Willy Wildman, Joe David, Big Rick, Kojak.
The turnaround prior to 1980 was actually where Broadway “y’ed” off.

New ones:
If you ever went to the insane asylum in Cooper.
You ever went to an Easter Beer Hunt.
You ever had a soft cheese dinner cut the onions at El Charro’s.
You couldn’t wait until Thursday because it was Ladies Night at the Electric Circus.

Thanks for the walk down memory lane.
March 2, 2006 9:06 PM

Chuck Darden said:
you’ve ever gone to the city reservoir to watch the submarine races.
March 3, 2006 10:54 AM

D.M. Jones Jr.. said:
Got to be from Sulphur Springs if you ever had ‘lime Ice’ from the Dairy Queen on Main Street
March 3, 2006 2:17 PM

b enlow said:
i still go and get lime ices!!!!!!!!!! that’s the best!!!!!!
March 3, 2006 9:11 PM

Bill said:
You are from SS if the Long Star Cafe was your favorite place to eat a cks or hb..man I miss that place.
March 4, 2006 9:14 PM

bradmc said:
If you can name 5 different resturants that have occupied the exact same building in the last 10 years.
If you can find and locate 3 old Pizza Huts within a 3 blocks of each other.
If bad weather makes you yearn for the soothing sound of Bill Bradford’s voice.
March 6, 2006 7:26 AM

Two Blind Squirrels Podcast said:
You may be from Sulphur Springs if your name is Steve John and you make a list about being from Sulphur…
March 6, 2006 7:34 AM

b enlow said:
you know the night shift waitress at Burton’s by name.
March 6, 2006 4:36 PM

BradT said:
hmm,, my wife WAS a night shift waitress at Burton’s once!!!
March 7, 2006 10:28 AM

Mary Crump said:
You may be from Sulphur Springs if you are a senior college student living in Galveston and you come home every weekend to be with your “buds”
March 7, 2006 12:45 PM

Olivia Pinion Powell said:
If you wish you could still wake up to “Let a Smile Be Your Umbrella”, and radio spots for DeLaval Pipeline Milkers and the Bennett Chain Link fence jingle.
March 7, 2006 2:34 PM

Eddy C said:
You might be from SS if you know that when people refer to Enola Gay they are not talking about the B-29 bomber that dropped the first atomic bomb on Japan.
March 9, 2006 9:40 AM

Frank Bell said:
You ever ate Pearson’s Home on the Range Bar B- Q on a slice of Georges Bakery Bread .
March 11, 2006 12:36 AM

J. Petty said:
you ever walked to town on Sat. afternoon and and saw 2 different movies at 2 different theaters for a total of 20 cents.

you ever drove around the square “the wrong direction” on New Years Eve.

ever went swimming at the clay pits.
March 12, 2006 3:06 PM

M. Wilson said:
You refuse to eat at a Pizza Hut anywhere in the world because of the one here.

This is more from Como… You know who Pooch and Lou are…or you have ever eaten at Meatballs.
March 14, 2006 3:02 PM

Chris Voorheese said:
If you have ever referred to your home town as Sufferin’ Springs!
March 17, 2006 1:04 PM

Phil Sartin said:
If you remember the day members of the Dallas Texans came to Pratt’s Federated to promote Lee Jeans.

If you remember where Bevis’ Grocery Store was located.

If you remember Watt Morris’ supermarket.

If you remember the location of the FIRST Safeway in SS.

Man, I just dated myself!
September 8, 2006 12:29 PM

Phil Sartin said:
One more –

You ARE from Sulphur Springs if there is a library on the site where you entered the world!

The following is a letter from a missionary friend, Ged, in Curdistan. George is his Father in law.

God is amazing. You may have already been hearing or reading reports regarding George Markey’s condition. I have not been able to write anything until now, so here is my attempt at more of an overall picture of what has occurred up until today.

We are very grateful for your prayers and financial help throughout this time. Thank you so much. On Friday, the 26th, George woke up and began experiencing severe stomach cramping and vomiting. It was originally thought that he was simply having conditions associated with the flu.

However, as the cramping and vomiting continued, without subsiding in degree of pain, another doctor was consulted. The doctor spent much time asking questions and finally said that George should be taken to the hospital. He gave us the telephone number of one of the best surgeons in the country and told us where the hospital was located. At this point George was vomiting a very dark blue or black color.

Upon calling the hospital this surgeon answered the phone himself. He admitted George right away, diagnosing appendicitis. As we waited for George to be released from surgery, 2 hours turned into 3, which seemed long for an appendectomy. Paul and Melanie could see through an outside window that many doctors were gathered together and were looking at something very intently in the operating room. Someone was even filming the procedure.

We knew then that perhaps things were more serious than we had thought. After about 4 hours, a nurse appeared and called Paul Billings out of the room. She explained that George’s condition was very serious, that his problem was with his pancreas and not his appendix. She gave Paul a long list of medicines that were needed immediately in order to begin treating George.

Later, the surgeon also appeared, called us into his office, and gave us more of an understanding of pancreatic necrosis, the severity of the disease, and the chances of George coming through it. He said that throughout the world, 80-90 percent of people with this condition die.

As we would come to find out later, this surgeon specializes in the treatment of this condition. He has even patented his own method of treatment. In 1990, he traveled to Houston, Texas in order to present his findings and show his method of treatment. With his method he has been able to save 13 percent of his patients.

We naturally began asking why this has happened. The answers to that question are much more vague than the diagnosis. The surgeon says that the vast majority of the cases that he treats are among young people whose pancreas is affected by alcohol consumption. With George, that is obviously not the case.

The surgeon then speculated that eating massive amounts of fatty foods could perhaps trigger something similar. George has had a moderate diet. Finally, as far as we could understand, it is thought that there was a gall stone that clogged a duct in the pancreas which resulted in the “death of the pancreas.” His pancreas is black and the doctor reiterated just how serious and difficult a disease this is.

As we asked about medicines and where to find them, the surgeon showed us a bag of antibiotics that he had just received that day from Kazakhstan. They are made in Great Britain and are some of the strongest and most effective antibiotics. We immediately authorized the use of them. Since that time, we have been able to find other needed medicines that we were told were not in the country.

On Saturday I drove to at least 6 different pharmacies in search of different medicines that are needed. One medicine keeps George’s pancreas from producing “juice” bile(?) so that other internal organs are not damaged or destroyed.

According to the surgeon, the most critical time is between 10-14 days after the initial operation when the pancreas begins to produce bile and or portions of it begin disintegrating. I stayed in the hospital that night. We were given a private room early on, which was encouraging. Many patients were simply lying on beds or couches in the hallway.

Most everything that is needed for George has to be brought in; from the sheets on his bed to the intravenous fluids that he receives, virtually nothing is supplied by the hospital. If it is supplied, it really is only because we are foreigners and they are giving us their best service possible. I saw one Kyrgyz girl wait in the hallway for hours before someone came up and hooked her up to a much needed IV. George spent the night in intensive care — I was not able to see him.

Throughout the night, different lists of medicine were given that needed to be hurriedly purchased. I was able to drive the anesthesiologist home and talk to him more about the operation.

Our conversation turned toward spiritual things. He said that he had read reports of controlled experiments in the west where one group of patients were prayed for by large amounts of people and another group was not. He said that the group that was prayed for had a much higher rate of recovery that those who were not prayed for.

On Saturday morning at about 11:00, George was transferred to a private room where we have been able to be with him constantly. His condition is stable, but critical. He has four IVs giving him doses of many kinds of medicines and drainage tubes coming out of three incisions in his abdomen and other places. He sleeps much of the time, is heavily sedated, rarely opens his eyes, but can talk and vaguely understands that things are more serious than we thought.

As I hold the phone to his ear, he has even spoken with a couple of people who have called from America. Saturday night was difficult for George and of course very uncomfortable. I was able to turn him from side to side a little and to give him water to drink. He is not allowed to eat anything for 7 days.

There is no monitoring equipment here, but doctors come in regularly to check his blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing. After hearing about George, Pamela immediately began searching for the next available flight out of Kiev where she had been assisting in the birth of George and Sharon’s baby, Samuel. Finally she arrived in Bishkek Sunday morning.She spent much of Sunday in the hospital with George getting to know this surgeon and the doctors who are assisting him.

We were blessed to hear that someone had donated tickets, “buddy passes,” for almost all of the Markey kids who are slated to arrive in Bishkek on Tuesday the 30th. We think George Jr. is also coming from Kiev. We are all encouraged by the many people who have called or written. We know the wonders that God works through prayer. We have a loving and merciful God whom we trust with our lives and the lives of those we love.

Our greatest desire is that He would be glorified in us and through us. We pray for healing for George, that God would give him a brand new pancreas. At the same time we trust in the Lord to act in the way that will bring Him the most glory. “Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; Save me, and I shall be saved, For you are my praise. Indeed they say to me, ‘Where is the Word of the Lord? Let it come now!’

As for me, I have not hurried away from being a shepherd who follows after You,” (Jer. 17: 14-16a) God has already been at work and been glorified in this. From the head surgeon being in the hospital and answering the phone (we did not have to wait hours for him to come to the hospital), to being able to find much needed medicines that we were told were not in the country. We have had many opportunities to speak with hospital staff, doctors, and this surgeon about our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. During the Sunday church service, Paul preached on Romans 8:28.

I was told that the body spontaneously began to pray for George and for the family. It was a very sweet time of worship, prayer, and fellowship. The young body is growing through this.

We appreciate all phone calls and emails. Some people have asked about helping out financially with the costs associated with the hospital, medicines, etc.

If the Lord is leading you to help in this need you can contact Jeff Clark in Indiana at 765-362-0961, or email him at jeffrey-clark@sbcglobal.net. Ged GGour@aol.com P.S.

Please lift up Pam in prayer especially at this time. We were told that both her mother Marjorie Pemberton and her brother Bobby Pemberton are undergoing operations in hospitals in the US at the same time that all of this is happening with George.