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Salvation and the Cleansing of Our Spirit—Part 1

Salvation and the Cleansing of Our Spirit—Part 1

The apostle Paul wrote,

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23 NIV84).

Is it just a coincidence that Paul lists these three domains—spirit, soul, and body—in the order he does, or is it inspired? Does it reveal that healing starts with the spirit, moves to the soul, and ends with the body?

The Greek word translated as “body” is soma and refers to the physical structure of our being, which is the easiest for us to identify and differentiate from soul and spirit. The Bible is filled with many instructions for the health of the body—guidance on hygiene, diet, exercise, and rest. If we use the metaphor of a computer, the soma would correspond to the hardware, the physical components of the machine that one can touch.

The Greek word for “soul” is psyche, from which we get words like “psychiatry” and “psychology”, and refers to our individuality, character, unique personhood; the psyche would correspond to the software on a computer, encompassing all the things we learn, such as our language, and what we hold to be true, our values, morals, and beliefs—thus, it is our mind.

The Greek word for “spirit” is pneuma and is translated into a variety of English words, such as wind, spirit, ghost, and breath—as in the “breath of life.” The spirit, breath of life, corresponds to the energy of our being and, first and foremost, is the life-giving energy from God.

The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground [body] and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life [spirit], and the man became a living being (Genesis 2:7 NIV84).

When a person dies, God’s creation reverses this process; the body goes back to dirt and the breath of life, the life energy from God, the “spirit,” returns to God:

The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7 NIV84)

The word “spirit” here is used to indicate the breath of life, the life energy. But the word has additional meanings that Paul applies when writing to the Corinthians:

Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit … when you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present (1 Corinthians 5:3, 4 NIV84).

Our spirit, as Paul uses the term above, refers to our affections, attitudes of the heart, and true motives of action, and it is where God works via His Spirit to cause us to be dissatisfied with sin, to give us a longing for something more, to create a conviction, an uneasy restlessness, when we are departing from Him and His path for our lives. The spirit is our innermost heart’s desires, preferences, and alignments—what we resonate with and also the attitudinal atmosphere we both create and prefer. Do we have a spirit of love or hate, of kindness or cruelty, of humility or arrogance, of gentleness or brutality, of fear or courage?

Think about your closest loved one, perhaps a child or spouse, going on a dangerous trip, perhaps to a war zone, and, with tears, you say to them, “I will be with you in spirit.” What do you mean? Are you saying you will go along with them bodily, in person? No, you will not be with them physically when you are with them in spirit. Are you saying that you are going to have an out-of-body experience and float alongside them in some ghost-like apparition? Of course not.

You are saying that you will be with them in heart, sympathy, compassion, attitude, desiring for their good, sharing in their struggles and hurts, rejoicing in their triumphs, celebrating their success, keeping their health, welfare, and good foremost in your affections and prayers. You have your heart’s energies oriented toward them for their good. To be with your child in spirit is to be in harmony with them in your inmost being, resonating and connecting with them along unseen energy bonds of the quantum universe that God has created. It is the alignment of one’s heart, affection, goodwill, and intentions for another’s health and happiness.

The way God created human beings, after Adam received the “spirit,” the breath of life, from his Creator, he had the ability to impact and shape, change, alter, and influence the tenor, vibration, character, condition, quality, and purity of that energy. Just as we can contaminate pure water and make it foul, so also we can contaminate the pure energy we receive from God. In fact, through Adam’s sin, he contaminated the pure motivation and animating energy of love with fear and selfishness, and we are all born with a life, a spirit, that we received from Adam that is already contaminated with fear and selfishness that need spiritual cleansing (Psalm 51:5). This is what Paul is telling us when he informs us that our entire being needs sanctifying—our motivational energies (spirits, pneuma) need to be sanctified.

 

How Salvation Actually Works

But what does this mean in practical terms? It means that salvation requires cleansing of the spirit from the contamination of sin (fear and selfishness). Salvation—cleansing, the removal of sin—starts with our spirits (pneuma), moves into our souls/minds (psyche), and ends with our bodies (soma) at the Second Coming.

In order to intelligently cooperate most effectively with God for the cleansing of our spirits, we must understand what our spirit is. The spirit is the part of our being that connects with the Spirit of God and is the means whereby God inspires, energizes, encourages, motivates, and convicts us. Our spirit is where the healing energy of God interacts with our energy, (inmost desires and motivations) to influence us. The Spirit is the vitalizing power of God that brings life.

Jesus said, “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing” (John 6:63 NIV84).

The spirit is the wellspring, the energy source, the life-giving power that fuels our being—it is the breath of life given to us by God, but the Holy Spirit is the sustaining, healing, purifying, invigorating, inspiring, transforming, renewing, regenerating power of God that cleanses our spirits, enlightens our minds, inspires our songs, motivates our hearts, cleanses our consciences, ennobles our minds, and seals us to God’s kingdom of love.

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory (Ephesians 1:13, 14 NIV84).

It is the Holy Spirit that brings us the new healthy desires, motives, and presence of Jesus. It is via the Holy Spirit that we become partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). But when the Spirit moves upon our hearts, our inmost beings, we must choose to say “yes” to the leading of the Spirit—to forgive, to reject the old carnal ways of dishonesty, selfishness, evil surmising, gossiping, jealousy, revenge—and, instead, align our hearts with the “Spirit,” the attitude of Jesus Himself—to love our enemies and bless those who persecute us.

Jesus said to His disciples, when they asked if they should call fire down on the Samaritans,

“You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them” (Luke 9:55-56 NKJV, emphasis mine).

The disciples were fostering a spirit of God’s enemy, of revenge rather than a spirit of love and grace. They needed spiritual cleansing!

While the Holy Spirit brings us the truth, love, and conviction, it is up to us to accept or reject the cleansing energies of God’s Spirit; if, instead of having our spirits cleansed, we cling to resentment, bitterness, unforgiveness, unkindness, jealously, a desire for revenge etc., we grieve the Spirit (Ephesians 4:30).

But as we respond to the movements of the Holy Spirit upon our spirit, we move from merely being kept physically alive and sought after by the Holy Spirit, like the shepherd seeking the lost sheep, to actual thriving! When we choose to stay connected to God in a living faith/trust relationship, we experience the vitalizing power of God purifying our spirits. When we surrender our hearts and minds to Jesus in faith, it is then that we receive the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, who renews our spirits, transforms our motives, desires, hearts, and attitudes, and purifies our inmost being with love, joy, hope, and truth by taking what Jesus achieved and reproducing His spirit in us. As Paul wrote, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20 NIV84).

But if we do not remain in a living faith/trust relationship with God—if, instead, we go our own way and do our own thing after our conversion—that would be like tying a plastic bag over our heads and cutting ourselves off from life-giving refreshing air. If we cut ourselves off from the Holy Spirit, we only breathe back into our souls the spiritual waste, fears, uncertainties, guilt, shame, doubts, mistakes, misunderstandings, shortcomings, denials, rationalizations, heartaches, hurts, disappointments, and wrongs. Our spirits will then slowly lose the heavenly atmosphere of joy, peace, patience, love, and hope. Just like the air inside the plastic bag becomes stale, so our spirits become stale, stagnant—and just like what happens when we breathe in the stale air, our spirits eventually lose energy and drive, and we become discouraged and are tempted to give up.

But when we retain our life-giving faith connection with God, our daily communion with Him, then we daily breathe in God’s Spirit and are filled with the presence of God, His life, His energy, His love, His affection, kindness, goodness, grace, truth, and power. 

Our spirit is our life energy. God’s Spirit is the full energy of the divine third Person of the Godhead who unites with us with the full power of the Godhead, bringing us the “Spirit” of the Lord—the new attitude of love rather than hate. As Paul wrote to Timothy,

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV).

I encourage you to be purposeful in your daily routines, to start every day in personal communion with God, meditating upon His Word, His creation, His providences, and talking with Him. Invite the Holy Spirit into your heart to cleanse, renew, refresh, and invigorate your spirit so that you will experience “the fruit of the Spirit [which] is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22, 23 NIV84).

And as Paul wrote to the Philippians, I close with this desire for you:

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose (Philippians 2:1, 2 NIV84).

 

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I grew up in a prominent protestant church and had what I like to call religious anxiety. I’ve always had questions about God and Salvation that no one could seem to answer.  I didn’t know how to find resolution. During 2020, at the height of my anxiety, I fell to my knees and begged God to show me truth and light and to give me the hope that I’ve been longing for. Days later, I stumbled upon your online videos and it was like a veil was lifted and EVERYTHING made sense! For the first time in my almost 39 years of life, my religious/spiritual anxiety has lessened. I feel a sense of freedom and peace I’ve NEVER had before… and it’s all because my view of God has changed. Thank you!

Ashleighn C.

 

Testimony 39

[This ministry is the] biggest blessing I have ever received! Your DVDs and lessons could not have come at a better time in my life. I have experienced in the past year many difficulties that, if it wasn’t for this wonderful view of God that I have discovered through this ministry, I would not have been able to respond in love and forgiveness. My heart is being transformed everyday by the Calvary-looking God you teach. Hallelujah!! I have tears in my eyes as I write, because my life has taken a complete turn from where I was heading.

I am from Central America. Most of my family is scattered in different parts of the world and all have the same view of God that I had growing up; a distant, exacting, and ready-to-punish-us-with-tragedy type of God. So, I have been translating lessons for my family and, to my surprise, they have also been sharing them with others! I can already see the difference. My brother has often said, “Thank you for sharing, I have never heard it this way!” My other family members are taking an amazing turn from a message of “repent or burn” towards a loving God, pleading to us that we won’t reject him because he loves us eternally.

Bless you for all you do.

Sofia S., Ashfield, MA, USA

 

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Thank you for the ministry you are sharing with us, it is a real blessing to us and especially to my husband and myself! You are encouraging us to think for ourselves and not just to except everything, without thinking it through, with God’s word!

M.K., USA

 

Testimony 70

I have been watching you for many years and have learned to love God with all my heart. I was raised by a loving Christian mother that had been lied to about who God really was, so our religious upbringing was hell fire and damnation. As soon as I was old enough and moved out, I not only left the church, I ran as fast as I could to get away from it. Sad to say, it wasn’t until the past couple of years that I learned and understand who my Father really is and how much He loves me. I understand God’s Design Laws (which make sense) and when I’m teaching my church Bible study class, I’m able to really put to use the things I’ve been learning and Holy Spirit is leading. Thank you for introducing me to my Father of true, pure love. Everyday with Him is new and exciting. One thing that breaks my heart is that I didn’t know Him sooner. God Bless you and your ministry!

Judy Phelps, Reno, NV, USA

Testimony 35

I am so pleased with the response your message is receiving at my church from the middle-aged to the young adults. I have given out 100 copies of the first two seminars and there are more request every week. One of my [class members] came to me after viewing the series, grateful and impressed with how easy the message was retained. He had been a Seventh-day Adventist in fear all his life, and felt like the scales were removed from his eyes after viewing the seminars. I am so impressed by the change I see in members who have received this message, we are in one accord. However, I am sadden by the negative response of the older people. I am verbally attacked anytime I talk about imposed laws, but I believe my mission is to enlightened everyone I can. I watch your Bible Study Class on YouTube every Friday night and I feel like I am apart of the class. All of you are in one accord and I am so blessed to have found you. I pray that all of you continue to spread this message and I am committed to doing my part.

Clara S., Westfield, MA, USA

 

Testimony 60

Just watched watched lesson 10 in the 1st quarter 2021 bible study classs on Isaiah. I want to thank you for your intellectual spirituality; it’s not an oxymoron! From the point of view of a teacher I also enjoy seeing how much personal pleasure you clearly take in not just tasting, but feasting on God’s word – it reminds me of Jeremiah not being able to hold it in! It makes me smile that your cup is so full and overflowing that you make it to Tuesday’s lesson (on a good day). It just goes to show the richness of God’s Word.

God bless the Come and Reason Team from our church here in Great Britain.

Andrew H., Great Britain

 

Testimony 46

Over the past couple of years God has been expanding my view of Himself and His character. Along my approximately 40-year journey, I have often had questions, but was hesitant to voice these and step outside the traditionally accepted thinking, for fear of admitting that I may in fact be eternally lost. In the recesses of my thinking has been the thought – if one blindly accepts (which is widely regarded as “real faith”) and does not question, is this really ‘truth?’ I often find it challenging to grapple with very theological ‘speak,’ but Dr. Jennings has a real gift of explaining spiritual concepts with clear practical examples. The weekly discussions are growing my Christian experience and slowly changing my view of how to live as a child of God in today’s complex world. Finally the whole Old Testament sanctuary teaching moved in my mind from fantasy to reality!

Beverly S., South Africa

 

Testimony 71

When I was 9 years old, I remember setting at our devotional table with a hunger and thirst for God that wanted more, deeper, BETTER. I can remember literally crying and pounding on the table, “I know these teachers didn’t mean to give us error. They taught what THEY had been TAUGHT, but didn’t ANYBODY READ THE BOOK?!?!?” It mattered to me then. It mattered to me as a teenager. It matters now as I teach bible classes. It didn’t have to be so hard as I watched so many give up and lay God’s great plan and gift of salvation aside as being “impossible.” Then, a friend sent me a link to Come And Reason’s website. I grew excited. YES! FINALLY! Then another friend told me to stay away, saying her son had just broken up with a girl because she was involved with Come And Reason and that “Tim Jennings preaches a false gospel.” But, AFTER many years of developing an authentic and, dare I say FUN relationship with Jesus, through the Holy Spirit I see this message has been around a LONG time, since the apostle Paul, Ellen White, Graham Maxwell, Ray Foucher, and yourself (though I admit, you’ve made me back up, rewind and replay the clips, and get out my well-worn Bible on a few things.) I’m so thankful I have found LIGHT during these DARK days. I am not alone.

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Testimony 57

You have helped make sense of thirty two years of confusion. The material you freely provide reorganized so much of my life into such a beautiful pattern that has always been hinted at from within, but misguided with my training and what I was experiencing externally. My filipno parents, who were converted from Catholicism to SDA, were sincere and did their best to raise me the right way and I have deep respect for them. However, being immigrants and not understanding the language made for a difficult transition as I was growing up, which also applied to my spiritual growth as I learned the patterns of religion. I have been listening to as many bible study classes and reading blog posts as my time in a work truck will allow, searching for the practical applications of where spirituality and reality meet, and I thank you for helping me find that. You have helped me reach a point in which I can truly say that I love God, that I believe He loves me, and, like David, I delight in His law. God bless.

Emmanuel V., Calgary, AB Canada

Testimony 30

God lead me to your book “The God-Shaped Brain” while I was searching for another book about the brain and then to your interview about your book on HeartWise Ministries [where] I found out about [Come And Reason Ministries]. I’m now devouring the webcasts of your Bible studies. I have been so greatly blessed and I thank God so much for your courage to speak the Truth in love no matter what. Listening to you contrast the two opposing systems (laws) and digging deep to unearth the hidden treasures in the Bible makes me so incredibly happy and I feel very blessed to be part of your Bible Study Group although I live far away. I am just so excited that there is a group of people that is spreading the Truth about the character of God and it saddens me how few realize what our Father in Heaven is really like.

Kessy B., Australia

 

Testimony 48

I just want to tell you how blessed I have been reading “The Remedy!” It has become a daily part of my devotional relationship with God. In it I have found a God of love and a God that loves me! The bible has come alive for me! It is the first time that I can say that I have felt hope fill my heart as I have read God’s word. This is good news I can share! Thank you, Dr Jennings! Thank you for your heart for others. I can’t put into words how this has set me free! It has strengthened my trust and love for God.

Jason H.

 

Testimony 10

I personally download and listen to each of Come And Reason Ministries Bible study class lessons and PDF study notes to use when teaching my class. Really appreciate the class especially when Dr. Jennings is teaching. Thank God there are persons like him doing His work and traveling to share His beliefs.

B. L.M., North Plains, OR, USA

 

Testimony 20

I just wanted to personally thank you for your teachings and insight into scripture. I came across your website via my cousin who suggested I look into “Healing the Mind” information. My youngest daughter has been struggling over the last couple of years and it all came to a head this spring. When I started listening to the “Healing the Mind” lectures my own life began to be transformed. I began sharing with all my daughters the concepts you laid out so clearly. I ordered your book and soaked it up. I just want to say “Thank You!” My walk with the Lord has been refreshed and renewed. Your obedience to the Lord is a blessing to so many.

R. K., Anderson, SC, USA

 

Testimony 34

I was introduced to Come and Reason Ministries by accident, via a passing comment made in a bible study class we were visiting. I checked this website out and my life was changed. The understanding of the truth of God’s character, and how we apply it, is so right. The tricky part is consistently applying which “lens” to look through. As I began to understand, I started sharing the basics of this understanding with a discussion group I was leading and, suddenly, a lot of things started to make sense that never used to. At the same time, I enjoyed an amazing opportunity. I was able to conduct a full bible study at WORK! What an amazing experience! It is such a joy to share the truth about God and to share how it all fits in the war between God and Satan. So many people benefit when we have a correct understanding about how God works and who He really is! Thank you for this transformational understanding. Keep up the good work! God Bless you!

Tony P., CA, USA

 

Testimony 21

I am absolutly on fire with the message at Come and Reason! I can’t get enough! I’ve read your book, blog, and articles. I’ve listened to your Bible study podcasts, your radio show, and your series – all excellent! It wasn’t until the past couple of years that I have I like I’m becoming “healthy,” with more to share with others than just beasts and commandments! I used to be a Bible worker and preached when the pastors were gone until I had had enough. I didnt realize at the time what the problem was, but i know now… the message wasn’t properly focused. Now my flame is rekindled. All of your little examples are so perfect in explaining something “complicated” and making it easily understood! Now I’m trying to shape it into a life changing evangelistic series! Thank you!

M.T., USA