Endure to Manifest Salvation (2) - David Eells - UBBS 6.5.2024

Endure to Manifest Salvation (2) 

(audio) 

David Eells 6/5/24 

Let’s study more on how we manifest salvation and with God’s grace, I hope to encourage you to keep enduring in your faith to see the fruit. 

The Bible teaches a progressive manifestation of salvation. (1Ti.6:11) But thou, O man of God (so he’s talking to believers here), flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. (12) Fight the good fight of the faith (We must fight! If you don’t fight, you lose! You must run the race.), lay hold on the life eternal.... We have eternal life by faith, but when you have something by faith, you don’t yet see it manifested. We as in (Rom.4:17) calleth the things that are not, as though they were… and if you endure in that faith, ultimately you see the manifestation of the fruit.  

For example, if you ask God to heal you and you claim that “by His stripes” you are healed, you are going to be sick until it has manifested. Salvation comes the same way. You must endure in your faith, claiming your right as a child of God over sin and as you keep on enduring in that faith, the fruit will be manifested. (1Ti.6:12) … lay hold on the life eternal, whereunto thou wast called.... You were called to lay hold on life eternal and if you think that “calling” is out there to the world, you are wrong! This invitation is to God’s children. The Greek word in that text for “call” is kaleo and it means “an invitation.” We have been invited to partake of the body and blood of Christ, but that doesn’t mean you are going to do it!  

(1Ti.6:12) …, lay hold on the life eternal, whereunto thou wast called, and didst confess the good confession in the sight of many witnesses. But see, beginning is not ending, is it? You can start a race and then you can lay down on the sidelines, but we must run the race! We have no choice! We have been called to inherit eternal life, but that doesn’t mean we are going to make it, unless we stand by faith in the promises of God.  

And your faith needs to stand in the Word of God and not in somebody’s theology or somebody’s brilliant ideas. (Jud.3) Beloved, while I was giving all diligence to write unto you of our common salvation (by faith), I was constrained to write unto you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints. The only way you are going to do that is to get it from the Bible and not from a modern theologian.  

(2Ti.3:14) But abide thou in the things which thou hast learned (Paul is talking about what he, himself, has taught Timothy.) and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them. (15) And that from a babe thou hast known the sacred writings which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. The sacred writings are able to make you wise unto salvation; nobody else’s writings can do that. Even good teachers don’t have this power, except to the extent that they show you the sacred writings. Words of truth are the supernatural power of God.  

You know, I never went to an altar when I was young. Before I ever heard a preacher, I was saved just through reading the Bible. Somebody challenged me to read the Bible and it changed my life; these Words are supernatural. (Joh.6:68) Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And those “words of eternal life” are able to make you wise unto the manifestation of salvation. God wants to finish this work and God is able to manifestly complete salvation in you. “Salvation,” or soteria, is deliverance from sin, and the curse of sin and of death. Many preachers today say you will never attain to the manifestation of salvation, but God is able to do it in you.  

(Heb.7:25) Wherefore also he is able to save to the uttermost.... The Greek word for “uttermost” is “completely.” He is talking to Christians here, people who are saved by faith, and he’s saying, “Listen, God is able to save you completely!” (Heb.7:25) Wherefore also he is able to save to the uttermost them that draw near unto God through him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. Jesus “ever liveth to make intercession” for us and you must draw near to God through Him. We go to God in the name of Jesus Christ and what He accomplished for us on the cross. You can come boldly before the Throne of Grace to receive help in time of need because of the name of Jesus Christ. We know Jesus’ name means His “nature, character and authority.”  

And God is able to complete this work in those who believe it, but He is waiting for you to draw near unto God through Jesus Christ and believe it is an accomplished work. So now you ask, “Well, David, do you mean I must believe salvation is an accomplished work, but believe it is not an accomplished work?” Yes. It is very important that you understand you haven’t manifested salvation yet, so that you will (Php.3:14) Press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. It is very important that you exercise faith. Faith (Rom.4:17) ... calleth the things that are not, as though they were. You are reaching out for a gift of God. (2Pe.1:10) Wherefore, brethren, give the more diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never stumble. Give diligence to make your calling and election sure.  Then you will manifest the fruit of salvation, 30, 60, and 100 fold.

You know you are called. You can feel the invitation of God in your heart to partake of Christ and you have partaken of Christ, but do you know if you are elect? (Mat.22:14) For many are called, but few chosen. You are chosen, you are elect, only if you endure in your faith to bear fruit. The Lord called all Israel out of Egypt, but they were not all chosen because many of them rebelled against God and they would not walk by faith in the trials in the wilderness.  

(Jud.5) Now I desire to put you in remembrance, though ye know all things once for all, that the Lord, having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. We see that they started out believing because they came out of Egypt, but then they fell into unbelief when they went through the trials in the wilderness. When we are going through trials, we need to have our faith in God. We need to know that a sovereign God has a purpose in designing these trials that surround our life. There is a goal to be reached for and our purpose for being here is to reach that goal.  

Let’s look at the parable of the talents. (Mat.22:14) For it is as when a man, going into another country, called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. (15) And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to each according to his several ability; and he went on his journey. (16) Straightway he that received the five talents went and traded with them, and made other five talents. (17) In like manner he also that received the two gained other two. (18) But he that received the one went away and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money. There is a goal for each person to meet and that goal is to bring forth, to manifest, the fruit of what God has put in us. You are to bring forth Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).  

There are many people who have received a “talent,” but they have done nothing with it. It has brought forth no fruit in their life. God put us here, like planting a seed in the earth, and we’re supposed to bear fruit, yet some people think, “All I have to do is just hold on to what I have.” Well, just holding on to what they have is called being an “unprofitable servant”! God’s plan is to bring forth Christ in us and He put us here for that purpose. He has already given us every power that we need and all of it comes through faith. (2Pe.1:3) Seeing that his divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that called us by his own glory and virtue.  

If you didn’t step into the Kingdom but two years ago, that was God’s plan because Jesus said, (Joh.6:44) No man can come to me, except the Father that sent me draw him.... Don’t panic and think, “Oh, my! I’ve started in the middle of my life and I needed my whole life!” No, you need exactly the amount of time God put you in the Kingdom, to do what God has given you to do, so don’t worry about that, but do something with what He has given you. You can do it because Jesus made it possible. That is the Gospel! That is the Good News! It doesn’t take a long, long time to bear fruit. Remember that faith is accounted as righteousness. If you die anywhere along this road upward and you are walking on this road with Christ, your faith is counted as righteousness. But, you have to be on the road and you have to be in the race.  

The Good News is that faith is accounted as righteousness, until you attain righteousness. Did you know that even a “baby” Christian can be doing what God sent them to do? Look at the natural parable. A baby learning to walk gets up and falls, gets up and falls, but each time they walk a little farther. That’s the way our life is, too. A “baby” Christian is learning to walk more and more by faith, even though they might not be able to endure to the end of a trial. They fall and then they get up again but they walk a little farther the next time before they fall, so they’re bearing fruit, even as a baby. You can’t say that they’re lost. But if they just sit on the ground and don’t try to get up again because of discouragement and unbelief, they never grow.  

There are many who have been with the Lord for 40 or so years, but they haven’t grown. They’ve done nothing with what God has given them. The “talent” that we’ve been given is the seed of God and that seed brings forth the life of God. He has given each of us the “talent” or ability to be what Jesus is, and as different members of the body of Christ, we take care of different parts of Christ. We have different parts of the body to manifest and we’re only called to bring forth what God has put in. He is the sower who sows the Word in our heart but we must cooperate and read it. He is the One Who makes it possible and through faith we will mature and bring forth the fruit.  

We’ve been given authority over all the power of the enemy. (Luk.10:19) Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. The devil has no power over us, if we believe the Gospel. He only takes his power when he deceives us into believing he has power. We have been given authority over all the power of the enemy. It says “enemy” there, not just “devil.” This means all of your enemies, including the flesh. (Eph.6:17) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  

And we have been given the authority to use God’s Word as a two-edged sword. (Heb.4:12) For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart. There’s one edge for us and one edge for the devil, but in order for the sword of the Word to be effective, it has to be according to the Word that was first delivered unto the saints. We have to hold fast with faith in the true Word. 

You have to be diligent to make your calling and election sure. (2Pe.1:10) Wherefore, brethren, give the more diligence (meaning “careful or persistent work or effort”) to make your calling and election sure.... Now let me point out to you where many Bible versions have continued an error: (2Pe.1:5) Yea, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith.... There should not be a comma after “diligence.” The comma belongs after “faith”! The correct translation is, “Adding on your part all diligence in your faith, supply virtue....” We can do that; we can be diligent in our faith because faith is the foundational gift from God. 

And when we read these Scriptures in the original language, we see clearly that each fruit of the Spirit is inside the previous one. Notice: (2Pe.1:5) Yea, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence in your faith, supply virtue; and in [your] virtue knowledge; (6) and in [your] knowledge self-control; and in [your] self-control patience; and in [your] patience godliness; (7) and in [your] godliness brotherly kindness; and in [your] brotherly kindness love.  

However, there’s a mistranslation of this in the King James: (2Pe.1:5 KJV) And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; (6 KJV) And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; (7 KJV) And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. The error here is that you have to add each fruit of the Spirit to the previous one, but when you look at it correctly, everything is in faith. Each fruit of the Spirit is in the previous one and the first one is faith, and faith is a gift from God! You don’t add anything to what God has done! All you need is faith in what God has done!  

Here’s another confirmation that all the fruits of the Spirit are found in faith: (Phm.6) That the fellowship (Meaning “the communication” or “the sharing.”) of thy faith may become effectual, in the knowledge of every good thing which is in you, unto Christ. When you realize that all the fruits of the Spirit are in your faith, then the fellowship, or communication, or sharing of your faith becomes effectual to produce the intended result, which is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” All you need is faith! Peter said to give “diligence in your faith” to manifest the gift that God has given you. Everything God has given you is in faith. All of the fruit of the Spirit is in faith. If you exercise the faith of God, all these things will be manifested.  

The “talent,” the seed of God, is in faith. When God gave you the Spirit of Christ, He gave you the ability to walk as Christ walked, but you need to be diligent in using the faith that God gave you to (1Ti.6:12) Fight the good fight of the faith, lay hold on the life eternal, whereunto thou wast called,… Now, you could just sit there and not use your sword, but the Bible says, (Jer.48:10) Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord negligently; and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood. We have to do something with our faith.  

Every day you have a battle to fight and your enemies are the flesh and demonic spirits. You can’t just sit back and do nothing! If you don’t fight, you lose! If you don’t fight, you are not bearing fruit! You must fight! We have to pick up our sword and fight! “Diligence” means to take the faith that God gave you and use it! Fight with it and you will win! In fact, Peter says that diligence in your faith is how you make your election sure. (2Pe.1:10) Wherefore, brethren, give the more diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never stumble.  

This next verse is another one that would probably get you called a “heretic” if you got up in front of most churches and read it to them. (2Pe.1:11) For thus (or “in this way”) shall be richly supplied unto you (speaking to Christians) the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Now you are seeing manifested salvation! When you are entering into Christ and you are entering into salvation, you are entering into the Kingdom of God! And when you manifestly enter into the Kingdom, you leave sin behind because there is no sin in God’s Kingdom. You see the progressiveness of your salvation here. You cannot separate “diligence in your faith” from salvation. And remember that faith is accounted as righteousness, so don’t become worried, or anxious because that just defeats the purpose. God wants you to walk by faith in what He has given you as a free gift. It’s already yours!  

Jesus said in (Joh.16:33) These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye may have peace. In the world ye have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. He also said in (Joh.19:30) ... It is finished....” We conquered the devil at the cross. We conquered sin and the curse at the cross. You will win! Take the Word of God and use it on the devil like Jesus did when He was tempted in the wilderness. The devil can’t stand before the Word of God! Plunder the devil’s kingdom! Jesus said in (Luk.11:23) He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. Everybody who does not gather or plunder of the devil’s kingdom is going to scatter. 

You make your election sure by walking in these things. You can do it! Don’t say you can’t! If you say you can’t, it’s because you don’t believe the Gospel. We’re here to prove who it is who truly believes. (Php.4:13) I can do all things in him that strengtheneth me. Be careful or you will prove yourself not to be a believer! It will be revealed who the believers are and it is not all of the called. It is the elect who are the believers because they are the overcomers who bear fruit to be chosen or elect.  

We need this knowledge, which is the “sword” in our hands. (Eph.6:10) Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might. (11) Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (12) For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual [hosts] of wickedness in the heavenly [places]. (13) Wherefore take up the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand. (14) Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, (15) and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; (16) withal taking up the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil [one]. (17) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  

We’re to take the “sword of the Spirit,” but some people are sitting on their sword. You are responsible to take it! Whether the preacher gives it to you or not, you are responsible to take it. If you don’t take the sword and fight with it, you will not win. Taking the sword of the Spirit will bring you “unto salvation.” (1Pe.2:2) As newborn babes, long for the spiritual milk which is without guile (or “without deception”), that ye may grow thereby unto salvation. Some translations leave out “unto salvation” and that is a major problem. The Bible talks a lot about progressive salvation, yet most churches teach only instantaneous salvation. You have to understand about progressive salvation or it will destroy your motivation. You begin to think, “This is great! It’s all finished! All I have to do is sit down and wait to fly away.” No, now you must walk into what was provided for you.  

When you were baptized, by faith the old man died and you were united with Christ in the likeness of His death. The water symbolized that the old man was put to death by the Word. That was your act of faith. But what if you go on in your life after baptism and you don’t ever put to death the old man with the “washing of water with the word” as in (Eph 5:26)? Suppose you just reckon it accomplished when you were baptized and you don’t take the sword of the Word and put to death the old man. Will you ever actually manifest the salvation that God has given you? No! Baptism is an act of faith and it as in (Rom.4:17) ... Calleth the things that are not, as though they were. It says, “Now the old man is dead! Now I am delivered from the power of sin! Now I am delivered from the power of darkness! Now Jesus lives in me!”  

As you walk out your faith the rest of your Christian life, you need to put the old man to death. Don’t let him live to say what he wants to say and do what he wants to do. You stick the sword of the Word in him and tell him, “No! Take that! You’re dead! Dead men can’t talk! Dead men can’t walk! You’re dead!” You walk out your baptism and let the water, which is the Word of God, put to death the old man. You keep pushing off that old man into that water so he drowns. He will die!  

God gave me a vision of that at the beginning of my Christian walk. I was going down an old dusty, dirty road and I had this old man on my back, piggyback. And I came up to this lake and jumped in, but that old man tried to climb up onto my head. Well, I just kept stiff-arming him and pushing him off, and pretty soon he drowned. And God showed me, “That’s your life!” So you jump into that water and you stay in that water. The old man is allergic to that water and you just keep pushing him off while you are in the water and it will kill him. It’s God’s plan. The act of faith without the works that follow it is incomplete. (Jas.2:20) But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is barren? Baptism is an act of faith and the work that follows it is that now you have to use the Word to put the old man to death. You walk it out using the faith in what Jesus did on the cross. That’s our progressive salvation.  

Complete salvation is the redemption of our body. In (Rom.8:23) And not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for [our] adoption, [to wit,] the redemption of our body. (24) For in hope were we saved.... The Greek word “hope” means “a favorable and confident expectation; a forward look with assurance.” We need to understand the difference between “hope” and “faith.” “Hope” looks toward the future and “faith” looks at the past. “Faith” says, “It is done” because of what happened on the cross. “Hope” is looking to the future to see it accomplished and “hope” is firmly expecting it to be accomplished.  

(Rom.8:25) But if we hope for that which we see not, [then] do we with patience wait for it. We are patiently waiting for what we received by faith at the beginning, patiently waiting for it to come to pass. We must patiently go through these trials of our faith. (Jas.1:3) Faith worketh patience. (4) And let patience have its perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing. We have to be patient to see it come to pass, while hoping for something we do not see yet. We are hoping for this salvation to be manifested, to be completed. We have faith that it is complete and we have hope to see it come to pass.  

The Bible teaches that our spirit is born-again when we repent and receive the Spirit of Christ. So what does the Bible say about the soul? This is something that I wish every Christian would come to understand: (1Pe.1:21) Who through him (which is Christ) are believers in God, that raised him from the dead, and gave him glory; so that your faith and hope might be in God. (22) Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth.... When Peter uses the word “seeing,” he means with the eye of faith, “seeing” in the Spirit.” He wants you to see this by faith.  

(1Pe.1:22) Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth (Your spirit is simply purified by repentance, but your soul is purified by obeying the truth.) unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one another from the heart fervently: (23) having been begotten again.... This is the Greek word gennao and it’s the same word used in John 3:5. It means “born again.” You must be born again. (23) Having been begotten (born) again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which liveth and abideth. When your spirit is born again, that’s the very first knowledge you have of being a child of God. Every Christian is born again in spirit, but being born again in soul is a progressive thing through your obedience. And you are able to be obedient because of your faith.  

The “seed” God puts in you to give you rebirth is incorruptible. When you have received that seed, you are not corruptible, and when that seed is in you, you don’t sin. Then that seed progressively takes over your life and your soul, until your whole soul is born of God. God’s purpose is to replace your soul with Christ’s Soul, and that means to put the Word of God in your life and in your heart. The Word of God is Christ and when you are born of Christ, that’s incorruptible seed! In your obedience to the truth, your soul is born of God. The first part of salvation, being born again of spirit, is very simple, but being born again of soul is bearing the fruit of Jesus Christ. Born again of soul is manifesting the fruit of Jesus Christ and it is letting the Word live through you.  

Continuing (1Pe.1:24) For, All flesh is as grass, And all the glory thereof as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower falleth: (25) But the word of the Lord abideth forever. The flesh has to die, but the Word of God has to be manifested in our life and, so, being born again takes on a larger meaning, larger ideas, larger understanding. You have to keep on walking and standing in Christ for your soul to be born again. When the Bible talks about bearing fruit, it’s talking about bearing fruit in the soul. You don’t have anything to do with bearing fruit in the spirit. Christ did that! If He didn’t do that, then Christ does not dwell in your spirit because He will not dwell in an unclean temple.  

When your spirit is clean, He said in (Eze.36:26) A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. (27) And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep mine ordinances, and do them. (28) And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. That was a promise of the New Covenant. But notice that He promised us a new heart, which shows you that the heart is not the spirit because He made two promises there. The soul is where you bear fruit and the person who doesn’t bear fruit is an unprofitable servant.  

Now continuing with being born-again, (Joh.3:1) Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: (2) the same came unto him by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that thou doest, except God be with him. (3) Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born anew, 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 a second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? (5) Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  

Many people say, “That’s talking about the ‘water’ of natural birth.” Well, they must be thinking like Nicodemus that Jesus was saying, “You have to go back into your mother’s womb.” That wasn’t what Jesus was saying. Notice Jesus said, “Except one,” and that’s somebody who has already been born the first time. See, we have to be born of water and the Spirit, and that is the washing of water with the Word of God and the Spirit of God. We must be born again of that, and it doesn’t stop at our spirit. In fact, it doesn’t stop until we are Christlike, until we have a soul and a body like His. But you have to agree with God in this total process, from beginning to end, and the only way you can stay in agreement with God is by faith. You must take up the sword and fight the good fight of faith, and (1Ti.6:19) ... lay hold on the life which is life indeed.  

Other Scriptures that talk about the latter end of your work on earth are: (1Pe.1:5) Who by the power of God are guarded through faith unto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. By the way, “time” was not in the original. There is no numeric pattern for “in the last time.” The correct translation is “in the last” because this isn’t “the last time” he’s talking about. Peter is talking about your life here, about the finishing of the product in you, which is “ready to be revealed” at the end of God’s work in you. His salvation is going to be manifested in people through their faith. (1Pe.1:6) Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, ye have been put to grief in manifold trials, (7) that the proof of your faith, [being] more precious than gold that perisheth though it is proved by fire, may be found unto praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ: “ 

The revelation of Jesus Christ” here is talking about is the revelation of Jesus Christ in you! This is not talking about His coming in the sky. Everything that you’re going through is so that Christ may be revealed in you. (1Pe.1:8) whom not having seen ye love; on whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory: (9) receiving the end of your faith, [even] the salvation of [your] souls. Salvation is not the beginning of your faith; it’s the end of your faith. We go through all these trials down here by faith. We are guarded through this faith that we have, unto a salvation that is ready to be revealed at the end of our old life.  

And we go through all of this in order for Christ to be revealed in us and so that we receive the salvation of our souls. This is what we are here for, to be saved in our souls. God’s purpose is to have a new spirit in us, so that the Holy Spirit can move through our spirit, to manifest Christ in our souls through our obedience to the Holy Spirit. That’s the whole purpose of God. (Rom.8:29) For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Christ was the firstborn among many brethren. God is bringing forth sons of God on the earth today!