Almost as important as knowing the gospel is knowing what your soul is. The soul is that part of your spiritual being that needs to be saved (Ezek 18:27, Jas 1:21, 5:20, etc.). If we are not just ro presume that we are saved, we need to know how the soul is changed from death to life.
- What does it mean to “draw back” from the “saving of the soul” (Heb 10:39)?
- What does it mean to “Receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1Pet 1:9)? Is it possible to have faith in God and Christ and not be saved?
- How can someone believe the gospel “in vain” (1Cor 15:2)?
And so here’s a hint: From our youth, we were trained and then taught what sin was .. whether against our parents, society,government, or God. Remember what our first response was to getting caught? Yeah, rebellion and making a covenant with ourselves not to get caught again, right? That was like the Pharisees or, more recently, Catholic priests. No change of the soul there, eh?
So post your thoughts if you would like to look into this.
When Paul wrote of “the sort that shrinks back,” he did not mean those who may suffer a momentary lapse of courage. Paul surely knew of Peter’s experience and of other similar cases. Elijah, a bold and outspoken prophet, once gave in to fear and fled for his life because of a death threat from wicked Queen Jezebel. (
1 Kings 19:1-4) The prophet Jonah had a more serious bout with fear. Jehovah assigned him to travel to the notoriously violent, wicked city of Nineveh. Jonah promptly boarded a boat headed for Tarshish —2,200 miles [3,500 km] in the opposite direction! (
Jonah 1:1-3) Yet, neither of these faithful prophets nor the apostle Peter could rightly be described as the sort that shrinks back. Why not?
Note the full phrase that Paul used: “Now we are not the sort that shrinks back to
destruction.” What did he mean by “destruction”? The Greek word he used refers at times to eternal destruction. This definition fits the context. Paul had just warned: “If we practice sin willfully after having received the accurate knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice for sins left, but there is a certain fearful expectation of judgment and there is fiery jealousy that is going to consume those in opposition.” —
Hebrews 10:26, 27.
So when Paul said to his fellow believers, “We are not the sort that shrinks back to destruction,” he meant that he and his faithful Christian readers were determined never to turn away from Jehovah and stop serving him. To do so could lead only to eternal destruction. Judas Iscariot was one who shrank back to such destruction, as did other enemies of the truth who willfully worked against Jehovah’s spirit. (
John 17:12;2 Thessalonians 2:3) Such individuals are among “the cowards” who suffer eternal destruction in the symbolic lake of fire. (
Revelation 21:8) No, we do not ever want to be of that sort!
Those who have true faith will be saved. Those who are not saved don't have true faith.
The Christians to whom the apostle Peter addressed his first letter were experiencing severe trials. (
1Pe 1:6) Additionally, “the end of all things” had drawn close —evidently the end of the Jewish system of things foretold by Jesus. (Compare
Mr 13:1-4;1Th 2:14-16; Heb 9:26.) It was, therefore, a time for them to be “vigilant with a view to prayers.” (
1Pe 4:7; compare
Mt 26:40-45.) They also needed encouragement to endure faithfully, the very encouragement provided by the apostle.
In view of what God and his Son had done on their behalf, Christians, as Peter showed, had reason to endure sufferings and to maintain fine conduct. They were to expect sufferings, for “even Christ died once for all time concerning sins, a righteous person for unrighteous ones.” (
1Pe 3:17, 18) Sharing in the sufferings of Christ was in itself a reason for rejoicing, as it would result in being overjoyed at the revelation of Christ’s glory. To be reproached for the name of Christ constituted evidence that a person had God’s spirit. (
1Pe 4:12-14) The trials themselves resulted in the faith of tested quality, which was needed for salvation. (
1Pe 1:6-9) Moreover, by faithfully enduring, they would continue to experience God’s care. He would make them firm and strong. —
1Pe 5:6-10.
The apostle Paul climaxes his first letter to the Corinthians with a masterful discussion of the resurrection. Why did he argue so fervently on behalf of the resurrection? It was for a timely purpose. Those Corinthian Christians were surrounded by a greedy, immoral world, and some had even fallen into Satan’s snares. Paul did not want his beloved brothers to be “believers to no purpose,” for that would mean their destruction. Rather, he wanted them to stand firm in the “good news” that he declared to them.
Likewise today, we live in a world that does not know God. Therefore, we who ‘have rested our hope on the living God’ must work hard and exert ourselves on behalf of the “good news.” (
1 Tim. 4:10) This “good news” now focuses on the established “kingdom of our Lord [Jehovah] and of his Christ.” It is by resurrection that Christ Jesus and his 144,000 associate kings gain that kingdom, the heavenly Mount Zion. Also, it is by resurrection that the great majority of mankind will attain to the earthly realm of the Kingdom. (
Rev. 11:15; 14:1; 20:12) Hence, the resurrection becomes an outstanding feature of the “good news.”
