TEXT:
St. John 10:15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the
Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Hebrews 10:39 But we are not of them who draw
back unto perdition: but of them that
believe to the saving of the soul.
· as a noun - vitality, vigor, energy,
viability, virility, strength, existence, being, living, animation, vital force,
respiration, breath (of life), vivification, and resurgence;
· as a verb - be alive, walk the earth,
give birth, put life into, and revive;
· as an adjective - existing, in the
flesh, in the land of the living, alive and kicking, germinal, invigorating,
generative, and exhilarating.
· NATURALLY: the cause, origin, fountainhead, beginning of
“life” is through the creative power of God Himself (Elohym); Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created
the heaven and the earth. Acts 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being.
· SPIRITUALLY: it comes from God through the Son
Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit; Jeremiah
31:33 But
this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After
those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write
it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. St.
John 3:3 Except a man be born again, he
cannot see the kingdom of God. (Vs 5)
Except a man be born of water and
of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 2
Corinthians 5:17 If
any man be in Christ, he is a new creation; old things are passed away, behold,
all things are become new. 1 John 3:9 He that is born of God sinneth not, because his seed remaineth in him
and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
· ETERNAL OR EVERLASTING LIFE: you get this “life” by comprehension,
recognition, acquaintance, awareness of the “True God”; St. John 17:3 And this is LIFE ETERNAL, that they might know thee the only “true God”, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. St.
John 3:15 That
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. (Vs 16)
For God so loved the world, that
he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life. 1
John 5:11 And
this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
This “LIFE” is the “ZOE LIFE”, which
is that ETERNAL AND EVERLASTING, UNENDING LIFE!!
This is the “GOD LIFE”: complete; perfect; thorough; sheer; fixed;
positive; unrestricted; unbounded; full; supreme.
But the “LIFE” that Jesus said He lays down in
St. John 10:15 is not the “ZOE” life
I just finished explaining. The “LIFE” that Jesus laid down was the PSUCHE’,
which was the “SOUL”! The “ZOE”
couldn’t be killed because it is eternal,
everlasting, and unending!!!
St. John
10:11 I am the good
shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life (soul) for the sheep. (Vs 15) As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the
Father: and I lay down my life (soul) for the sheep.
St. John
12:25 He that loveth his life (soul) shall lose it; and he
that hateth his life (soul) in this world shall keep it unto life (zoe)
eternal.
We must come to know that the “SOUL” houses our emotions. This is the area where the “lion” roars when he doesn’t get his way. But we must kill the lion so that we can
totally overcome. Revelation 4:7 gives us the four (4) faces of our personality:
· The lion (soul);
· the calf (body or strength);
· the face as a man (heart);
· the eagle (mind).
He that
loveth his “life” (soul) shall lose it if
you don’t kill the “lion”! And he
that hateth his “life” (soul) in this world shall keep it unto “life” (zoe)
eternal if you kill the “lion”. The “LION” must be killed (conquered) to
have “eternal or everlasting” life (zoe)!
1 Peter 5:8 Be
sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, (uncontrolled emotions), walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
St. John
13:37 Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my “life” [soul] for thy sake. (Vs 38) Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy “life” [soul]
for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock
shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice. (In essence, Peter at that point
evidently didn’t know what he was saying!)
St. John
15:13 Greater love hath no
man than this, that a man lay down his “life”
[soul] for his friends.
THE “LIFE” JESUS LAID DOWN WAS THE “PSUCHE'” (the SOUL aspect of Himself)!
The word “life” in St. John 10:15 and “soul” are from the same “root” word in
the Greek.
“LIFE” (psuche’)
is breath, i.e. spirit. This Greek word “life” corresponds in the
Hebrew with heart, soul, life, mind. “PSUCHE’”,
meaning soul or emotions, is from
the family of our English word “psyche” or “psychology” – the science or study
of emotions, behavior, and the mind.
***When you trace out the definition of “SPIRIT” AND “SOUL” in the Greek, the definitions
are basically the same, but they come from two different “root” words.
· “SPIRIT” is
from the Greek word “pneu'ma", meaning a
current of air, i.e. breath; a spirit.
· “SOUL” is from
the Greek word “psuche’ ”, meaning
breath, i.e. spirit.
SOUL is man’s “consciousness” or
“awareness” of whatever he or she says and does.
Example: As long as Adam (male and female) walked in “INNOCENCE”, they were walking by the SPIRIT (rationally and in immortality),
but when they fell, they became “CONSCIOUS
OR AWARE” of that which was good and evil, and they began to operate in the
realm of the “SOUL” (emotions; psuche’; irrational and mortal)!
Romans 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them
that had not sinned after the similitude (likeness) of
Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
With Moses
came the law, which also imposed death: 2 Corinthians 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new
testament; not of the letter, but of the Spirit: for the
letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life [make alive]!!!
MAN is spirit, soul, and body! 1
Thessalonians 5:23 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. (Paul didn’t say “until” because Jesus “IS COME ALREADY”! He said “unto” because God is able by our “faith” to keep us so
that we can “reach the place” of
Jesus being totally seen in us right here and right now while we are in these
flesh bodies!)
MAN (male and female) is “spirit” because of the “I AM” (Christ) that dwells in him
(us). 1
John 4:4 Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the
world. He is “soul” because he has
feelings, emotions, and has consciousness or awareness. His body
houses his spirit and soul and expresses what’s going on in his soul,
whether it is positive or negative. Now
one can better understand what John was saying in 3 John 2 Beloved,
I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul
prospereth. When the “SOUL” is saved (well; healthy - sound; whole or wholesome; undamaged;
strong; unbroken; stable; safe; true; perfect; uncorrupt), the “BODY” can be healthy!
When someone
gets saved, there is a war between
the spirit and the soul over the
body! That’s why we must fulfill St. Mark 12:30 ,
we must love the Lord with all our
HEART, SOUL, MIND, AND STRENGTH (BODY)!!
We must - it is not optional - conquer the lion so that the SOUL can live
(be saved)!
Revelation 4:6-7, tells us about the four (4) beasts
(living creatures) that are before the throne:
the first beast was like a lion (soul – emotions): the second beast was like a calf (body; strength): the third beast had a face as a man (spirit – heart):
the fourth beast was like a
flying eagle (mind).
Revelation 5:6 And I beheld, and lo,
in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the
elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain,
having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth
into all the earth. These seven (7) spirits are: wisdom; understanding; knowledge;
might; counsel; and fear; which all comes out of the righteousness
of God. Isaiah 11:2-4 And
the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit
of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; and shall make him of quick
understanding in the fear of the LORD:
and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove
after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor,
and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of
his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. These four (4) beasts (living creatures)
are the four (4) faces of our personality that keeps the CHRIST (the Lamb) from
being manifested when they (the living creatures) have not been saved (delivered, healed, made
whole)! 1 Peter 5:8 lets us
know that we must be sober
(cautious; watchful), and vigilant (keep
awake) because your “adversary the devil”, as a “roaring lion”, walks about seeking whom he may devour.
Ephesians 5:14 Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the
dead, and Christ shall give thee light. He is saying to open your “spiritual eye” and come up out
of the depths or the obscurity and ruin of religious order, and Christ (the
Anointed One) shall give us clarity of the revelation
of His Word!
He (God)
will cause you and me to see Him as He is!
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it
doth not yet appear what we shall be:
but we know that, when he shall appear we shall be like him; for we
shall see him as he is. His appearing
is right now - in us, the sons of God, the church, His body, as God’s legal
agent or representatives in the earth, not out in the sky! Ephesians
5:30 For
we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 1
John 4:17 Because as he is, so are we in this world.
Revelation 6:1-2 And I saw when the Lamb
opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of
the four beasts saying, Come and
see. (That was the “lion”
saying, I have been conquered – the soul
/ emotions have been conquered). And I saw , and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown
was given unto him: and he went forth
conquering, and to conquer. This was
not a “bow” that you shoot arrows with. Neither was the “crown” physical. The scripture speaks of nine (9) of them so
which “crown” will you wear when you get there?
Or how many will you be able to set on top of your head if it’s
physical? But knowing they are
“spiritual”, we as Sons of God can wear them now - all of them except for the crown of pride and the corruptible crown. Those are worn by those bound by religious order. Jesus wore the crown of thorns to destroy the curse; to give us victory in our minds so that we can live a victorious life.
· incorruptible crown (1 Corinthians 9:25);
· golden crown (God’s divine nature) (Revelation 14:14);
· crown of life (James 1:12);
· crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8);
· crown of rejoicing (1 Thessalonians 2:19);
· crown of thorns (Mark 15:17, Matthew 27:29);
· crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:18, Romans 6:18);
· corruptible crown (1 Corinthians 9:25);
· crown of pride (Isaiah 28:1)
The “crown” is a steph’anos, which
is a badge of royalty; a symbol of honor or triumph.
2 Corinthians 2:14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest
the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. WE DON’T HAVE TO DIE AND SAIL OFF
ANYWHERE TO HAVE THESE CROWNS! PRAISES
BE UNTO OUR GOD! WE CAN HAVE THESE
CROWNS RIGHT HERE AND RIGHT NOW!! THAT’S GOOD NEWS!!!
This word “bow” is the Greek word tox’on/tik’to, meaning to produce (from
seed), bring forth, be delivered, be born, be in travail, to bear.
That “soul” (lion; emotions)
is now tamed by the Holy Spirit and manifesting the fruit of God’s Spirit. The “bow”
is the bringing forth of Christ within you:
Christ being reproduced within you!
The Christ man overpowers the “flesh” man: or the “Last Adam” conquers the “first Adam”! If the
“lion” (soul) isn’t conquered first, the rest of the seals, or the other three
faces of our personality, will never be conquered (eagle – mind); (calf – that
must become a cherubim; Ezekiel 10:14); face as a man (spirit; heart; the very
core of one’s being.)
Now you can
understand Judges 14:5-9 where Samson is eating the “honey” out of the carcase
of a dead lion! The killing of the lion (or the soul – emotions- psuche’)
is so that the resurrection power of God can be manifested and seen in His
people! When we conquer the “lion”, we can conquer the other three
faces of our personality so the rest of the seals can be opened!!
When the soul is in its “rare form” (irrational
and mortal), it is in the same place the “rich man” in Luke 16 was in. He was in “hell” being in “torments” [pain;
grief; sorrow]; that’s what “hell” is. (Vs 23) In
hell (hades) he lift up his eyes,
being in torments [basano meaning pain; agony; anguish; punishment; grief; sorrow]. It is
the SOUL that grieves!!
St. Matthew 26:38 My soul (psuche’) is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death. ("Sorrowful" or peril’pos, meaning grieved all around, i.e.
intensely sad or deeply saddened). The
“rich man” (religious man) being in torments [pain; grief; sorrow] was in “hell”. Being in “hell” is not down in the center of
the earth. People are going through, or
living in, “hell” right now with the situations they are faced with! This is what Jesus delivered us from!
St. John 10:15 I lay down my life (psuche’;
soul) for the sheep! It was the “soul” (life) aspect of Him that He laid down, not the “life” (zoe) , which is the “eternal
and everlasting” life. That “LIFE” (ZOE) is “eternal and
everlasting”. It cannot be killed! It’s God!
Can you kill God? No!! But it is the “ZOE” that resurrects the “psuche'”!!
St. John 10:16-18 And other sheep I have,
which are not of this fold: them also I
must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one
shepherd. Therefore doth my Father love
me, because I lay down my life (psuche’
– soul), that I might take it again. No
man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power
to take it again. This commandment have
I received of my Father. (AND
THAT OUR SAVIOUR DID!!!) HALLELUJAH!!! Psalm
16:10 For
thou wilt not leave my “soul” in
hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
St. Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which
kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him
which is able to destroy both soul and body.
In the
Hebrew, soul and body come from the
same root word (nephesh), depending
on how it’s being used. Ezekiel 18:4 & 20 The soul (person –body) that
sinneth (miss the mark), it shall die. The two
(soul and body) must comprise or embrace one another or be in accordance (coherent;
uniform; harmonious; reconcilable) with each other. When that happens, death can’t hold either!!
When Jesus got up, that “body” got up
to!! St. Luke 24:39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and
see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. St. John 10:10 The thief cometh not,
but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:
I am come that they might have “life”
[zoe], and that they might have it more
abundantly. Romans 8:2-3 For
the law of the spirit of “life” [zoe]
in Christ Jesus hath made me free from
the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it
was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful
flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.
WE MUST CONQUER THAT SOUL!! Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ, who strengtheneth me.
HOW DO WE “SAVE THE SOUL” (as stated in
Hebrews 10:39)?
SAVING means to procure; possess; secure; preserve (maintain, sustain, keep, nurse,
rescue, take care of, guard, defend)!
· BELIEVE (Hebrews 10:39) But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
· LOVE GOD (St. Luke 10:27) Thou shalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy HEART, and with all thy SOUL, and with all thy STRENGTH, and
with all thy MIND; and thy neighbor as thyself.
· SEEK THE LORD (Deuteronomy 4:29) But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find
him, if thou seek him with all thy
HEART and with all thy SOUL.
· KEEP HIS WORD IN YOU (Deuteronomy 11:18) Therefore shall ye lay up these my
words in your HEART and in your SOUL, and bind them for a sign upon your hand,
that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.
· OBEY GOD (Deuteronomy 30:2) And shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou
and thy children, with all thine HEART, and with all they SOUL. (Vs 6) And the LORD thy God
will circumcise thine HEART, and the HEART of thy seed, to love the LORD thy
God with all thine HEART, and with all thy SOUL, that thou mayest live.
· KEEP GOD’S LAW (Deuteronomy 26:16) This day the LORD thy God hath
commanded thee to do these statutes and judgments: thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thine HEART, and with all thy SOUL.
· GET WISDOM (Proverbs 19:8) He that getteth wisdom loveth
his own SOUL: he that keepeth
understanding shall find good.
WHEN WE DO THESE THINGS, LOOK AT WHAT
GOD WILL DO FOR US IN RELATION TO OUR SOUL!
· RESTORE (Psalm 23:1-3) The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in
green pastures: he leadeth me beside the
still waters. (Vs 3) He restoreth my SOUL: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
RESTORE - reinstate;
rehabilitate; reestablish; reconstruct; renovate; renew; revive; refresh;
resuscitate. HALLELUJAH!!!
· REIGN WITH CHRIST (Revelation 20:4) And I saw thrones, and they sat upon
them, and judgment was given unto them:
and I saw the SOULS of them that
were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had
not worshipped the beast (the system), neither his image (preachers
bound by religious order), neither had
received his mark (the message of death etched into your mind), upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived
and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
(Please don’t lock God into a thousand year period. 2
Peter 3:8 Beloved,
be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand
years, and a thousand years as one day.)
People of God, we MUST let the “lion”
be killed like Jesus did!! That’s why He
didn’t put up a fight! He had to let the
“lion”, the “psuche’”, the “soul”
aspect of Him be killed! But He knew
that the “ZOE” WOULD resurrect it!! That’s why these battles we go
through are not ours; they are the Lord’s!!!
PRESERVE THAT SOUL! KEEP THAT SOUL NOURISHED BY GOD’S SPIRIT, HIS
WORD, SO THAT IT CAN LIVE!!
~ Apostle Gracie Perry
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