Scriptrue References: Colossians 3:9-10
Notice that Paul is telling us that we have put off the old man and we have put on the new man, which clearly reveals this is a work that we absolutely have something to do with, if we ever expect to become a son of God. How we put off the old man and put on the new man is referred to by the apostle Paul as being the great mystery of godliness, as stated in I Timothy 3:16 that says, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” To be “godly” is a great mystery that the carnal minded man cannot understand, because the carnal mind is enmity with God and cannot be subject to Gods law and ways. Notice carefully that Paul tells us that the “CARNAL MIND IS NOT SUBJECT TO GODS LAW.” This simply means that a person cannot obey Gods word without the power of his Spirit that enables us to obey his word. This new man that we must put on is actually putting on Christ, who becomes our manifested life. Paul tells us these words stated in Galations 3:27 saying, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
Again Paul tells us these words as stated in Romans 6:3 that says, “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?” Notice that Paul tells us that if we have been baptized into Christ we have put on Christ, which means that it will be the life of Christ that will become our manifested life. And notice also that if we have been baptized into Christ this is our baptism into death, which means this is death to our old carnal man of sin. To become a born again son of God is of course a work that God himself must perform on us, but he cannot do this without our utmost cooperation with him. The word “cooperate” means to act or work together with another or others. One may ask “Does God need our help in order to save us?” No, he does not need our help in order for him to save us, but he does need our cooperation so that he can save us. To cooperate with God is done by doing what he tells us to do.
God has a way that will save anybody that is willing to submit to that certain way. Can God save a person if they don’t want to be saved? Of course not, because God does not force anyone to be saved. John tells us these words stated in John 1:11-13 that says, “He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” Man’s will that cannot save him, is his own physical and mental abilities that cannot possibly contribute anything toward the achieving Gods eternal salvation, because mans will is not Gods will. Mans will is his own physical and mental abilities that absolutely cannot cross over into the supernatural realm of God and do things that God requires in order to attain his eternal salvation. This is why the apostle John tells us these words as stated in John 1:12 that says, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” We definitely need this power in order to become a son of God, which is a power that goes way beyond the power and capabilities of our own. This power is the power of the Spirit of Christ. Jesus himself tells us these words stated in John 15:5 that says, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” But the apostle Paul reveals to us these words in Philippians 4:13 saying, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” We definitely need the Spirit of Christ in order for us to attain the eternal salvation that God has provided. But unless we cooperate with God by believing and obeying his word, then we will never be saved. God has provided a way that the entire world could be saved, but of course most will not receive Gods word, as the apostle James tells us in James 1:21-22 that says, “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” It’s plain to see that we are not only to receive Gods word, which is the source and power to save our souls, but notice that James tells us that we must be a doer of the word as well or else we will only be deceiving ourselves. So here we can see that our cooperation is necessary in order for Gods word to save us, but if we are not willing to become a doer of Gods word, then of course we can never be saved.
Again let us look at what the apostle Paul tells us in I Timothy 4:16 that says, “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee..” Notice carefully that Paul tells Timothy to take heed unto his self and unto the doctrine. This doctrine is of course referring to the many teachings of Christ’s gospel found throughout the scriptures of the New Testament covenant that he is mediator of. Paul tells Timothy to continue in Christ’s teachings, which will in time save, not only his own soul, but all who will be willing to hear him. Can you not see here that Timothy must cooperate with Christ and continue in his word that will save him? In the realm of the confessing Christian world today you will hear many saying that one is saved by grace alone with no help whatsoever on their part. Let me say right here that God does not need our help in order to save us, but without our cooperating with him and to believe and obey his word, then how can God save us when it takes obedience to his word that does the saving of the soul? To cooperate with God is to be willing to do what his word tells us to do. If we do what he tells us to do from his word, this is not doing and obeying our own set of rules and regulations, but rather it’s doing what he demands of us revealed in his word. This is how we work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, the apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 2:12 that says, “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” If we are not willing to cooperate with God by believing and doing what his word says, then how can we ever expect to be saved? This teaching we find in Christianity today that says a person is saved by grace alone and there is nothing that a person can contribute to attain that salvation, this is totally contrary to Gods word. We can’t help God to save us, because he needs no help, but he definitely needs our cooperation so that he can perform his salvation on us. God is the potter and we are the clay, which reveals that it’s Gods revealed word that does the saving of the soul, but his word cannot save a person that is not willing to submit to his word and allow his word to shape and mold them to the image of Christ, as Paul tells in Romans 8:29 that says, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” The writer of Hebrews proves this point also in what he said as stated in Hebrews 5:9 saying, “And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.” How then can God save anyone that is not willing to obey his word that does the saving of the soul? Don’t be foolish enough to believe anyone that will tell you that there is nothing we contribute toward receiving Gods eternal salvation, because how can anyone be saved that don’t cooperate with God and become not only a hearer of the word, but both a hearer and doer of the word? To be a doer certainly reveals that we must do something, which is to be a doer of the word and not just a hearer only and thereby deceive your own self. “HE THAT HAS AN EAR TO HEAR, LET HIM HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT IS SAYING TO THE CHURCHES.” Amen