Faith and Hope for Salvation by R.S. Neaville

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Faith and Hope for Salvation

A Revelation of the Reconciliation and Redemption

By R.S. Neaville

Section One: Faith and Hope Defined

The question is a basic one. How can a Christian disciple walk in faith and live in hope for their salvation if they do not know what faith and hope are? This is exactly the problem that many Christians face today. They have been misled as to what faith and hope truly are. In this study we will show the truth of these from the scriptures.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Through the above Bible passage we see the difference between faith and hope. Faith is therefore the reason or substance of why you believe you will receive what you hope for. Hope is the goal of faith. In our case hope is salvation for the Christian. It is something that is yet to be grasped. Hope is a promise yet to be fulfilled. Faith is the reason or evidence or substance as to why you believe the promise.

1 Peter 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

1 Peter 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

Galatians 3:22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

Hebrews 9:15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

Hebrews 10:36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

2 Peter 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Galatians 3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Ephesians 3:6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

From the above verses you can see that what we have now of salvation is a promise.Look at the sheer number of verses that describe our salvation according to a promise. The Holy Spirit was given to us a token of the promise. So what we have, we have by faith. Our faith is that God will keep his promise.

Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

2 Corinthians 5:5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

These bible passages make clear that what we have of salvation is a promise. The Holy Spirit is a token of that promise that God indeed will keep his promise to you if you continue in faith. The Holy Spirit and the word are proof of God’s promise. These are the basis of your faith. They are evidence of things unseen. They are the substance of your hope. Your hope is salvation. (resurrection of the dead.)

Colossians 1:21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight::23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

1 Corinthians 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

So in defining faith through the scriptures we see faith is belief in God’s promise. You consider eternal life is yours because you believe that God is willing and able to bring it to you. Eternal life is the hope. Hope is therefore faith fulfilled. Faith isn’t about what you have, but rather what you will have. Hope is the goal of faith.

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

Romans 4:20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;:21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

1 Peter 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

James 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

Romans 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

The first fruits of the Spirit is the token of the promise of the resurrection ( salvation, eternal life) This is our hope. But we do not yet have hope fulfilled. We have the promise of that salvation which is through faith. So faith is in the promise of the hope of salvation.

Review Questions

1. What is Faith?

2. What is Hope?

3. Is faith about what you have now or will have?

4. What is the Hope of the Gospel? Discuss with the class.

5. What is the seal of your faith?

Section Two: Dead and Alive through Faith and Hope

Now that we have defined faith and hope let us see how they are expressed in scripture. You will notice that faith and hope line up exactly with Jesus’ first and second comings. Our faith is in his death and our hope is in his resurrection. Through sharing in Jesus death on the cross you are reconciled to God. Through sharing in his resurrection you will be redeemed. The Apostle Paul spoke of it in these terms:

Romans 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

We are considered by faith to be dead with Christ in order to be considered alive with him. Our faith is in his sacrifice and our hope is in his resurrection. Our faith in his death for our sins is what sets the body free to share in his resurrection. Now through faith we consider the body of sin to be dead that we may consider through that same faith for our spirits to be alive with Christ.

Romans 8:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

The body is not actually dead though is it? You reckon it so based on your faith in Christ. You stand in faith until the truth of faith is realized. That truth is faith‘s fulfillment. It is your hope in Christ which is the resurrection.

Romans 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

It is through the hope of the body’s resurrection that your spirit can be reconciled to God now through faith. In other words the reason your spirit can be joined to Christ by faith now is because you believe in the promise of the resurrection.

1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

So you can see that your new birth into a living hope is through the resurrection of Jesus. You have the resurrection by a promise now, and the Holy Spirit is the seal that God will keep his promise and bring you to it. It is not here, it is kept in heaven for you. You don’t have that salvation yet, you have it now through faith. In other words the Holy Spirit is God’s personal guarantee that you will receive the salvation he has promised through Christ if you continue in faith. That is the power of God at work in you now. It is a deposit of the same mighty working of his power that raised Jesus.

Ephesians 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

2 Corinthians 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:

Colossians 1:5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;

Colossians 1:21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: 23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

1 Corinthians 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

So through these bible passages we can understand that through faith we are dead with Christ to sin but though hope we are counted alive with Christ through his resurrection. Our spirits can commune with God now through faith because of the promise of the body’s resurrection through Christ our hope in this Gospel. If the body will be made alive and redeemed free from sin through this glorious promise fulfilled, then the spirit can be free now in anticipation of God fulfilling his promise.

Review Questions

1. What does “buried by baptism into Christ’s death” mean?

2. What does the word “reckon” mean in Romans 6:11?

3. Where is your salvation kept for you? Discuss this with the class.

4. What is the power and seal of your hope in Christ?

5. What frees your spirit to commune with God now?

Understanding Reconciliation and Redemption

To understand the concept of reconciliation and redemption you must first understand what the soul of man is. The soul is a union or covenant of agreement or even marriage of your body and spirit so the may walk and act as one.

Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Genesis 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

Notice what the three above verses have in common. Two become one in relationship, or covenant, or agreement. Your body and spirit are joined as a soul. Man and woman are joined in marriage, Two must be in agreement or covenant to walk together.

Now in any agreement or covenant one must have headship. In man it was the spirit that was meant to have headship of the soul with the body in submission. In marriage it is the man that must have headship with the woman in submission. In Christianity it is the Church in submission to Christ as we are the woman, the body and he is the man, the head. This is God’s order.

Genesis 3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

1 Corinthians 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

Ephesians 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

1 Timothy 2:11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 1 Timothy 2:12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. 1 Timothy 2:13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 1 Timothy 2:14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

So it is clear whether we are talking about a marriage or a soul, or Christ and the Church, we are talking about an agreement for two to walk together. The body in God’s pattern was meant to be in submission to the spirit. This was demonstrated through Adam and Eve. The union became corrupted when Adam followed Eve’s desires instead of God. He gave his strength to a woman. It pictures the spirit coming into bondage to serve the flesh’s desires. This is the sin nature. The soul of man became corrupted when he walked after the flesh instead of the spirit. The sin nature that must be destroyed is the soul of Adam. The soul of mankind through serving sinful desires corrupted him and cut him off from God. We left the pattern of God and thus were cut off from him. We left agreement with God for and agreement with sin.

1 Corinthians 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

Being thus cut off from our source of life (GOD) that corrupt union caused corruption in our bodies. We could no longer be renewed by God because we were cut off from him. It is just like a tree with fruit. As long as the fruit abides in the tree it is nourished. When the tree however flings its fruit it begins to corrupt. It can no longer partake of the tree’s sap or information. It is cut off to itself and corruption. It worked the same way with man and God. We could no longer get life or information in the sinful soul of Adam. We were cut off in sin to corrupt and die.

Now the spirit of man is in bondage to please the flesh’s desires. The spirit becomes a slave to the flesh. Your spirit has no choice but to serve the flesh. It does what it does not want to do.

The Purpose of the Law

Romans 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. 17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

The law is what showed us that our souls were corrupt. It showed us what sin was by showing us what God desired. Our spirits then agreed with God’s law but found it had no power to free itself from the sin nature which is empowered by the bodies desires and lusts. Through the law we saw our need for a savior!

Romans 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Back to the Garden

Now compare what happened to Adam and Eve and what Paul’s letter to the Romans tells us. You can see that in the same way Eve’s desires were focused on the fruit of the tree by the serpent. He aroused her passions and so deceived her by the commandment given not to eat of the tree. In the same way we are deceived by sin through the commandment not to covet. In the same way the components of sin were worked in both Eve and our flesh .The lust of the flesh (she saw it was good for food) The lust of the eyes(It was pleasant to the eyes) and the pride of life(and a tree to be desired to make one wise)this shows how sin and the serpent are the same. The devil tempts us with the bodies desires. Adam was intimate with Eve and would listen to her. Your spirit is intimate with your body and will listen to it. Satan always comes through the flesh to bring you into bondage.Compare what Paul says in Romans 7 and what happened to Adam and Eve in the garden.

1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Romans 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. 8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. 9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. 10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. 11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. 12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.:13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. Genesis 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

Sow we see clearly that Adam pictures the Spirit and that Eve pictures the body. The soul or covenant between them now is one of bondage to sin. That agreement must be destroyed by redeeming the body and thus reconciling the spirit. Hear what the following verses tells us.

1 Timothy 2:11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. 15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.

You see through the above it is Adam that must be reconciled but Eve must be redeemed. It is your spirit that is reconciled through the promise of the body’s redemption through the resurrection. As it is the spirit is condemned with the body because the spirit is in bondage to the body’s desires through the soul of Adam. In other words where the body goes the spirit must follow when ruled by the soul of Adam.. This is why when those who are in that corrupt nature die the body goes into the grave (physical hell) and the spirit goes into the prison of spirits ( spiritual hell). They die in the union or soul of sin; the old man Adam.

The Good News to Man

The good news or “Gospel” of Jesus Christ is that God sent his son to take on human flesh and therefore have a body to sacrifice in your place so your body might be redeemed from sin and thereby your spirit reconciled unto God. By redeeming what is seen then we have it demonstrated that what is unseen is reconciled. Jesus was by nature (spirit, origin) God, but in flesh a man.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men::8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Hebrews 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

Hebrews 10:5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

This is the basic understanding of the workings of the Gospel in us. This helps us understand that our salvation is wrought in these two parts; Reconciliation (our spirits through faith in Jesus death ) and redemption ( our bodies by the resurrection of Christ.).

Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ::2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Jesus death justifies us and that is our faith in him. We are no longer God’s enemies by that sacrifice. This faith is our access through identification with Jesus in his death into the fathers presence. This is grace. Grace is the gap between reconciliation and redemption or between faith and hope. We stand in this gap of grace through faith. Grace is the connector between faith and hope. Through grace by faith His death we rejoice in the goal of our faith (the resurrection) which is the hope of the glory of God. It is here in the gap of grace that our character is formed. It is formed by God’s very nature of Love, that portion of the Holy Ghost given us through faith.

Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

So we understand over all that when we entered into faith it was through Christ’s death. Faith leads us into grace where we stand waiting for the hope of sharing in his resurrection. The Holy Spirit is given us to nurture us toward this hope of glory which is the redemption. We see this pattern of our salvation through out the scriptures. It is the pattern or order of our adoption into Christ Jesus.

Galatians 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

When we read of our adoption as sons we must understand the difference of have the Spirit of adoption (the Holy Spirit of promise), which is our reconciliation to God , and having our true adoption itself. which is the redemption of our bodies.

Romans 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Romans 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

We have received that spirit of sonship through faith now, but our redemption in the resurrection is our true adoption. We who have this firstfruits of the Spirit of God have the hope of the glory of God in us. But remember:

Romans 8:24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

In conclusion of these things you can observe that Jesus first coming brings us our reconciliation and his second coming brings us our redemption. His death is our reconciliation and his resurrection our redemption.Your faith is in his death and your hope is in his resurrection. It is all the same pattern. First faith, then hope. First death and then life. First reconciliation and then redemption. It is the time of grace that connects the two. Faith in his death, hope in his life and Love is his nature (Holy spirit) that abides in you through grace by faith.

Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Romans 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

1 Corinthians 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

May God richly bless you in his Son Jesus, R.S.Neaville

Review Questions

1. What is your reconciliation to God?

2. What will be your redemption?

3. What does the soul show us about faith and hope ? Discuss this with the class.

4. What exactly is God’s Love shed abroad in our hearts?

5. What is the divine order for your salvation in Jesus Christ?