"BODY FELT SALVATION" January 2022

We have been blessed to step across the dividing of time, from one year to another, and through the process, we are now able to reflect upon the year that we have just left behind. It is fair to infer that many of us have thoughts of gladness, thoughts of misgivings, and new hope in this new year, We can assume that we are up, and running, with new inspiration and visions of things in the making that challenge us even at this early part of 2022. We will begin this year by studying the concept of what we will call, "Body Felt Salvation" which means, salvation for the whole man. Researching the concept of total salvation, it is not long before we notice that the complete process involves the whole man. An appropriate approach in studying "body felt salvation" is to begin at the beginning, when man first set his feet upon this earthly plane.

By looking into the creation story, we notice that God made man to live forever, with the caveat that it was possible for him to die by failing to obey God’s laws. While living in London, England in 1967, I was invited to attend a minister’s prayer breakfast close to Victoria Station and the Royal Albert Hall, in SW London. Among the attendees was a Chinese doctor who would serve well in our forth coming discussions. Before long, the doctor was asked: "As a Christian, and as a doctor, how would you define death?" He said that as a doctor he would not define death. He knows that upon death, something leaves the body, and because there remains no life support the body finally dies. But if there was a source that could support life, the body would never die." In other words, the body was made to live forever! In the fall, man forfeited his right to eternal life and was driven out of the garden. But along with expulsion, God placed an angel to guard the path to the tree of life. That is, to secure the path to the tree of life until the time comes when all of God’s children will have a free pathway to the tree of life. That is the time referred to by John in Revelation 21, when there shall be no more death.

Down through the ages of church history, and more so now, than ever before, preachers, teachers and exhorters of scripture assure us that the body is doomed to failure, so we are to make sure of our "soul salvation". Some preachers say boldly from the pulpit, "save your soul for the body ain’t going anywhere." But Paul assures us of the fact that we are the temple of the living God, therefore he wrote saying: "For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit which are God’s". 1^st Corinthians 6:20. How did I acq the concept of "Body Felt Salvation"? While in Kingston, Jamaica in 1968, I met two bishops; one was from Jersey City, New Jersey, and the other was from Baltimore, MD. Out of this meeting in December 1968, I was offered an invitation to visit the United States. As I set my thoughts on my upcoming visit to the U.S. in March 1969, the business of preaching to Americans seemed a huge task ahead of me. The reason for what seemed to be a challenge for me, is the fact that all the big named evangelists that visit Kingston conducting city wide crusades are from America. All religious books and materials for Sunday school and young people’s training are from America. The question that became foremost in my mind, was, what will I preach and to Americans? What sort of ministry would I bring to America that would be fresh and productive?

During weeks of prayer and seeking the face of God for inspiration, the concept of "Body Felt Salvation" was born. As this theme suggests, the crux of the sermons would be centered upon the "redemption, or the salvation of the body". This concept is centered upon the ministry of Jesus Christ, the one who would not only baptize with water, but also with the Holy Ghost and with fire. While water baptism would not create a conflict among the established churches to whom I would minister, the baptism with fire would most surely set many hearts on fire of resistance, and even outright rejection. My mindset, not only in this case, but in all times of ministering the gospel has been to preach truth that is contained in scripture and as they say: "Let the chips fall where they may." Over many years I have developed the idea that my task is not to try to prove God’s Word; but simply to speak it, giving God something to act upon by proving it.

Salvation for the whole man (including the body) is not popular among our churches. Throughout Christendom, the emphasis of salvation for the most part is directed to the saving of the soul. I have heard preachers say many times in sermons: Don’t worry about the body because it "aint" going anywhere. So concentrate on saving your soul. To the contrary, I have said in many sermons: Jesus Christ paid the price to redeem one whole man, and if there is any part of me that He cannot save, he needs to come back and finish the job. But he did say, It is finished! The price was paid in full, one man for another man. But where does God’s will can be applied to this concept? Has God made his divine will for man’s total salvation known unto mankind? Yes, He certainly did!

God will never leave himself without a witness, and he actually requires at least two witnesses. Reflecting upon man’s total salvation, Paul in one of his pastoral letters wrote: "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; (meaning in totality—completely) and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ." 1^st Thessalonians 5:26. Paul was not going to direct his prayer into an unknown territory of things not related to God’s will and God’s provision for mankind. Paul did not need to invent a new doctrine to fill his imagination. His prayer was to based upon sound doctrine, on principles that were established by God in Christ Jesus for all of us before the world began. 2^nd Timothy 1:9. To put together the dynamics of God’s salvation that are meant to impact our bodies, we need to go back in time to about the year B.C.1491. It is of paramount importance that we grasp the truth of God’s mighty workings in saving the bodies of his people Israel. In about the year B.C.1491, God appeared to Abram (before his name was changed to Abraham) and God made an enormous promise to Abram.

"And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not their’s, and shall serve them four hundred years. And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. Genesis 15: 13-16. As it related to the night of the first born being killed across Egypt, Moses was given exact instructions what to do in what would be Israel’s first Passover observance. The main point I will raise is to observe and understand the saving elements in this Passover. This is where "BODY FELT SALVATION" began. Along with daubing the blood of the animals upon the door posts for the death angels to see and pass over that house, they were given specific instructions concerning the flesh of the sacrificial lambs. "And they eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord’s Passover." Exodus 12:8-11. Let us remember that God had promised Abram that his people would come out of bondage with great substance. But how would they acquire this wealth from the mud pits of Egypt from unpaid labor?

Observe God’s master plan that he must have designed in himself 430 years prior, when he consulted with Abram. "And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty. But every woman shall borrow of her neighbor, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians. And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment. And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians. Exodus 3:21,22;12:35,36.

The Psalmist chimed in with part of this amazing true story and wrote: "He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes." Psalm 105:37. Let us consider the facts that are contained in this account. Among this mass of people, some suggest that there were upward of perhaps upward of three million people that came out of Egypt. All age groups were in that number, ranging from infants to the aged, even those who were well advanced in age. But be that as it may, the fact remains that among them were not one feeble person.

Stations were not set up in Egypt for them to get booster shots and different kinds of treatment against the ills that were awaiting them in the wilderness. They climbed out the mud pits of Egypt and suddenly were ready to sojourn in the wilderness, having not a single feeble person among them. Isn’t this like Jesus? This account alone has showcased the mighty act of God’s grace concerning his divine will and purpose. God’s early acts of grace and miraculous provisions will serve well in this study of the salvation of our bodies as a major part of our ultimate redemption. Let us see how wall did the bodies of the Israelites respond and endure through more than forty years of wanderings in the wilderness.

Moses came before the people to solemnly remind them of God’s dealings with them and his promises to those who would adhere to his commandments to obey them. He continued: "And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live. (this is not merely a historical story—but an ongoing truth) Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years." Deuteronomy 8:2-4. Let us step back for a moment and re-examine all the facts catalogued above in the true-life story of ancient Israel. It tells the story of people like us, whose exploits in wanderings, and rebellion against God have been left embossed upon the pages of history to serve mankind now alive in any time frame we wish to apply them.

They began their sojourn, fresh out of the mud-pits of Egypt: but out of 430 years of sever bondage, they came out with great wealth, and with bodies that would withstand the cruel conditions of the wilderness. Ponder the facts slowly and deliberately to envision the realities that Israel had to experience in their actual sojourn of forty years. As we mentioned before, at the first Passover, during the night of the death angel that would claim the life of every first born in a house upon which no blood was daubed upon the door posts. Eating unleavened bread with bitter herbs was a major part of the observance. But they were told to eat the flesh of the sacrificial lamb. The Passover was to be in memory of the pending deliverance; but the eating of the flesh of the sacrifice was for the salvation of their bodies.

That single meal on that fateful night was to sustain the Israelites for the next forty years. It served its purpose well, until the time came when God needed to send them manna from heaven. But let us fast-forward to the days of the prophet Elijah and rehearse a large part of the story. Ahab to Jezebel all that Elijah had done, how he had slain all the prophets of Baal. "Then Jezebel sent a message unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time. Elijah went on the run for his life and found a juniper tree under which he laid down to sleep. And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat…And he did eat and drink and laid him down again. And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat: because the journey is too great for thee. And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God." 1^st Kings 19-1-8. What is the big picture here? Elijah, having eaten of the food prepared by the angel went in its strength forty days and forty nights. This was not a self-imposed 40-day fast, in which case if we elected to go on such a fast, we would be confined to a room, with glasses of water tempered with lemon juice and a bible on the side table.

In Elijah’s case, he simply ate and went on his way for forty days and forty nights on that single meal. Like Israel in the wilderness, his body complied with the test being brought on as God willed it to be. These lessons are being highlighted to emphasize the effect God’s power and his provisions have upon the human body. In other words, God’s power can have the body respond to whatso ever test God has chosen to put it through. We look at ourselves in the mirror and we are looking at human limitations. We look like humans, we think like humans, and the package comes with the limits known and practiced by all members of the human family. It is no wonder that Paul wrote in one of his pastoral letters: "For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life." 2^nd Corinthians 5:4. So, in reality, Paul is not asking to die, to lose his natural body and become a disembodied spirit. Rather, he is wishing to be clothed upon with that spiritual body, so that his mortality would be swallowed by that spiritual life (or mortality) from above.

We can say boldly and without any shamefacedness that it should be the earnest hope and bold expectation that our mortal body is ready for that heavenly change that will transform us from mortal to immortality. Paul lamented the fact that we, along with the whole creation are in a state of the pains of travail (which signals a new birth is forthcoming) Let us tap into Paul’s thought process: "For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, (to experience—to appropriate to ourselves) the redemption of our body." Romans 8:22,23. The redemption of the body means the loosing away from all restrictions—all limitations that the human body is now subjected to. This will be our metamorphosis—like a caterpillar being changed into a butterfly. Hasten that day O Lord!