Just whose responsibility is it, really?

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Just whose responsibility is it, really?

Posted Dec 4 2011 by rhammond in Monday Morning Briefings with 1 Comment

In speaking with many Christians and even ministers over the years, I have noticed a great lack of a knowledge of the scriptures when it comes to what is our responsibility. Truly an enemy has come in among us and sowed tares in our midst. Just a side note here before I start listing what I have started calling “Responsibility Verses.” This side note is to show just how subtle the enemy really is (but Paul said we are not ignorant of his devices). It concerns our soul. I have come to see lately that the soul-life is much different than the self-life. It’s the self-life that God has asked us to deny, NOT the soul-life. But our enemy wants us to believe it’s the soul-life that God wants us to deny. Consider some things here: Isn’t it interesting that the word “soul” is mentioned more than 2 times more in the Old Testament over the word “spirit”; but in the New Testament it’s the exact opposite; “spirit” is mentioned 3 times more than the word “soul.” Some would argue (who didn’t really understand the deep things of God) that this is proof that God wants the soul suppressed. As they come to know Him deeper and their own selves deeper, the Spirit of God will enlighten their eyes to certain truths. We would have to really be blind, and our hearts hardened, to not see what is being conveyed here.

“He restoreth my soul.” This word “restoreth” means to redeem that which was stolen, restore back to its original condition, bring back from captivity, to be recovered, and most importantly to restore a relationship. God loves our soul!! Isaiah 38:17 says, “…but You have in love for my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption.” I think the teaching to “hate our soul” is one of those “damnable heresies” (KJV) that Peter spoke about in 2nd Peter 2:1. And this needs to be utterly refuted by us with our last breath. God wants our soul to LIVE!! David prayed in Psalm 142:7 “Bring my soul out of prison.” Proverbs 20:27 [Original Hebrew] says that our soul is the lamp of Jehovah. It’s the self-life {which has its seat of government in the will} that cannot be fixed, repaired, redeemed, or healed. This is what God hated at the tower of Babel…their self-lives (See Genesis 11:6). Jeremiah 51:9 says, “We would have healed Babylon,but she cannot be healed. Therefore forsake her.” The spirit of Babylon is the self-life. It is that which wants to build without God, build in defiance to God, that which chooses its own way and exerts its own will.

Listen to just a few verses in the personal tense:

He is the Shepherd and Bishop (which is derived from the root word of one who guards) of my soul. 1st Peter 2:25
He wants my soul to be anchored. Hebrews 6:19
He wants my soul to be saved. Hebrews 10:39, James 1:21, and 1st Peter 1:9
He wants my soul to be prosperous. 3rd John 2
He wants my soul to DO the will of God. Ephesians 6:6 (the word “heart” is actually “soul.”)
He wants my soul to be presented blameless in that day. 1st Thessalonians 5:23
He doesn’t want my soul to die. James 5:20
He doesn’t want my soul to be at war. 1st Peter 2:11
He doesn’t want my soul to be vexed. 2nd Peter 2:8
He wants my soul to live. Psalm 119:175, Isaiah 55:3
He wants my soul delivered. Psalm 120:2 and over 100 other verses
He wants my soul satisfied. Jeremiah 31:25, Psalm 107:9

So many people want to put the responsibility of their spiritual lives and their spiritual condition on the Lord. But this is not what the Lord says in His word. He puts the responsibility of our condition upon us. Consider these verses:

2nd Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves”
2nd Corinthians 13:5 “Prove yourselves”
1st Corinthians 11:28 “But let a man examine himself”
1st John 5:18 “but he who is born of God keeps himself”(the word keeps means “to guard”)
1st Corinthians 11:31 “For if we would judge ourselves”
2nd Timothy 2:21 “Therefore if anyone purges himself”
2nd Corinthians 7:1 “let us cleanse ourselves”
Revelation 7:14 “these are the ones…who washed their robes”
Revelation 3:4 “who have not defiled their garments”
Revelation 16:15 “Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments”
Luke 21:19 “Possess your souls”
1st Thessalonians 4:4 “Possess your body”
Revelation 22:7 “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

There are many more I could have mentioned. This should be sufficient evidence to show the point of what I am trying to bring out; which is that the responsibility of your body and your soul is totally your own. In that great day, you will find out (hopefully not the hard way) that these things I have shared with you are righteous and true. So many today, it seems, just sit and listen with deaf ears. Every writer of the New Testament spoke of this “deaf ear” phenomana. It’s almost as if people are watching a sermon on TV with the mute button activated.

Everywhere I go now, every person I talk to, and every place I teach, I am trying to bring out this truth. The truth that your soul and your body are YOUR responsibility. God has given everything He is going to give pertaining to life and godliness; now what will you do with these truths?

“Dear Heavenly Father, show us how to get the wax out of our ears so that we can hear You even more. Let our hearts be ever softer and more tender. Let our hearts be as a child’s heart Lord; ready to believe, ready to receive. Father, take these truths and drive them home to the people. Set a seal upon their hearts that the wicked one may not take these truths away from them. Let the people heed Your word. Let the people do Your word. Let these issues of eternity be settled in time. Father, I believe that You will do these things, and I leave them in Your care, knowing that You care for them. Amen.”