[Hebrews 10:37-39] The words, "any man," have been introduced by the King James translators as the subject of "draw back," but the "just man" is the subject. An unbeliever cannot draw back from living for the Lord, but a saved man can. An unbeliever cannot live for self and lose his rewards, but a saved man can. An unbeliever cannot appear at the judgment seat of Christ without any good works (works of gold, silver, or precious stones), an unbeliever cannot suffer loss, and an unbeliever cannot be saved as though by fire; but a saved person can. The drawing back to destruction is not to everlasting damnation but is to the loss of the soul, which is plainly revealed in [Matthew 16:24-27].
When Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior returns for those who are his, those who have chosen to lose their souls, or lives, for His sake shall receive rewards; but those who have chosen to save their lives, or souls, for self shall lose their rewards. A Christian cannot lose his salvation, but he can lose his rewards. [Romans 8:38-39: For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.]
The saving of the soul is something future and is conditioned upon the behavior of you yourself. Everlasting, or spiritual salvation is the gift of God and can never, under any circumstances be lost or forfeited; but the saving of the soul is distinctly set forth in the Bible, not as a gift, but as a reward to be earned by diligence, faithfulness, and obedience to His commands.
Failure to distinguish between soul and spirit has caused a lot of people a lot of problems; it has caused many people to err and make shipwreck of their faith; it’s not that they are lost, but that they may experience the tragedy of having their spirits and bodies saved but their souls lost. You may ask, “Aren’t the soul and the spirit the same?” Absolutely not!
That is the teaching of natural evolutionists. The Bible teaches us that the soul is the natural life of the man; it’s the self-life. It is the sum total of the experiences that pertain to the man himself; it’s his own separate personality. It is the life he lives daily after he is saved. He can live for the Lord or he can live for the world, the flesh, and the devil. The way you live your life can result in rewards or losses.
[1 Peter 1:5, 9] The salvation that is to be revealed in the end time is that of the soul; it has to do with rewards. [1 Peter 1:17; so that you may be behaving properly at the end of the verse] The fear of the Lord is what determines your walk. Do you fear the Lord? 2 Corinthians 5:11 says, “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men [to watch and be found faithful].” This fear will be manifested at the Judgment Seat of Christ. [1 Peter 2:11, 12]
I want us to look at some unfaithful servants. They are in terrible plights, but the important thing to remember is that they are all servants of the Lord, and not lost people:
- [Matthew 5:20] One whose righteousness does not exceed that of the Pharisees.
- [Matthew 22:1-14] One who was at the wedding feast but had no wedding garment.
- [Matthew 25:1-13] The five who had no oil in their lamps; they were careless and did not carry an extra supply.
- [Matthew 25:14-30] The one who appeared at the Judgment Seat but had done nothing for the Lord.
- [Luke 12:42-49] The servant who knew his master’s will but did not do it.
- [Galatians 5:17-21] Those who yield to works of the flesh instead of being led by the Spirit.
These are all
representing saved people. These are righteous people, although their righteousness does not exceed that of the Pharisees. One who was at the wedding feast; he had no wedding garment, but he was there! Virgins; do you think God refers to the unsaved as virgins? Virgins are righteous. The unsaved are going to hell! One who appeared at the Judgment Seat; do the lost appear at the Judgment Seat? A servant, who belongs to the master. These are not lost people!
Do not make the common mistake of confusing the Kingdom with common salvation; they are different. The Kingdom, refers to the Millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ! All of the warnings and exhortations and promises that we looked at in the previous passages pertain to Christians! And they pertain only to Christians! They pertain to those who in this lifetime are granted the opportunity to qualify for a position or place in the Kingdom by living a faithful and obedient life. Do you want a position of honor in the coming Kingdom?
The full and proper impact of these passages is completely obliterated by preachers and teachers who apply them to a group that they like to call “professors, not possessors”. There’s no such thing in the Bible! These passages are clearly and plainly addressed to those who have accepted Jesus the Christ as their Savior. I often shudder to think of their responsibility at the Judgment Seat of Christ because they have promoted a laxity of life by teaching and encouraging Christians to disregard the multiple warnings given by God! Many people today teach that all Christians will be treated exactly the same; no matter how you live, you will be rewarded! That’s what they teach, and that’s teaching a license to sin, and it simply flies in the face of Scriptures!
[Hebrews 10:37-39] This passage of Scripture is speaking of the saving of the soul. 1 Peter 1:9, which we looked at a moment ago is also speaking of the saving of the soul. It says, “Receiving the end of your faith,
even the salvation of
your souls.” [James 1:21] is also speaking of the saving of the soul. It seems strange that it is necessary to call a Christian’s attention to the fact that the spirit and the soul are not the same. Teaching that man is a dichotomous, or two-part, being is a fairly new teaching and is the result of evolutionary teaching. Natural evolution is unwittingly being taught from many pulpits today!
Man is a trichotomous being; he has three parts, not two. In 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Paul is speaking and he says, “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.” Hebrews 4:12 describes the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit by the Word of God. It says, “For the word of God
is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and
is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
The salvation of the spirit takes place immediately and for the rest of eternity the moment you believe in the Lord Jesus as your personal savior. You believe once, and you’re saved forever! But, Romans 8:23 tells us that our bodies will not be redeemed until the resurrection and translation.
The salvation of the soul involves rewards for a life that is lived in obedience unto the honor and glory of the Lord. That life can be lost, even though your spirit and body are saved. Don’t take my word for it; I want you to see it in your Bible:
- [1 Corinthians 3:15] You can be saved as through fire, but suffer loss because your life was not lived unto the Lord.
- [Revelation 16:15] You can lose your garments if you are not faithful in keeping your garments. You won’t have anything to wear to the feast!
- [Revelation 3:11] You can lose your crown; if there is no crown, there can be no reigning with the Lord.
- [Matthew 25:28] This tells of the loss of the talent by the one who did not use it and therefore does not enter into the joy of the Lord as he reigns. Be sure and note that in verse 14, this servant with one talent is called “his own”; he’s a Christian!
- [Luke 19:24] The servant of the Lord who did not use his pound forfeited the pound and therefore was not appointed to reign over any cities. Reigning over a city has nothing to do with salvation at all. Otherwise, some of these servants are saved 10 times and some are being saved five times. Reigning over a city has to do with rewards for faithfulness!