Life and Building Teachings

[Matthew 22:11] says, “But when the king came in and beheld those reclining at the table, he saw there a man not clothed with a marriage garment.” The man without a marriage garment must surely have been a saved one. How could anyone answer God’s calling, yet not be saved? As long as we have answered God’s calling, we have been saved. In verse 14 the Lord Jesus speaks of many being called, and in Ephesians 4:1 Paul points out that we, the saved ones, are the called ones. We have been called to be saved. Although the man in verse 11 was called and saved, he nevertheless lacked the marriage garment.

The study of Leviticus, summarizes the general sketch of Leviticus in this way: “through the tabernacle, with the offerings and by the priests, God’s redeemed are enabled to fellowship with God, serve God, and be God’s holy people living a holy life, which expresses God...

What does it mean to be a “holy people living a holy life”? The apostle Peter revealed two divine facts that the Triune God gave to every believer. First, we “call as Father” the Holy One who called us (1 Pet. 1:15-17), implying that we have been born of God (1 Pet. 1:3, 23) and thereby possess His holy life and His holy nature. Peter confirmed this divine fact by telling us that we are “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Pet. 1:4). We are holy because we have both the life and nature of our holy Father.

According to the Bible, man is a being of three parts: spirit, soul, and body. Many consider the soul and the spirit as being the same, but they are actually distinct from each another. In 1 Thessalonians 5:23 Paul prayed that “your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete,” indicating that the soul and the spirit are distinct from each other, just as the body is distinct from the soul.