Sozo

[jabcat]

I believe God brought something into more clarity on this today and He wanted me to share it.  And that's the SPIRITUAL aspect of sozo.  Seth, John, and others have often used the word 'sozo' in the discussions.  It's a great, scriptural word (in the Greek) and generally means healing.  I personally don't think it means just one thing, and believe the Bible uses the term for various applications, and the contextual meaning defines it for each setting.

"That if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you shall be saved (sozo)." Romans 10:9.

I knew a man that was lost in his trespasses and sins.  Broken, without a savior.  God through the Holy Spirit drew Him to call on Jesus as His Savior.  I believe in that instant, when God gave the faith to believe (Eph. 2:8), miraculous things happened - all by the grace of God and for His good pleasure.  Nothing earned.  Still, that man;

became a child of God (Jn. 1:12)
passed from death to life (Jn. 5:24)
became a new creation (I Cor. 5:17)
old things passed away and all things (spiritual) became new (I Cor. 5:17)
was seated with Christ Jesus in heavenly places (Eph. 2:6)

If that list isn't healing (sozo), I don't know what is!  Something to rejoice over, be thankful, humble, and in humility worship Him. 

I saw that today as in relation to Isaiah 53:5 - "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed (sozo)".     His giving Himself to death for us, taking our sins upon Him, brought our healing (sozo) - SPIRITUAL deliverance and salvation.  All those things listed above. 

The scriptures obviously use sozo in other places, describing different events, and God's power brings those things as well (including what's in the Isaiah passage).  The man in question, though all the above things are true ONLY by the grace, mercy, and works of God - still has much sozo to be accomplished in him.  He has received in various proportions, and still needs (and will receive if he walks in the Spirit and in obedience to the Lord) sozo of the mind, of the attitudes, emotions, behavior, and body - learning to truly walk in the Spirit.      And then finally, on that Great Day, he will receive the final sozo - "Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies". Romans 8:23.

Blessings.

[HungerForTruth]

 :iagree:  Ahhhhh the glory of God's grace through the finished work of Jesus Christ on our behalf. :HeartThrob:

[Seth]

Yes Amen. I agree. And after that initial salvation we must grow. It's like the prodigal son was still a son, but oh man what a painful experience.

[Cardinal]

 :cloud9: Amen Jab....we were saved, we are saved, we are being saved. It's a progressive work. Blessings....

[jabcat]

hft, card, seth...   :dsunny:
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it makes our heart  :bowing:

"In that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us"..

"the goodness of God leads to repentance"..

[rosered]

  Great post James !!!      Glory to God for He is worthy !
  Rev 4 Worship of the Creator


...10the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

11"Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created."

[jabcat]

      Glory to God for He is worthy !
  Rev 4 Worship of the Creator


...10the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

11"Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created."

:HeartThrob:

[Dandelion]

hft, card, seth...   :dsunny:
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it makes our heart  :bowing:

"In that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us"..

"the goodness of God leads to repentance"..

Psalm 103:

10Not according to our sins hath He done to us, Nor according to our iniquities Hath He conferred benefits upon us.

11For, as the height of the heavens [is] above the earth, His kindness hath been mighty over those fearing Him.

12As the distance of east from west He hath put far from us our transgressions.

13As a father hath mercy on sons, Jehovah hath mercy on those fearing Him.

14For He hath known our frame, Remembering that we [are] dust.

Amen.

[marie glen]

I totally agree! 'Healing' is a total thing.. To believe / be born again, is to be healed. It's a total thing, the total person is healed.. not just bodily healings.. Or health.. And it is progressive and ongoing...

[Caffus]

Yes, I see sin...very much like a sickness. Both harm, hurt and can kill. He gave His life to save us from it all.

[Dandelion]

I believe it changes every fiber of our beings, until we become more and more......and more, like Him.

It is a complete transformation.

Romans 12:

1Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. 3For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith....

[Eduard]

Yes, I see sin...very much like a sickness. Both harm, hurt and can kill. He gave His life to save us from it all.

I think that's a great way to look at it. Sin really hurts and kills, and the only Man without sin saved us.  :iagree:

[JPS]

In my opinion, SIN is any thought word, or deed that is not loving toward others. "In LOVE we live and move and breathe and have our being."

[eaglesway]

I'm in 100 percent agreement with the OP.  :thumbsup:

[jabcat]

 :dsunny:

[Caffus]

Yes, I agree with that too...I believe thinking of sin like a sickness...helps me not to look down on others who are suffering stuck in sin. For example..we know that scripture says drunkeness is sin. But I have myself used to get drunk on a regular basis. I knew it hurt me and others and wished I wouldn't do it. But I was unable to stop myself. It was God who delivered me from the addiction. Also...those who are regularly unloving, do not have the love of God...they need Him as He is the only one who gives true fulfillment.

[Seth]

 :thumbsup: :dsunny: