Plan of Salvation In One Verse

KEY VERSE: If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (2 Chron 7:14)

  “My people” are the “nation” of Christ; those known as “Christians.” The next phrase, “Called by my Name,” identifies God’s people. His people are those who are addressed by God by His Name. The “address” is the Way of Christ as Christians belong to him.
  John begged that the nation of Judah, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord.” (Mark 1:23) which was also prophesied by Isaiah (Mat 3:3); to “make his paths straight” (Mat 3:3). Matthew identified how that should be done when he wrote, “John came unto you in the way of righteousness” (Mat 21:32).
  Righteousness is an internal quality of right-living people. Right-living is doing things the way of Christ, or better said – the Doctrine of Christ; condensed to loving Him intensely and fellow men as well. Intensely is with the heart, mind, soul, and strength! (Mark 12:30). What more is there left?
  It turns out that Christ’s path has a “straight gate.” That gate is with a steadfast mind on God’s Will. His Will is that His people love Him and others. “Steadfast” implies strength, fortitude, and longevity. The Way is not brief, but for the duration of Christians’ existences. Perhaps the identification as a Christian also requires steadfastness since regeneration is not at one cross-section in time, but for the duration of life (Matt 10:22).
  Of course, those who are “born again” obtain a regenerated heart in that, if efficacious, it would have been “circumcised.” The Calvinistic viewpoint on regeneration is a moment in time (John 3:5-8). That event commences the regeneration, but the flesh is not regenerated until the rapture – when the dust is caught up and the “silver cord” (Ecc 12:6) renewed with the soul. Of course, that means a regenerated existence back to the Designer’s intention; just as it was in the Garden.
  Sinners live with congestive spiritual hearts. Their spiritual hearts don’t “pump” well as their spiritual strength is not there. Within the spiritual arteries are blockages. Sin blocks God’s Holy Spirit from what should be healthy hearts. Cutting off the foreskin of the heart (Deut 10:16) is removing the blockage of sin with right-living to obtain a healthy spiritual life in preparation for an eternal life.
Circumcision of the heart keeps “the silver cord” from being loosened. That strength is steadfast faith, which is associated with endurance to the end. Full regeneration is at the resurrection, but the regeneration of the soul, as it was “before the foundation of the world,” occurs at death (John 17:23-25).
  That means that the soul is made perfect in Christ. That’s what Paul meant with, “To live is Christ; to die is gain” (Phil 1:21). Thus, the Way of Christ – his path – leads from imperfection to perfection. Its Way is not at the starting gate but the finish line! In between the two should by spiritual growth. A perfect body is one of the entire body, not just the heart, that is cut off.
  The flesh is the receptor for pleasure. Illicit or unrighteous pleasure will be cut-off when perfection is obtained at full regeneration. Until that time, the circumcision of the heart suffices!
  The keyword in the key verse is “name.” Not just any name, but by the Name which God was called when he came in the flesh. The Name, “Jesus,” is the password through the straight gate which leads to the path of God.
  If you remember, Paradise was walled, had one gate to get in, one access to the gate, and it was guarded by cherubim. Not just saying “Jesus” is enough, but dedication to Jesus. God looks at the heart and tells the cherubim that the Christian is worthy of entering in.
  Ironically, “worthiness” is not what Christians do, but are willing to do. They crucify themselves, at least their hearts, and God looks for those regenerated hearts before he regenerates the flesh, as the soul will be already regenerated.
  Resurrection is important. The flesh is the “land” in the key verse. The Jews thought it was their little part of the Earth. On the other hand, Abraham knew the true identity of the Promise Land; it was abiding in New Jerusalem, or Heaven in new flesh! The real identity of the “land” goes back to the dust from which mankind was created. That dust will be regenerated at the Resurrection back into the flesh it was once generated – back to the image of God!
  We know God’s “name”. It is not “God” or even “Jehovah” nor “Yahweh.” God’s “Name” is “Jesus” (in English). The key verse says that His people are to “seek my face.” The Face of God goes along with His Name; God’s “Face” is the face of Jesus. Of course, it is not merely God’s Face who Christians are to seek, but His Mind, Heart, Soul, and Strength which is identified by The Name and Face. For God to recognize Christians on His throne, Christians must recognize God by His Person – Jesus.  Recognition by God at the gate to Heaven is imperative:

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Mat 7:22-23).

  Christians will recognize God by His Face and Name. How will He recognize you? He will look, not for the circumcised foreskin of the penis, but the circumcised heart (Rom 2:29). It is imperative, consequently, to understand what it takes to have the heart circumcised! That merely consists of diminishing yourself and elevating God as implied in John 3:14.
  “Sin” is your wanting “TO BE” rather than accepting God Who already “IS” in that He is “I AM;” that self-esteem must be transformed into Christ-esteem. As the key verse says, His people, “shall humble themselves.” God does the humbling, but His people become meek in His Presence. Their reward? Inheriting the earth, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth” (Mat 5:5).
  That seems to mean some type of inheritance on this planet, does it not? Note that the translators did not capitalize it. The meek will get their “dust” back – their elemental particles from which God created them. In other words, they will be regenerated back to their original state, and in the Presence of God. That is “glorification” – as it was in the beginning – you and God, and God and you in perfection!
  “Blessed” in Matthew 5:5 means “blissed.” Those humbled by the Presence of God (Jesus) will be blissed. Bliss can only be obtained from existence in Paradise.
  Calvinism espouses “by grace alone” (sola gratia in the Latin.) It is true that God, all alone, died on the cross on our behalf and He is the One who propitiated His Own blood, but there are things we must do in gratitude for that. The key verse answers the doing things: “Pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways.”
  Praying is magnifying God and seeking forgiveness. Seeking His Face is looking to Jesus for the sacrifice. The hard part is “turning from wicked ways.” That’s what His people can do in gratitude for God’s sacrifice on their behalf. The old creature commences the path to a new creature:

Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Cor 5:37).

  The new circumcised heart comes first! The entire new creature is a renewal (regeneration) of the original creature. The big difference is that in the end, Satan will not be there to re-corrupt, neither the hearts nor souls of God’s people! The “silver cord” will be retied, and Christians will be at one with God.
  Lastly, the key verse indicates that He will hear from heaven. We think of “hearing” as audible sound. Of course, God knows our thoughts. What will He “hear?” His people’s attitudes (humility), their prayers (repentance), to whom they pray (Jesus), and their allegiance (them turning their backs on Lucifer).
  Never take crucial words shallowly. Each of God’s Words has extreme impact on our eternal well-being. The plan to save our wretched selves from the evil one and perishing is contained in that one verse. It is the prescription for healing the soul, and it must be followed!