Tag Archives: Christianity
A Good Gauge
A Good Gauge
(#328 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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“If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me before you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, for I have chosen you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you.” (John 15:18-19)
As your mind continues to conform to the mind of the Messiah, let this thought continue its invasion into your old ways of thinking. Eventually it will be all that is left in you. “Everything is born in the mind first; it happens within. And then it is manifested in the physical; it happens without.” Everything that Yahshua the Messiah taught was true to this pattern. Let’s reread His words, and this time be mindful of the pattern, within and then without.
“If the world [material, carnal thoughts born in the conscience and people who are void of the Spirit] hates [has enmity toward] you [redeemed mind and redeemed person], understand [stand under this truth] that it hated Me [the embodiment of a saved mind and a saved person] before you. If you were of the world [material consciousness and material people], the world would love [the type that always fails, yet continues to embrace] its own [carnal thoughts and carnal people]. But because you are not of the world, for I have chosen [pre-determined / predestined to save] you out of the world, for this reason the world [carnal thoughts striving to rule your mind and unholy people] hates you.”
Let’s reassemble His words. The carnal thoughts born in the conscience by people who do not possess the Holy Spirit are full of hated for any beliefs or ways of thinking that start transforming to Holy thinking patterns. Carry this truth like an umbrella. It is not about you personally; it is actually prejudiced against and despises anything that embodies a mind that prospers with a Kingdom mindset. If you persist to think like the world, and remain focused on what the material world can offer you, the world will continue to love and embrace you in the only sick and perverted way that it can. Its type of love always fails; and is flooded with carnal thoughts for carnal people. But, because you have been predestined to not remain part of the world, you will always be at enmity with the carnal thoughts striving to rule your mind and the unholy people who support that way of thinking.
For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. The carnal mind is enmity against [Yahweh]; for it is not subject to the law of [Yahweh], nor indeed can be. (Romans 8:6-7) The carnally minded will always hate the spiritually minded, and the majority of humanity, ego driven thoughts and people, are carnally minded (are of the flesh). The road that leads to destruction is broad and many follow it (Matthew 7:13-14).
The predominant thinking patterns in the earth are destructive and lead to physical calamity as well. In order to prevail, you must expect to be abused, not embraced, for your choice to take the narrow road. The spiritually mature walk with Yahweh within and then without, and they never concern themselves with being liked by those on the broad road.
But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of [Yahweh] dwells in you. (Romans 8:9)
Ten Virgins
Ten Virgins
(#327 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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“The Kingdom of Heaven may be compared to ten virgins…” (Matthew 25:1)
The intent of the parable is to express what the Kingdom is like, and knowing this has vast significance for your life of discipleship. As of yet, are you ready to sum up exactly what the Kingdom of Heaven is? Could you do it with one word? Let’s explore the parable and see what it produces; and let’s do so simply by defining Yahshua’s words in Matthew 25:1-13:
1. The Kingdom of Heaven is… [This is what will be produced in a moment!]
2. Ten = 1 (one is male) and 0 (zero is female, womb), in Hebrew Numbers (gematria) ten = 1 + 0 = 1; Yahweh is one!
3. Virgin: child yet held accountable;
4. Five and five: five senses (to see, hear, taste, touch, and smell); five spiritually redeemed and five carnally bound to the material world. Five is also grace.
5. Trimming: pruning or refinement;
6. Lamps: glistening light;
7. Bridegroom: to give away; Yahshua the Messiah gave His life for you.
8. Oil: spiritual illumination, anointing;
9. Jars: thoughts that are concealed or confined;
Two signifies opposition (male and female), unless of course there is redemption (two becoming one flesh—Genesis 2:24). Virgins are like little children who are not yet held accountable, who can be raised in homes with the Holy Spirit, or carnally without. They remain innocent (virgins) until they become accountable for their own choices. The five wise (prudent) senses are used solely to promote the Kingdom of Heaven. Yahshua the Messiah did so completely and so was deemed the [fill in the blank] sacrifice. The trimming of the lamps signifies pruning or refinement in thoughts in order to be reckoned spotless. It is the light in you becoming like the Messiah. There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. (John 1:9) The oil in the jar signifies an anointing on the once confined minds of those who master the five senses for spiritual purposes alone.
If you can now fill in the blank above correctly, you can answer the question about what exactly the Kingdom of Heaven is. Doing so, you will be absolutely amazed at how you now perceive eternity. It is [perfect] loved one. The Kingdom of Heaven is the perfect conscience, a permanent perfect mind. It is the mind of the Messiah in you (1 Corinthians 2:16), the Kingdom within you (Luke 17:21). It is a mind completely free from any and all sin, a mind made innocent forever with no capacity for “self” will. It is the resurrected mind. The Kingdom of Heaven is perfection!
“Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 3:2) “Behold, the Lamb of Yahweh who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)
Looking at Yahshua, John announced, “Turn back to Yahweh; that is what the Kingdom of Heaven is. It’s the fullness of Yahweh manifesting in man!” His eyes transfixed on Yahshua; “That is what it looks like!”
From this day forward, every time you read in the Renewed Covenant, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like,” meditate on what has just been revealed to you.
Altar Cry
Altar Cry
(#325 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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“For which of you who plans to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, to see if you have enough to finish?” (Luke 14:28)
Consider this: the tower is an expansion of thought processes from carnal to spiritual. Sitting down is the meditation before and about what you intend to step into. The cost is nothing less than the sanctification of your entire spirit, soul, and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). The ability to finish is none other than agreeing to nail your “self” to the torture stake. Whoever rejects the stake, or refuses to utterly forsake everything, even his own life, cannot be His disciple (Luke 14:26-27; 33).
And now a proper perspective of forgiveness is warranted. Reflect on this question; “Why would Yahweh ever forgive that which He has said to die to?” Stated another way, “Is His forgiveness for the man whom He says must lose his life, or is His forgiveness for His Son alone?” Here is the clue; “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in the Messiah the Mighty One forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32) It is in Yahshua alone that we have forgiveness from Yahweh!
So, if it is in Him alone that forgiveness resides, then we must begin to question if the practice of the modern “altar call”, each plea to come forward, is merely a continuation of Catholic dogma. Is it just a resurrected religious code that sacrifices (sacraments) the Messiah over, and over, and over again? This may make you feel very uncomfortable, but how you feel about it does not matter. What matters is truth!
The message for everyone who claims to be a disciple is to count the cost before you say, “forgive me.” It costs everything and the forgiveness is in Yahshua alone, who will authorize and perfect your faith. It will require every ounce of what you had formerly valued to be utterly shattered!
Now, who would like to come to the altar and receive? Would you? Yes indeed, come as you are, but be ready to be crushed, to never be the same again. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for [His] sake will find it. (Matthew 10:39)
Your sin requires that you be annihilated into nothingness. It is time for the modern day altar call to become the altar cry. Yes, he who takes warning will save his own life. (Ezekiel 33:5) They hear the cry of the true watchman. “Blow the trumpet and warn the people!” (Read Ezekiel 33:1-9)
First Things
First Things
(#323 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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Do you often feel as if you have met some sort of requirement, appeasing the Father with the time you “spend” with Him in devotions? Is there some type of spiritual satisfaction you derive from being able to say, “I do devotions every day?” You do err in your thinking if you attempt to block out small segments of “devotion time,” while never considering what time with the Father really means.
A simple statement should suffice to explain the potential error, and then we can create a new context for your devotional activity. “If every one of your thoughts is commanded to come into captivity to the obedience of Messiah (2 Corinthians 10:5), and He did nothing of Himself but only what He saw the Father do (John 5:19), then every moment of your life should be a devotion time unto Yahweh!” Then Yahshua said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.” (John 8:28-29)
Therefore, this is the proper pattern to ensure victory over your thought world every day, all day:
• “My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Yahweh; in the morning I will direct it to You, and look up.” (Psalm 5:3)
• “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of the Almighty.” (Romans 12:2)
• “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
If you never seek your own will, but always the will of the Father (John 5:30), then your thought world will be devoted to Him entirely! Anything less does not conform to the pattern. And the wise understand why the morning sets the stage to live in His mindedness throughout the day. It is the time when you rise to declare, “Abba, by the power of Your Holy Spirit placed in me, grant me the courage today to die to myself, and therefore do all You command. Please help me utterly forsake my own will and desire to do Your will alone!” Then, the rest of your day becomes an extension of your morning prayer, and the end result… “The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.”
Authors’ personal note: We are honored that you have incorporated Suffer Well into your life as part of the “renewal of your mind,” in other words, the declaration of your mental allegiance towards Yahweh. It is especially powerful if it is how you start your (His) day before Him. Yes, it can be a powerful kick start in the morning, but it’s not enough loved one. We say “mental allegiance” to remind you that it is your entire mind He has plans to take over, and you must press beyond these devotions. No doubt, we are very honored to be part of your growth. It’s an awesome blessing to be a blessing to you.
Everything Changes
Everything Changes
(#322 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” So Yahshua said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except One—the Mighty One alone.” (Mark 10:17-18)
No one is good? Good: Hebraically: tobe, which implies “beauty” and from the Greek; ag-ath-os’, implying inherent goodness. These both describe what originates from Yahweh and is empowered by Him in your life, through faith. Yahshua confesses that even He is not inherently good, but that ALL goodness originates from the Father.
Until you deal with this truth as reality, the entire foundation of your spiritual existence will be flawed and imperfect. What happens to your conscience when you hear statements such as: “Yahshua had to learn to be righteous and He was completely capable of failing.”? For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet He did not sin. (Hebrews 4:15) Or what about, “It was Yahweh’s will that the Messiah not be perfected until the moment He breathed His last breath.”? For it was fitting for Him [Yahweh], for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted. (Hebrews 2:10, 18)
He was tempted; He suffered; He was capable of sinning; and He was not perfected until He had endured till the end. If your doctrine is of the mainstream dialect, you are going to need to strongly reconsider what your “God in the flesh” belief system means. If Yahshua was able to access His omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence as a man, then how could He then be an example to us?
If sinning was not possible for Him, then how impressive is it that He did not sin? Again! If it was impossible for Him to sin, then big deal that He did not sin! What makes His life most extraordinary is that He shed His “Mighty One likeness” and became like a man. And then, as a man who was in every way tempted to sin, accomplished perfection by shedding His “self” once again becoming like the Mighty One.
Let this mind be in you which was also in the Messiah Yahshua, who, being in the form of the Mighty One, did not consider it robbery to be equal with the Almighty, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men [relinquishing His Mighty One likeness]. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the stake. (Philippians 2:5-8)
And so we come to understand that this one we call Savior never proclaimed that His own goodness would be the clarion call for those who would follow. He passed every test and learned obedience to the point of death, yet He never boasted in Himself. It would only ever be the Father’s righteousness in Him, and this could then be passed through Him to others who would carry their own torture stake (Luke 9:23). He never asked to be glorified, but always claimed that any glory in Him was attributed to the Father. This has everything to do with your walk as a follower of the Messiah. You also walk in the Father’s goodness; and always give all glory to Him lest He expose you for the ungood (yes, we know it’s not a word but you get it) that you are.
Bitterness is The Devil
Meaningless Talk
(#321 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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My family, my friends, my pastors, my church brothers and sisters, my business partners, my colleagues, my clients, and my ministry recipients, all of them confidently affirmed His ways.
The greatest sign of love would be to lay down my life for others. (John 15:13)
Evidence of renewal would be proven by forgiveness towards others. (Matthew 6:14-15)
All of our sins are equal in His eyes? (Romans 3:23)
Yahweh has appointed both prosperity and adversity. (Ecclesiastes 7:14)
Yahweh gives and takes away. (Job 1:21)
Consider one another to stir up love. (Hebrews 10:24)
Do nothing selfish but consider others better than yourself. (Philippians 2:3)
You often praised me for my efforts and vision, and said that you trusted me. Wasn’t that a curse for us both? (Jeremiah 17:5) I have since learned of One who did all that the Father said and He was despised and rejected (Isaiah 53). He has become all things to me. If He had not, I would have perished in sorrow a thousand times over.
He gave me permission to share what He whispered to me about all of us. “You imposters; you hypocrites, you whitewashed tombs filled with dead men’s bones and all sorts of impurity. (Matthew 23:27) Can I now be everything you claimed to be? I will do everything the Father commanded and it will heal your broken soul.” Until it happened, I would have never imagined that accepting this about myself would open the door to my own healing. And now I can proclaim to all the other imposters:
No greater love has any man than to lay down his life for another. I forgive you all and hold no record of your wrongs. I too am an imposter, a hypocrite saved by grace. I lost everything that once mattered more than anything, but I don’t blame you for anything. I look at you as He sees you, and I see beauty in you. I will always try to encourage you if possible, but I will not trust you and bring curses to our lives. I have not heard from any of you in a long time, but I pray you are doing well. I hope you become everything He dreams for you. I’ll see you in eternity and I look forward to meeting you again there.
The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless [idle] talk. They want to be teachers of the Law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm. (1 Timothy 1:5-7)
Crumbs from the King’s Table
Crumbs from the King’s Table
(#320 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Master, help me!” But He [Yahshua] answered and said: “It is not right to take the children’s bread, and toss it to dogs.” And she said, “True, Master, but even the dogs eat those crumbs which fall from their master’s table.” (Matthew 15:25-27)
It’s the ideal perspective loved one; it is faith demonstrated to perfection. The realization that your standing before the Master, well, actually you’re on all fours. This woman, only by His Spirit that touches her, can bow before Yahshua with authentic introspection and make an honest “self” assessment. Unto herself, she is not better than a dog, a spiritual cripple, a beggar. It begins with a mind that is desperate for the opportunity to come to the King’s table, the place where heavenly delicacies are spread before you. Bow at the King’s feet, get on all fours, lay prostrate, do anything necessary to come humbly before Him, anything to eat at His table. To her, the crumbs are not just incidental leftovers, but rather her opportunity to taste life. She is happy to eat the crumbs from the King’s table, even willing to compare herself to a dog that considers the scraps a delight.
Then Yahshua answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! May it be to you as you desire…” (Matthew15:28)
“Eat,” He said. Come to the table of heavenly delicacies and all of your requests are granted. Delight yourself also in Yahweh; and He shall give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4) For her, it was the healing of her daughter (thoughts of compassion and beauty). What will it be for you? Are you willing to come on all fours? Humble yourselves before Yahweh, and He will lift you up. (James 4:10) Then perhaps He will invite you to have a seat at the King’s table.
And what of the son of Jonathan who was lame in his feet? Now when Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, had come to David, he fell on his face and prostrated himself. Then David said, “Mephibosheth?” And he answered, “Here is your servant!” So David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.” Then he bowed himself, and said, “What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?”…But Mephibosheth your master’s son shall eat bread at my table always.” …“As for Mephibosheth,” said the king, “he shall eat at my table like one of the king’s sons.”…So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king’s table. And he was lame in both his feet. (Excerpts from 2 Samuel 9:1-13)
Yahweh’s plan is that the lame will bow before Him and He will lift them up to dine at the King’s table. If you too come before Him as one who is lame, He will find a seat at His table for you like you are one of the King’s own children. May it be to you as you desire.
Spiritual Growth
Be Wholly Holy
(#318 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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“King David then said to the whole assembly; my son Solomon, whom alone Yahweh has chosen, is still young and inexperienced, and the task is great, for the palatial temple is not for man, but for Yahweh our Mighty One.” (1 Chronicles 29:1)
King [the ruling attribute] David [the love and praise of Yahweh] said to the whole assembly [thoughts gathered in the conscience of the congregation]; My son [perpetuating thoughts] Solomon [peace and wholeness in conscience], whom alone [none other than peace and wholeness] Yahweh has chosen [specified as the builder of His Temple], is still young [naïve, not fully perfected] and inexperienced [untested], and the task is great [transformation from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of Yahweh within], for the temple [spiritual house, dwelling place of Kingdom reality] is not for man [fallen ego, self, wicked thoughts], but for Yahweh our Mighty One [perfection].
Let us paraphrase. Love and worship are supreme above all things and will ultimately overtake all of your thoughts. The inevitability that this will happen will persist until nothing but peace and wholeness pervade your being. Even though you do not demonstrate these perfect attributes yet, it is a certainty because Yahweh has chosen you for such an inheritance. The replacement of worldly thinking with Kingdom thinking is a monumental work and requires much training. But ultimately, it will be as if the Kingdom was inside of you all along.
You must be ever so careful to root out anything that represents a lack of spiritual wholeness; this is a tremendous work that must be done. A wholly holy mind is one that carefully and meticulously keeps the Laws of Yahweh [observes patterns of His mind]. This is what the spiritual temple is; the unredeemed thoughts of man fully and permanently replaced with the mind of Yahweh.
Only Yahweh can build His House within you. And He does so by equipping you. He uses His Spirit (power), His Son (salvation of the mind), and His Laws (instructions; patterns; framework) to build His House, the spiritual temple within you. This is the greatest honor imputed to man, Yahweh allowing man to participate with Him in building the spiritual temple, coming to spiritual perfection. And in doing so, He saves you from the one thing that could have destroyed you forever; yourself.
Presumptions
Presumptions
(#317 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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Gold: a precious metal with timeless value because of its rarity.
Fool’s gold: a shiny, brassy gold counterfeit confused for real gold but which has absolutely no value because of how common it is.
The Law from Your [Yahweh’s] mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold. (Psalm 119:72) How much better to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. (Proverbs 16:16) Gold is rare and valuable; but applying Yahweh’s Law and wisdom brings even greater treasures. In contrast, presumptions are like fool’s gold. They are far more common and lead to disappointment and sorrow.
Gold is to fool’s gold as real is to the counterfeit. When His wisdom and commands invade your entire mindset then His reality sets in and all lies are exposed. His reality is the only truth there is. All else is an imposter. Yes indeed, this is reality according to Yahweh, rather than… [fill in your name]. The moment you move away from His reality you risk disappointment and sorrow, and experience the pain of feeling separated from Him.
“Everything was going so good, and then at the last minute…” This type of mindset expresses the belief that it is only good if it ends up the way you had hoped. If Yahweh works all things for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28), then why still judge certain outcomes as if they are not good? False presumptions, as such, are what set you up for disappointment and despair and, at moments like these, there’s a disconnect from Him.
Every moment is His loved one, every second of every minute of every hour of every day. He forms His vessels in the palms of His Hands. He never lets go of the vessel until it reaches the place where He alone says, “Perfect!” The only thing that can stifle that perfection is self will. This is why He proclaims that “All things work for good!” unless, of course, you get in the way. For those the Mighty One foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. (Romans 8:29)
Never determine what the end result of anything should look like, other than that you will be One with the will of Yahweh. Let go! His hopes and dreams for you can only be achieved when you lose your life (Mark 8:35), when you release control. And your hopes and dreams pale in comparison to His hopes and dreams for you (Ephesians 3:20). Let go and let every moment be His. He would never lie to you.
“Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression.” (Psalms 19:13)
Completely Like Yeshua
Home Inspection
(#315 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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So often we hear others say, “I need to try harder,” in reference to their spiritual life, their commitment to Yahweh. Nothing makes the Ruach (Holy Spirit) cringe more than a statement like this. It is this type of thinking that reveals a foundation built upon sand (Matthew 7:26), a foundation that will not remain when the testing comes.
A simple question should suffice to turn the sand into solid rock. “If there was anything at all about you that was good enough to satisfy the standard of righteousness required by Yahweh, then why was it necessary for His Son to be impaled?” Can you acknowledge that? You must decide whether or not Yahshua the Messiah died because you had some shortcomings and erroneous thought processes, or if He died because there was nothing good in you and your entire mindset was depraved. How you answer this has EVERYTHING to do with your ability to build your house (dwelling for your thoughts), and on what kind of foundation you build it. We’ll give you two hints!
1. Unless Yahweh builds the house, the builders labor in vain. (Psalm 127:1)
2. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. (Mark 3:25)
The natural mind, led by ego, must repeatedly deal with thoughts that tempt you to reminisce about some goodness that was in you prior to the Messiah’s work in you. It’s simply not true loved one; there was none. The goodness in you now is only because of Yahshua in you. The only goodness you will ever have is the Messiah in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). You must continually arrest any thoughts that attempt to convince you that all of the sudden you have (your “self” has) what it takes. You must demolish all arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of the Mighty One, and take captive every thought to make it obedient to the Messiah. (2 Corinthians 10:5)
John the Baptizer prophetically announced a prevailing thought pattern that must constantly invade your mind; “I must decrease!” (John 3:30) His denial of any “self” goodness was the declaration of his spiritual beheading, a foreshadowing of his physical beheading (Mark 6:14-29). If you were reclaimed by His redemption, you have testified, “Behold, the Lamb of Yahweh,” but have you had your beheading?
It’s time to listen closely again loved one as we expound on this idea using a crucial incident in the Scriptures. When the Philippian prison guard asked Shaul, “What must a man do to be saved” in Acts 16:30, the question is far more profound than it appears when you read it in the English language, or even as represented in Greek translations. Consider for a moment the Hebrew idea of salvation as understood by Shaul who was being asked the question. In context, he would be answering this question; “What must a man do to be yasha (yaw-shah)?” The word for saved in Hebrew is no less than a derivation of the name Yahshua. Say it to yourself out loud and let the ramifications settle deep within your soul. “What must a man do to be Yahshua?”
The wise ones personify this; “I must decrease; thank You Yahshua that anything good in me is You! What must I do to be like You?” And they never leave this place. Ever!