Posted on 01/20/2016 1:53:12 PM PST by metmom
"You were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance" (Eph. 1:13-14).
The Holy Spirit is God's first installment on your eternal inheritance.
The Holy Spirit's ministry in your life is multifaceted and profound. Among other things He brings salvation, conviction, guidance, and strength. He indwells and equips you for spiritual service and gives assurance of your salvation. He is your Helper and Advocate. He is the Spirit of promise, who seals you until the day when your redemption is fully realized (Eph. 4:30).
Sealing speaks of security, authenticity, ownership, and authority. Ancient kings, princes, and nobles placed their official seal on documents or other items to guarantee their inviolability. To break the seal was to incur the wrath of the sovereign whom it represented (cf. Dan. 6:17; Matt. 27:62-66).
A seal on a letter authenticated it as from the hand of the one whose seal it bore. Legal documents such as property deeds and wills were often finalized with an official seal. Those who possessed the sealed decree of a king had the king's delegated authority to act on that decree.
Each of those aspects of sealing is a picture of the Spirit's ministry. He is God's guarantee that your salvation is inviolable and that you are an authentic member of His kingdom and family. You are His possession-having been purchased with His Son's precious blood (1 Cor. 6:20). You are His ambassador with delegated authority to proclaim His message to a lost world (2 Cor. 5:20).
The Spirit is the pledge of your eternal inheritance (Eph. 1:14). The Greek word translated "pledge" in that verse (arrabon) was used of down payment or earnest money given to secure a purchase. Rejoice in the assurance that God, who cannot lie (Titus 1:2), has given you His Spirit as a guarantee that He will keep His promises.
Suggestions for Prayer
Praise God for the security of your eternal inheritance. Praise the Spirit for His many ministries in your life. Be sensitive to His leading today so that your ministry to others will be powerful and consistent with His will.
For Further Study
Read Esther chapters 3, 8. What role did the king's signet ring play in the decree of Haman (chapter 3)? The decree of Ahasuerus and Mordecai (chapter 8)?
I say what history says and any reasonaably history of the times say exactly that. If you want to deny what is fact, you have to show it to be in error....
I say it is true because church history says that it's true....you say it is false because Protestants decided to rewrite church history. If, for 1,600 years, Christians (all of them) believed it....when did the facts suddenly change???
First of all, Christians do NOT need to be converted to Catholicism. In fact, many flew from the grips of that belief system to BECOME Christians.
Second see post #475 for arrogance.
Then see my reply to it. (Hint, it's not JUST arrogance)
Ok one last time. If you state something and say it is true history, it is on YOU to prove what you said. That is a hard and fast rule.
Links please so we can see where you get your "history."
Oh good grief, you are one of those expecting people to be suddenly snatched up from whatever their doing and hauled off to Heaven....pilots flying airliners, doctors in the middle of surgery.....please...
Well, that is kind of the last straw.
Personal and mindreading.
Now you have to prove the false statement about me.
Search my posts for days and you will never see me saying what you say I have.
I'm about to shake the dust off of my feet.
Amazing...
That is why I said if we ask 30,000 Catholics, we get 30,000 different opinions.
Even though I am an ex Catholic, I will offer my opinion as well. When I was a Catholic, I did not think I was a Christian, because I was a really bad sinning dude, even though some of my Catholic school class mates were worse sinners than me.
Because I was such a horrible sinning Catholic, I was not willing to commit the sin of presumption, and consider myself a Christian with assurance of salvation.
Now that I am an ex Catholic, now true, born again Christian, I have assurance of salvation. Now I am free, not to live like I please, the way you have said in the past, but free to live as I should.
If you have no assurance of salvation, I can't help that. I will not let you be a wet blanket, and spoil my assurance.
Besides that, Mr Gamecock has been waiting around for many months. If he suspects I might be considering swimming the Tiber, he has his marching orders. He will give me a thrashing I will not soon forget.
It's great enough being an ex Catholic. What's even better, is having assurance of salvation. You can have it too. Remember, only true Christians will go to Heaven. I will leave it to your imagination, to figure out where the rest go.
I love your testimony
Thank God for Jesus and His mighty saving power!
I'm soon to be 68, and the only time I can remember hearing the word Christian was in school studying history
Christian didn't become a more common word until around the mid to late 60's with the Jesus freak movement
I got saved in '81 and only THEN did I do a conscious study of the word and practice of being a Christian .... and in ALL my study ... it is never associated with Catholicism ...
except by Catholics that try to incorporate themselves into a broader base
Thank God for Jesus and His mighty saving power!
Yes, thank God for the sacrifice Jesus made for me.
When I was in that WBR, otherwise known as the Catholic Church, I always wondered, and still wonder, even today, what percentage of my salvation was Jesus' responsibility, and what percentage was my responsibility? Was it 50% on Jesus and 50% on me? I don't know.
There are about 1.2 billion Catholics out there. I bet there are 1.2 billion opinions on that. Of course, a TRUE Christian, believes it is 100% on Jesus.
Now, some Catholics will try to tell us, and already have tried to tell us, that's wonderful. You can get saved, and then live like hell. Let me think about that for a moment. Ok, I thought about it. NO, YOU CAN'T. Not in a million eons can you do that.
Do you think that might sink in? Probably not, but keep trying.
I think we are YEARS past the dust shaking stage, but we hang in there. I don't know for sure, but I suspect the Apostles would have shaken the dust from their feet a long time ago, and moved on to Berean type people. Paul, and the rest, however, did not have high speed internet like we do, so we can expose the false religions of the world, and there are many.
Now, I believe the Christians were first called that in Antioch, and they were called that by their enemies, but it is nice to know Heaven will be exclusive. Only born again people (Christians) will be in Heaven, to include Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the OT believers, right up to the last born again believer, before the rapture.
People would be wise to become born again, and not be left behind. They will be in deep doo doo.
Not only will they face God at the great white throne, but they will also face the men of Ninevah, the Queen of Sheba, and us as well. None of us are going to be much of a forgiving mood.
Why they prefer hell fire and brimstone, over the peace and serenity of Heaven is beyond me, but you know what bro? That's on them.
If you think you can take your wife and family into a strip joint and let them watch silently while you drink and slip dollar bills in a girl’s g’string .... you can be saved and sin all you want.
:-)
Oooooh!
I hadn't thought of THAT!
But I DO remember a commercial from a few years ago that said something like "...parts are parts."
Nah; it's MarkXVII
Missing your baby teeth?
You ain't complete.
Arrogance goes before a fall.
You'll have to ask the CATHOLIC tribunal that Galileo was brought before; not me.
I have a Catholic book in my hands that states:
Luke 17:34
Nope, the person making the claim needs to show they were.
Provide evidence that what you claim IS true, not demand that we accept any old opinion as truth unless we can disprove it.
The burden of proof is on the person making the claim.
They most certainly do and I saw it while I was a Catholic. There's such a superior to thou attitude among Catholics.
We can certainly be proud as Catholics, but not arrogant.
Arrogance is the hallmark of most Catholics and the tighter they are with the church, the worst it is.
Almost without fail, the very worst were the ones in KoC.
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