Rejoicing in Assurance

Grace to You.org ^ | 1993 | John MacArthur, Grace Community Church

[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)?

[Mark17]

What DID you mean, Mark ?

I gotcha green alligators and long necked geese. Some humpty back camels and some chimpanzees. Some cats and rats and elephants, but sure as your born, I just can't see no unicorns. The Irish Rovers.

Kick back, relax, and just enjoy the Limericks.

[Mark17]

Amen bro.

[knarf]

heh heh heh ...

THIS is what I meant by the long threads ...

Unless I'm following a certain of thought ... I'm the master at jumping in and commenting from a clinical viewpoint and making a thorough jerk of myself ...

BTW ...

DOES your chewing gum lose it's flavor on the bed post overnight ?

Mine always seemed a tad sweeter

[imardmd1]

So; just WHO are the sons of God and the daughters of humans???

Spiritual sons of God, from the righteous line of Seth. believers in fellowship with Him through confession of the sin(s) of their federal head Adam, repentance from their own, in felowship with The Father and His Son.

Daughters of men, of the line of Cain, clinging to their unconfessed behavior, and bearing the mitochondria of that linem yielding a mixed multitude.

Filtered through the eight few that were saved out of the flood by not being baptized in it.

Angels are spirits, do not have DNA, and cannot procreate with each other or with human flesh (Heb. 1:7). Neither could The God, until He invested Himself into Human flesh, became incarnated, that is; and still did not so far.

If any scripture's plain sense is common sense, seek no other sense.

My opinion, and that of most others who are at rest with my Heavenly Father.

[Mark17]

DOES your chewing gum lose it's flavor on the bed post overnight ?

By the time I put it on the bed post, it has already lost its flavor.
Enjoy assurance of salvation, even if certain works based religionists among us on this thread don't. If these so called religionists have no assurance of salvation, then they have a problem. I have no problem with it.
I am glad I am not a religionist any more.

:-)

[Elsie]

Giants are not souls.

You make Andre cry...

[Elsie]

AND (btw), this copy and paste PROVES the Satanic influence on the internet because there are no *&@#% stupid marks for an apostrophe !!!

 

[Elsie]

...offspring of the Angels...

The one's in LA?

[Elsie]

Or He could let some Mohammedans take over commercial flights and ram them into public buildings, or government structures, or just into the ground, and cause thousands of deaths.

Oooooooooh!

Are you still killing your unborn?

-- GOD

 

[Elsie]

Mine always seemed a tad sweeter

Depends upon what it is stuck upon; I suppose.

[Elsie]

If any scripture's plain sense is common sense, seek no other sense.

Hold this thought.

It appears that others find the bible's plain sense not quite adequate to get the job done; but can't explain why.

This makes NO sense to me.

[MHGinTN]

Having traveled there, I can sat without hesitation that there are some angelic Ladies in lower Alabama (LA). There are also goodly number in Louisiana (LA).

[Mark17]

I can say without hesitation that there are some angelic Ladies in lower Alabama (LA). There are also goodly number in Louisiana (LA).

You haven't been to the Philippines yet bro :-)

[imardmd1]

Seriesly Amen! and Amen! Bro —

[metmom]

I have heard estimates, that maybe 150 million people may have been killed in the Flood. That's a lot of "innocent" people.

No one was innocent then. The thoughts of the people were only evil continually.

There was no good left.

[imardmd1]

I believe that our God has a wonderful place for these unborn souls forever. Probably right next to the Great White Throne when the works of certain surgeons are examined re their disposition for eternity.

Think so?

[imardmd1]

No one was innocent then. The thoughts of the people were only evil continually.

There was no good left.

But Noah . . .

[knarf]

he’s dead, jim

[terycarl]

So the jesus of your religion would perform transubstantiation on bread and wine so that his disicples could then be in violation fot he Law, prior to the cross. Riiight ... did you get that one from the magicsteeringthem? Or did your catholic tainted brain come up with that reasoning?

The president of the United States cannot violate security nor secrecy barriers......Jesus is GOD and He cannot violate the "law"...

[terycarl]

And you realize, don’t you, that those of us who believe in the rapture of the church consider that babies and children under the age of accountability are taken, so there won’t be any children to be killed in your implausible scenarios. Do learn what you’re talking about before shooting off your mouth.

Oh yeah, I forgot all the kids are gone......O.K. the plane crashes into a veterans hospital and kills 600 veterans who are suffering war wounds....

Whatever happens, your nonsense ideas concerning the end times sprang up in the 1830's...but of course, to a protestant, that's close enough....good grief, don't you see where your poor judgement is leading you???????