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)?
...while ELSIE segues off of them.
cartoons placemarker
What do you think glorifies God more obedience out of fear of hell or obedience out of gratitude for what He has done for us through grace?
I don’t understand the reasoning behind the beliefs of some who think God delights in condemning his bought by blood children. How many times has He reiterated in His word that we are saved by grace through faith and not by our works and deeds? The very word grace cancels out our own merits to save us. Those who disagree are the ones who boast of their own works to save them when God says NO ONE may boast (Ephesians 2:9). By their own disbelief they remain under condemnation.
What some people fail to understand is that God WANTS to save us.
He’s not forced to if we meet some criteria that has been established. He’s not doing it grudgingly or under compulsion. He’s not stingy or reluctant. He’s not looking for a reason to damn us every time we slip up or even sin deliberately.
He’s a God of forgiveness and mercy and grace, abundantly pardoning.
But someone who has rejected it ISN'T saved.
Once we've accepted the gift, it's ours, just like in the acceptance of any gift. Transfer of ownership occurs and the gift belongs to the person who accepted it.
Well said, boatbums, well said.
Yes, He does want to save us. I don't know why people don't understand that simple concept. As I have said many times, we are not discussing brain surgery, yet many remain oblivious to the truth.
One thing that stood out to me, when I came out of that works based religion I used to be in, was the incredible spiritual blindness I had. I simply did not see my lostness at all. It was utterly shocking, and scary, to think that for so long, I was a walking corpse, and didn't even know it. Such is the fiery, awful fate of those who follow spurious, Satanically inspired false religions. They have been warned. It's on them.
Under Catholicism, I NEVER expected to make it to heaven.
I wasn’t good enough and I knew it.
And I thought God was up there, perpetually angry at me, waiting for me to slip up and zap me unless I could appease Him somehow.
It was fear through and through. Not a shred of the concept of a LOVING heavenly Father who is interested in us and wants to be in relationship with us and cares enough about me as an individual that He’d even bother with me.
Then I was born again, and WOW, I felt like a new person inside.
I wonder why......
He LAVISHES us with His grace!
Yup, it’s not doled out in stingy little parcels every day.
There IS a spiritual blindness at play. Yet, when the Holy Spirit lifts the veil and we can clearly see it, we realize the truth of the gospel and it is clear as day. What all our lives had been hidden is now completely logical and true. Until that happens, there will continue to be a shroud of confusion over the eyes of those who will not see. Seeing they see not and hearing they hear not lest they be saved.
(Matthew 13:14-17)
In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.
But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
One of the great things about this post is that all the scripture posted is clear, plain and easy to understand...None of it requires an interpretation and you don’t have to be an intellectual to get it...
I know. It’s beyomd me. The more I learn of catholicism the less it looks like Christianity.
I guess some people are considering that salvation is something we purchase from God and it's our part to pay for it.
I wonder why......
Because you ARE a new person. 2nd Cor 5:17. Old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new.
Hey, when I was a member of that same works based religion (WBR) you were in, I NEVER thought I would be saved either. I wonder why? Maybe because, in that WBR, I would NEVER be saved, so I lived it up. So did my WBR classmates. Now, things are new. I wonder why?
:-)
Those are the key words BB, THE EYES OF THOSE WHO WILL NOT SEE. Like me, they are blind as bats. I, on the other hand, responded to the truth, when I was exposed to it. When they are warned about the truth, and reject it, in favor of their own WBRs, then they become THOSE WHO WILL NOT SEE. That's on them.
Well and truly stated! I like the mortgage analogy, a lot!
bump
Amen!
Luke 12:32 "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."
Imagine a child who has been adopted into a family and then imagine one of that child's 'friends' whispering into his ear...'you are not good enough,you are an anti-intellectual fool,a silly little child flapping around in the shallow end of the pool imagining yourself part of a holy royal family but look at yourself.You might think you're acceptable standing there dressed in rags looking for all the world like a lame dead dog...you bring shame to the holy family!You can't get your own life sorted and yet you dare to imagine you will simply cruise in and sit at the King's table!If you weren't so tragic you'd be laughable!'....but God said....'WE will tell you what He said and what He means!'(Galatians 4:17 They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.)
What might God think of such a 'friend'?
Mark 10:15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
Matthew 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
Knowing you are accepted FROM THE START is what sets you on the road to doing the "work of God" (John 6:29)
If a father about to adopt a child were to first lay out just how evil and unacceptable that child was,that child could be forgiven for simply running away in terror.God has made us acceptable to Himself by laying down His own life in our place and when you realise this...THEN you will begin to see for yourself just how bad your own situation really WAS.The Holy light of God will be right up close and very personal and you will begin to see the truly awefull state you really WERE in.
The fleshy mind wants NOTHING to do with that terrifying light so will NOT enter that throne of grace for fear it will be exposed!
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life,*A*N*D* that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God ie:Do THE "work of God".(1 John 5:13)
The "desperately wicked and deceitfull above all things" human heart will stand on the outside and look sideways at any who dare to walk past and enter that throne of grace.Better to stand off and hurl insults with the same carnal mind that is KEEPING them out!
God help them and us all!
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