So in the sermon I listened to recently the referenced we were sealed in Christ with the Spirit and gave the reference to Ephesians 1:13-14. \u00a0I wanted to see what it said, how it was using the reference and if it was a good tie in. \u00a0I was impressed with the overtone of how we are sealed with the Spirit in Christ. \u00a0How we can know we are saved if we are sealed. \u00a0And what was the seal, or when did we get the seal?<\/p>\n
Back to: Or to put it another way: I also thought this might help, from “The College Press NIV Commentary: Galatians & Ephesians”. \u00a0Notice in particular the line “One must conclude that either half of the above verses are in error, or that baptism and faith are meant to go together. the promised Holy Spirit, ” <\/b>Read through this and think about how you are “sealed” into Christ and “when” you are sealed into Christ!<\/p>\n – – –<\/p>\n Ephesians 1:13-14<\/strong><\/p>\n 1:13<\/b> And you also were included in Christ\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n \u201cYou also\u201d is a dominant theme of Ephesians. The Gentiles were formerly excluded, but are now part of God\u2019s family (2:11-22). They are fellow members of the body (3:6) bound together in the unity of the Spirit (4:3). when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n When Paul taught daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus, Luke reports that \u201call the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord\u201d (Acts 19:10). The Gentiles were not introduced to God by an accident of birth, but by hearing the good news about Jesus. Paul knows this message to be the \u201cword of truth,\u201d the means by which men are saved. It is called the truth \u201cbecause it reveals man\u2019s true condition, proclaims and advocates the only true way of escape, and admonishes saved sinners to show true gratitude in their lives.\u201dE1-32<\/sup> Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal,\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n Those who heard, believed. This was not merely a mental acceptance of a theological proposition. It was putting their trust and commitment in Christ. In response to their decision, God marked them with an official seal. This seal, the presence of the Holy Spirit, proved they belonged to God.E1-33<\/sup> To seal (\u03c3\u03c6\u03c1\u03b1\u03b3\u03b9\u0301\u03b6\u03c9,\u00a0sphragizo\u0304<\/i>), as with the brand marking the ownership of cattle and slaves,E1-34<\/sup> had nothing to do with preservation.<\/p>\n While the coming of the Holy Spirit is sometimes connected with baptism in Scripture (Acts 2:38-39;\u00a05:32;\u00a01 Cor 12:13), other passages base his coming on our faith. (In addition to this verse, see\u00a0Acts 19:2;\u00a0Gal 3:2,\u00a014;\u00a0Eph 3:17). One must conclude that either half of the above verses are in error, or that baptism and faith are meant to go together. the promised Holy Spirit,\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n As Peter reminded his Jewish hearers at Pentecost (Acts 2:17), God had promised a time when he would \u201cpour out his Spirit on all flesh\u201d (both Jew and Gentile).<\/p>\n As Peter reminded the Jewish believers at the Jerusalem Conference, the coming of the Spirit on Cornelius was proof that the centurion had been accepted by God.E1-35<\/sup> While that event was special and spectacular, all believers have the confirming presence of the Spirit in their lives.<\/p>\n 1:14<\/b> who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n The \u201cdeposit\u201d (\u03b1\u0313\u03c1\u03c1\u03b1\u03b2\u03c9\u0301\u03bd,\u00a0arrabo\u0304n<\/i>, \u201cearnest money\u201d) which guarantees our inheritance is like the down payment that is made on a real estate transaction. In the early days of trade it was \u201ca commercial word denoting a pledge\u2014some object handed over by a buyer to a seller until the purchase price was paid in full.\u201dE1-36<\/sup> The\u00a0arrabo\u0304n<\/i> guarantees that a person is in earnest about his intentions. Often the deposit is a first installment of similar payments to be made in the future.E1-37<\/sup> The presence of the Spirit is thus a foretaste of heaven!<\/p>\n Also interesting is the fact that\u00a0arrabo\u0304n<\/i> is the word in modern Greek for an engagement ring.E1-38<\/sup> It is a lovely parallel that the church, the bride of Christ, should now wear the token of his promise. We have this guarantee of heaven, that we shall share in the wedding feast of the Lamb (Rev 19:7-9). until the redemption of those who are God\u2019s possession\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n Literally, \u201cunto the redemption of the possession.\u201d While the\u00a0rsv has \u201cuntil we acquire possession of it,\u201d the\u00a0niv and\u00a0nasb focus on God redeeming and possessing his people. God\u2019s Spirit in our lives is thus God\u2019s promise that he will finally claim us for his own and take us home to heaven. \u2014to the praise of his glory.<\/b><\/p>\n How we should praise God for his spiritual blessings! This phrase, now proclaimed for the third time, echoes the words of God in\u00a0Isaiah 43:20-21,<\/p>\n …my people, my chosen, The College Press NIV Commentary: Galatians & Ephesians<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" So in the sermon I listened to recently the referenced we were sealed in Christ with the Spirit and gave the reference to Ephesians 1:13-14. \u00a0I wanted to see what it said, how it was using the reference and if …<\/span> Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-480","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rom120.com\/blog1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/480","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rom120.com\/blog1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rom120.com\/blog1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rom120.com\/blog1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rom120.com\/blog1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=480"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/rom120.com\/blog1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/480\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":484,"href":"https:\/\/rom120.com\/blog1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/480\/revisions\/484"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rom120.com\/blog1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=480"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rom120.com\/blog1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=480"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rom120.com\/blog1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=480"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nSo you will see I believe a saved person is one who has heard<\/strong> the Word of God, the Gospel (Good News), Believed<\/strong> it\u2019s message, Repented<\/strong> of his past actions \u2013 a sinful life, Confessed <\/strong>to God his sins and been Baptized <\/strong>to receive forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit. The believer must then grow in Christ, drawing near to God through his life.<\/p>\n
\n\u2018\u201dBy grace\u201d shows that grace is the basis of salvation. \u201cThrough faith\u201d speaks of the means by which it is received. \u201cIn baptism\u201d indicates the time when it is received. \u201cFor good works\u201d makes it clear that the good works of the Christian life are not the basis or means but the result of being saved.\u2019<\/p>\n
\nthe people I formed for myself
\nthat they may proclaim my praise.<\/p>\n