Statements of Faith - Sealed

 

EPHESIANS 1:13. 14 

In Him you also trusted, after you heard The Word of Truth, the gospel of your salvation; in Whom also, having believed, you were sealed with The Holy Spirit of promise, 

Who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory. 

    Who is Sealed? The born again believer, whether they are God's chosen elect - the Jews - or they who have been grafted into The Vine - the church - we are all sealed by The Holy Spirit of God when we come to Christ Jesus for our salvation and redemption. 

    How are we sealed? The validation of our salvation is the mark which God has placed on His people. Though not visible to the naked eye, it is completely visible to God. 

    What marks a Christian that makes them visibly different to other people? It is not our words, nor our actions: they who are also faithful followers of Jesus Christ can see, even from a distance, the glow of The Holy Spirit upon us. I've had people come up to me, total strangers, and say, 'I know you're a Christian. I can see Jesus in you.' And they hug me and smile and then walk away. 

    I, we, are sealed and set aside to be used for God's glory. We have chosen this path of service to our God and as long as we focus on The Word which is directly in front of us, not worrying about what's ahead, nor regretting what has passed; not allowing ourselves to be distracted by what's on the left of our view, nor what tempts on the right. We maintain our walk of faith one step at a time. 

    Eve, in the garden of Eden, allowed herself to get distracted when she listened to the serpent beguile her with his malicious deceitful words, causing her to answer him instead of ignoring him. He questioned God's Authority and questioned Eve's understanding of God's Word.

    That's why it is so important for each of us to know and understand, through God's Holy Spirit, the Truth of God's Holy Word. It is a moral imperative to be able to live God's Word that we must first read and study to know God through His Word. We must pray to God and seek Him out, with desire to draw closer to Him than we are now. The strength of our relationship with God is in Christ. 

    If Christ is not in us, then we cannot be in Christ; nor is it possible to draw near to God, nor even enter His presence with worship. God knows our hearts: if our hearts are not right with God on God's terms, then we have failed to understand the most basic imperative: there is only one God and He desires to be first in everything we do, including our worship. 

    In Exodus 20, the very first commandment tells us this. God rebukes idolatry and then goes on to describe what idolatry is. He demands absolute worship from us when we recognize that GOD IS GOD. God will speak to people in dreams and visions, He will pour out His Holy Spirit upon His sons and His daughters. (Joel 2) He will reveal Himself to those who are seeking Him. Now is the time to seek God and live. For the day is fast approaching when people will seek God in fear, but lacking understanding, they will not find Him. 

    It is The Holy Spirit and the church who are calling people to salvation through Jesus Christ. When we leave, what will you do if you don't leave with us? Now we pray that The Holy Spirit fill us and burn away everything not of God, leaving only that in us which God will accept. 

    If you don't know where to start reading your Bible, start with The Book of John. And let The Holy Spirit direct your steps where to go next. 

 BURN IN ME - Paul Wilbur

Guard Your Heart - - Understand His Ways

 

Hosea 14:9

Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the LORD are right, and the righteous walk in them but the rebellious stumble in them.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 1870

Ways: commandments, journey, manner, distance, road

From the Hebrew word 'derek' (pronounced deh'-rek). This word 'ways' has a few definitions, but in this Hosea 14:9 the translation is "commandments".

    Hosea 14 is a call to Israel, to God's people to repent: to repent of their idolatry, their faithlessness (apostasy); to confess their wrongs to Him and to return to Him. It is a call to remember that their blessing lies with God; it is God who makes us fruitful, but only when we are faithful to Him.

    HIS WAYS ARE JUST 

Justice of God

Deuteronomy 32:4 "He is the Rock, His work is perfect; all His ways are just. A God of faithfulness without injustice, righteous and upright is He."

Revelation 15:3 "They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: “Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!"

    HIS WAY IS PERFECT

Perfect: Sound, wholesome, having integrity; without blemish or defect

Genesis 17:1; 2 Samuel 22:31; Psalm 18:30; Psalm 19:7

    Matthew 5:48 "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." It is a call, a commandment, to be people of integrity. People of integrity have a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Perfect: Entirely in accord with Truth and Fact

Job 1:1; Deuteronomy 10:12

Joshua 24:14

"Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and Truth; cast aside the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt, and serve the LORD."

    HIS WAY IS RIGHTEOUS

Psalm 145:17 "The LORD is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His works."

    HIS WAYS ARE EVERLASTING

Everlasting: of long duration, from antiquity to futurity, from ancient times to times not yet, continually existent

Habakkuk 3:6 "He stood, and measured the earth: He beheld, and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: His ways are everlasting."

Revelation 1:8 "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty."

    HIS WAY IS STRENGTH TO THE UPRIGHT

Proverbs 21:15; Isaiah 40:31; Psalm 1:6

Proverbs 10:29 "The way of the LORD is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity."

Ephesians 6:10 "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might."

    HIS WAYS ARE TAUGHT

Micah 4:2 "And many nations will come and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion and the Word of the LORD from Jerusalem."

    THE LORD SHOWS US HIS WAY

Psalm 25:8 "Good and upright is the LORD; therefore He shows sinners the way."

John 14:6 "Jesus answered, “I am The Way and The Truth and The Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

    HIS WAYS ARE TO BE WALKED IN

Walk In: Live in, be obedient to, follow after

Isaiah 30:21 "And whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: “This is The Way. Walk in it.”

2 John 1:6 "And this is love, that we walk after His commandments. This is the commandment, That, as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it."

   To understand His ways is to know His ways AND be obedient to His Way. Many will say they knew Him, but because they refused to obey Him, He will know they are lying. 

Matthew 7:22, 23; Matthew 25:41; Luke 13:25, 27.

    The born again believer not only pursues understanding but follows the blueprint of obedience and blessing which The Lord has laid out for those who love Him. 

    I do not want to know everything about The Lord now. Knowledge is responsibility. Knowing what little I do know of The Lord Jesus Christ, I know that He saved this wretched sinner from everlasting death and brought me into everlasting life. So, I, too, encourage you to get into His Word, follow His Way and obey His will for your life. 

    Let us walk the walk and talk the talk: in the Love of God, in the Way of The Lord. 

Understand - Jeremy Camp

The Worth of Knowing You - Austin Bratton

I Have Decided To Follow Jesus - Lydia Walker

Simple Pursuit - New Wine