Christians are the Kingdom Property of Jesus Christ

Sealed

Ephesians 1-12-13(KJV)
12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

What does it mean to be “sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise?”

What is the “earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession?”

Highlighting certain aspects of this most wonderful Church epistle of Ephesians which declares to the saints (the sanctified ones) The Fathers Great Love to us who BELIEVE!

When God’s Word tells us we were “sealed” it is the Greek word “sphragizo” which means to stamp (with a signet or private mark) for security or preservation (literally or figuratively); by implication, to keep secret or to attest.

This word “sphragizo” comes from the word “sphragis” which is a signet (as fencing in or protecting from misappropriation); by implication, the stamp impressed (as a mark of privacy, or genuineness), literally and figuratively.

The scrptures shows us that what we were sealed with or that the down payment is the holy spirit of promise. And that this holy spirit of promise is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession.

The Word here in Ephesians tells us that we were sealed or stamped with a signet or a protective mark for security or preservation or that we are fenced in or protected from misappropriation by a stamp as a mark of privacy or genuineness which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession.

The word “earnest” is the Greek word “arrhabon” which is a pledge, i.e. part of the purchase money or property given in advance as security for the rest. In our time it is a down payment on a purchase or what is commonly called ‘earnest money’ in real estate for a house or property which you are in the process of buying.

When we first trusted in Jesus Christ after that we heard the good news or the gospel of our salvation, the scripture declare that we were buried with Him by baptism into His death (Romans 6:4) and then raised again together with Him to walk in newness of life.

The newness of life (Christ in you the hope of glory) is our spiritual inheritance, or a sort of spiritual DNA we received when we were sealed with the holy spirit of promise. The gift of holy spirit is our spiritual endowment which enables us to walk supernaturally in order to be changed into the image of Christ. This may also be stated as taking upon ourselves the form of Christ in our every day actions.

The true work of the gift ministries to the body of Christ is to labor and travail in birth (Galatians 4:19) until Christ be formed in the saints. This apparent impossibility may only be accomplished by the power of the gift of the holy spirit energized within us by faith so that we may be filled to overflowing in order to manifest any or all if the nine manifestations of
(I Corinthians 12:1-13).

Paul told the Galatians that he labored and travailed in birth until Christ be formed in them.

Today all around the world we desperately need true ministers of Christ to be laboring and travailing in birth until Christ be formed in the members of the body of Christ.

We (The church) have been equipped by God by way of His gift to share the gospel or the good news that Jesus Christ the Lamb of God has taken away the sins (past, present and future) of the world.

Hebrews 10:26-29 clearly states that any who have received the knowledge of the truth (the gospel or Good News!) and refuse to accept Him by willfully rejecting The Lord Jesus as the only acceptable sacrifice for their sins have only a certain fearful looking for of judgment.

Heb 10:26-29

This is the Good News! All those who will come to Him and confess His name shall be saved. Again the Word of God states that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Hebrews tells us that He, Christ became our High Priest of good things to come not by the earthly tabernacle, which was made with hands but by a greater and more perfect tabernacle.

Christ did not enter into the Holy of Holies here on earth to sprinkle the blood of bulls and goats, but He entered in once and for all into the Holy of Holies in heaven to sprinkle His own precious blood on the Mercy seat.

Heb 9:11-14

Heb 9:24-28

What great news we have to share with the people of this world! Especially now when we are surrounded with so much darkness and despair we can truly be the lights of the world holding forth the word of life.

Beloved I will leave you with this:

Phil 2:5-16

To God be the Glory through His Son Jesus Christ forever and ever Amen.

Can salvation be lost?

Can one lose their salvation?

The way I see it those who have been saved or received salvation have been for ever emancipated by Christ.

True followers of the Lord Jesus Christ are no longer in bondage, or slaves to sin. This is due to Christ’s finished work on the Cross which has emancipated us to live in the Liberty which is in Christ.

Denying the power of the Cross of Christ is blasphemy!

The Cross to some people is foolishness, but to others it is the power of God unto salvation! For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. To deny salvation is to deny the power of the Cross, and thereby it is blaspheming God.

When the Lord said “It Is Finished” He meant it!

Therefore anyone who accepts Jesus of Nazareth as Lord are empowered by the power of the holy spirit to overcome sin and the world’s way of living. This is why Christ said that we should seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

The gift of holy spirit delivers people from the bondage of being children of disobedience, which at one time we all were, and gives them the power to become the children of obedience.

Once an individual has been saved, they each have the personal responsibility to live in the grace, and mercy, of that salvation which is due to the pure precious blood that Christ, as our High Priest, sprinkled on the Mercy Seat in the heavenly Temple.

This ongoing process of salvation is called sanctification. Sanctification is the process all followers of Christ, while living upon the earth, go through as they steward their salvation which in the first place came from God via the gift of faith by grace.

During this process of sanctification we now have a choice which we never had before when we were walking in the darkness of our past. The choice we have been given is to choose not succumb to sin. All normal people know that to never succumb to sin is impossible. This is why, if we do succumb to sin, we have and Advocate or High Priest (Jesus Christ) who makes intercession for us in the Holy of Holies in Heaven.

When we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

He has called and enabled us to reign with Him in His Kingdom and gave us power to be obedient in order to accomplish this high calling in Christ Jesus.

May we all continue to walk worthy of our high calling of God in Christ Jesus!

Simply put, I was saved at the cross. I am continually being saved every day through sanctification, and I will absolutely be saved and changed at the Resurrection.

Bottom line is that salvation is all about God and His mercy, grace and faith. Salvation is not about us and whether or not we have the ability to keep it. Because if this were the case, we would all be forever lost.

DISCOVERING THE LORD JESUS THE CHRIST “AS HE IS” TODAY PART V of XIII

DISCOVERING THE LORD JESUS THE CHRIST “AS HE IS” TODAY PART V of XIII

By Frank J Manasseri

ETERNITY PAST

Before the days of His Flesh, in what we shall call Eternity Past, was it possible that the Son of God was with the Father in the form of spirit? If so did the Son share the same attributes as the Highest God? Let’s look at some scripture that seem to indicate this pre-existence was possible.

John 17:5 (AMP)
5 And now, Father, glorify Me along with Yourself and restore Me to such majesty and honor in Your presence as I had with You before the world existed.
Philippians 2:6-8 (AMP)
6 Who, although being essentially one with God and in the form of God [[a]possessing the fullness of the attributes which make God God], did not [b]think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped [c]or retained,
7 But stripped Himself [of all privileges and [d]rightful dignity], so as to assume the guise of a servant (slave), in that He became like men and was born a human being.
8 And after He had appeared in human form, He abased and humbled Himself [still further] and carried His obedience to the extreme of death, even the death of the cross!

These scriptures seem to indicate that according to the plan of salvation, the appointed time came for the Son of God to willfully limit Himself of His Glory and His divine attributes and willfully laid aside all those attributes that made Him equal with God.

In other words He, Jesus Christ chose not to use His Godly powers while in the flesh, and in doing so, He made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant and was found in fashion as a man. Is it possible the Son of Almighty God, was willing to conceal His glory and leave His divine attributes behind (heaven) in order to be born a perfect human sacrifice for the sins of all mankind?

The way I see it, in this seemingly deliberate and willful act of obedience to the Father, The Son of God stepped from the limitlessness and security of eternity into the confines of the time and space of this fallen world. Accordingly He was willing to humble and subject himself to the cruel and savage treatment He received during the days of His flesh in order to obtain the gift of salvation for mankind.

In obedience to the Fathers Will, He was conceived by the Holy Spirit Then after nine months in His mother’s womb, He was born a helpless infant, totally dependent upon His mother Mary and stepfather Joseph. He grew up as other children along with His brothers and sisters under the authority of His earthly parents in Nazareth.

The Lord Jesus willfully emptied himself to become man, so that He could save us from an eternity in Hell, and freely give all who will confess Him as Lord eternal life.

Oh! What Faith! Oh! What Love! Oh! What Hope! Jesus the Son of God became the Son of Man to dwell among us in the flesh, and to declare to us the Father God. This began the days of His flesh where He was fully human.

Fully Man with Sinless Blood

John 1:1-5 (KJV)

But how is it that the Son of God, Who is the Word made flesh, was born into this world without sin?

The answer to this question may be found in the epistle to the Hebrews.

Heb 2:14 (KJV)

This verse is telling us that the children are partakers of flesh and blood. The word partakers is from the Greek word koinoneo which means to share in common, to be a partaker of or in anything in common with others.

It is interesting that another Greek word is used to describe what part the Son of Man took. The verse does not say that He partook, koinoneo of the same, but that He took part metecho of the same.

The Lord Jesus was born into this world with pure sinless blood, which He inherited, not from fallen Adam but from His Heavenly Father. Jesus is the promised seed of Abraham and He is the only man born of a woman without the original sin of Adam. The flesh He took part of, was from the line of David through His mother Mary. And so He was born fully human in order to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God.

To be continued. . .