God’s plan is no longer an indecipherable puzzle, but a living reality that can be discerned through communion with the Holy Spirit. Whoever seeks God with a sincere heart, discovers that this mystery is in fact an invitation to intimacy and cooperation with the projects of heaven. The will of God is not an arbitrary imposition, but a calling for us to participate in what is eternal and with the mystery now partially revealed. The seal of the Holy Spirit, the living guarantee that you belong to the plan that is now unfolding before you, as you become participants in faith, Ephesians 1:13. This seal is not something symbolic or emotional, it is a definitive spiritual mark that attests to your divine sonship.
What is being a Christian?
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In ancient context, a seal represented ownership, authenticity and security, when God seals you with the Holy Spirit, he declare to the spiritual world, this one is mine, belongs to me. The seal of the Holy Spirit is God’s response to your yes, it is not an isolated experience, but a continuous reality. The Holy Spirit guides you, comforts you, transforms you and gives you discernment, the Holy Spirit identifies you as God’s exclusive people, while the world labels you based on achievements, failures or appearances, God identifies you by the Holy Spirit that dwells in you.
stevesonthebay
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For me a Christian is like a journey towards Christ. Paul says it is no longer I that lives but Christ that lives in me. But I reckon he also struggled and was continually ridding himself of himself. He speaks about the weak flesh aqnd living in the spirit.
When Christ enters your heart its like having a greater awareness of God. A God consciousness. Sin can no longer live in the same heart. So as long as you keep handing over to God even if you feel you are getting nowhere this will gradually being you closer to God.
The more you invite Christ in the less sin can live in your heart. Sometimes we may take a step back. But so long as we keep coming back to God it will get better. God says He is the potter and we are the clay. That speaks of a gradual transformation and shaping into a new person in God.
Everyone struggles with letting go of sin and each person has their weaknesses. God strips away our sinful nation and we become more perfect. But it is not us that are doing this but Christ that lives in us. So it can come down to as simple as just trusting God when you cannot know the way or it becomes too much.
Gods yoke is easy. Or should I say God makes it easier that if we tried on our own. What we now think is too hard becomes achievable with God. So don't plug into the failures and keep trusting God even if you cannot see the way.
Satan wants to create doubt and question God. Making us think we are unworthy and failures. Don't listen to him. Hand those doubts over to God and things will get better.
Its also important to realise that its ok to seek help. Sometimes professional help as we can have unfounded guilt and anxiety when we have done nothing wrong. Its good to get another perspective as this sheds light on those dark and negative thoughts and exposes the unreality.
When Christ enters your heart its like having a greater awareness of God. A God consciousness. Sin can no longer live in the same heart. So as long as you keep handing over to God even if you feel you are getting nowhere this will gradually being you closer to God.
The more you invite Christ in the less sin can live in your heart. Sometimes we may take a step back. But so long as we keep coming back to God it will get better. God says He is the potter and we are the clay. That speaks of a gradual transformation and shaping into a new person in God.
Everyone struggles with letting go of sin and each person has their weaknesses. God strips away our sinful nation and we become more perfect. But it is not us that are doing this but Christ that lives in us. So it can come down to as simple as just trusting God when you cannot know the way or it becomes too much.
Gods yoke is easy. Or should I say God makes it easier that if we tried on our own. What we now think is too hard becomes achievable with God. So don't plug into the failures and keep trusting God even if you cannot see the way.
Satan wants to create doubt and question God. Making us think we are unworthy and failures. Don't listen to him. Hand those doubts over to God and things will get better.
Its also important to realise that its ok to seek help. Sometimes professional help as we can have unfounded guilt and anxiety when we have done nothing wrong. Its good to get another perspective as this sheds light on those dark and negative thoughts and exposes the unreality.
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The Holy Spirit is an identity, invisible to human eyes, but absolutely visible in the spiritual realm. Many live as if they constantly need to prove that they belong to God, they forget that they have already been marked, sealed, adopted, this spiritual insecurity generates fatigue and doubt, when in fact, the presence of the Holy Spirit in you is the greatest confirmation that you are on the right path. The Holy Spirit not only accompanies you, he transforms you from within, shaping you into the image of Jesus Christ, enabling you to live the father’s will.
In the eyes of God, the seal of the Holy Spirit is your guarantee, your anticipated inheritance, your security in an unstable world, this allows you to walk boldly, not because of who you are, but because of who lives in you. With this certainty that you belong to God, Ephesians 1:19, Paul declares that this power is the same as that which raised Jesus Christ from the dead. This completely changes your perception, your not merely following a doctrine, you carry within you the same force that conquered death and exalted the son of God. This power is not a mystical energy or a momentary emotional impulse, it is the active presence of the Holy Spirit dwelling in each believer.
In the eyes of God, the seal of the Holy Spirit is your guarantee, your anticipated inheritance, your security in an unstable world, this allows you to walk boldly, not because of who you are, but because of who lives in you. With this certainty that you belong to God, Ephesians 1:19, Paul declares that this power is the same as that which raised Jesus Christ from the dead. This completely changes your perception, your not merely following a doctrine, you carry within you the same force that conquered death and exalted the son of God. This power is not a mystical energy or a momentary emotional impulse, it is the active presence of the Holy Spirit dwelling in each believer.
Romans 8:30, known, predestined, called, justified, glorified, is often presented as a chronological timeline of individual salvation, a map of the process through which each believer moves from eternity past to eternity future. Theological seminaries build entire curricula around this structure and there is genuine value in this, the progression that Paul describes, reveals something real about the consistency and faithfulness of divine purpose. Paul is treating future events with the certainty of someone who considers them as guaranteed as those already accomplished. The glorification is described as something already accomplished from the perspective of God’s eternal purpose.
This is not grammatical imprecision, it is a deliberate theological statement, the final destiny of the believer is so firmly established in divine purpose, that it can be spoken of in the past tense without creating falsehood. Paul was teaching that the certainty of the future should transform the experience of the present. There is also what Romans 8:30 does not say and which is as important as what it affirms, it does not say, that the path between the calling and glorification is without suffering, without doubt, without moments when everything seems to collapse. It does not say, that the believer will not heir, will not question, will not go through periods of spiritual darkness.
Romans 8:30 describes God’s faithfulness throughout the journey, not the perfect linearity of human experience within it. Between the calling and glorification, lies decades of real life with all its contradictions, losses, new beginnings and transformations. Paul was not describing a frictionless trajectory, he was assuring that no matter what happens along the way, the destination remains secure in the hands of the one who initiated the process. The question of Romans 8:31 is not rhetorical, in the sense of not having an answer, it is rhetorical in the sense that the answer is embedded in the question and the answer is, that no one and nothing can effectively oppose the one who is by your side with the weight of all divine sovereignty.
This is not grammatical imprecision, it is a deliberate theological statement, the final destiny of the believer is so firmly established in divine purpose, that it can be spoken of in the past tense without creating falsehood. Paul was teaching that the certainty of the future should transform the experience of the present. There is also what Romans 8:30 does not say and which is as important as what it affirms, it does not say, that the path between the calling and glorification is without suffering, without doubt, without moments when everything seems to collapse. It does not say, that the believer will not heir, will not question, will not go through periods of spiritual darkness.
Romans 8:30 describes God’s faithfulness throughout the journey, not the perfect linearity of human experience within it. Between the calling and glorification, lies decades of real life with all its contradictions, losses, new beginnings and transformations. Paul was not describing a frictionless trajectory, he was assuring that no matter what happens along the way, the destination remains secure in the hands of the one who initiated the process. The question of Romans 8:31 is not rhetorical, in the sense of not having an answer, it is rhetorical in the sense that the answer is embedded in the question and the answer is, that no one and nothing can effectively oppose the one who is by your side with the weight of all divine sovereignty.
Those that have followed God into the truth of salvation in his only begotten son Jesus Christ are no longer Jews or Gentiles - they are now the sons of God. Those sons are not in a separate construct called the "church" or the "bride" or some other term lifted out of the context of scripture. They are the Remnant of Israel - a spiritual body of believers that "doeth truth [and] cometh to the light, that his deeds may be manifest, that they are wrought in God." (John 3:21).
Ephesians tells us "all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light; for whatsoever doth make manifest is light." (Ephesians 5:13) This profound truth is plainly telling the reader that it is the increasing of the light, manifested in a vessel of honour, that is the catalyst for the spiritual clash that is steadily increasing in severity.
The incredible truth here is that "the sons of God" are seen "in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world...." (Philippians 2:15) As that light shines into the darkness, the darkness comprehends it not; and as the world continues to deteriorate into evil, the "sons of God" continue the process of the externalization of the powerful Spirit of God that is growing in us.
Writing early in the first century, the Apostle Paul brings the study full circle in the book of Romans. In a futurist context, we learn that "the whole creation groaneth and travaileth together in pain until now" (Romans 8:22). This verse poignantly speaks of how all aspects of creation are under the same curse of sin.
Paul also articulates the great hope that at some point this physical bondage will be destroyed. He tells us that before that release occurs, "the earnest expectation of the creature [creation] waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God" (Romans 8:19). This statement is pointing to a time when the "sons of God" will lead the entire creation to a state of release from the spiritual decay that presently plagues the world. This "manifestation" will only occur in its fullness when Jesus Christ returns.
I think the obstacle to the faith, when it comes to Christianity, is the idea that you have to do it on your own - I have said this before and I will say it again "the Holy Spirit is a better Christian than you": don't be stuck where the Devil can get the upper hand, trust the Holy Spirit to win the battle you can't win on your own.
I love you, but I think the Holy Spirit loves you more!
I love you, but I think the Holy Spirit loves you more!
Ephesians 1:19, God empowers you to resist sin, love what was once impossible, forgive deeply and live courageously amidst a chaotic world. The Christians who understands this power, does not easily succumb to fear or hopelessness, for they know that they do not walk alone, nor unarmed. The problem is that many live as if they are spiritually inert, they ignore that there is a divine dynamism within them ready to manifest. This power is not a privilege for some more spiritual individuals, but a gift granted to all who are in Christ. This power strengthens you in the evil day, comforts you in pain, propels you in mission and firmly grounds you in truth.
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