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
Active Member
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.
Ephesians 4:25, lying is one of the most evident marks of the old man, since Eden, where the serpent distorted God’s word, lying has been the tool of deception. Jesus Christ identified the devil as the father of lies in John 8:44, there is no truth in him and that when he lies, he speaks from his own character. When Christian lie, they operating according to the nature of the enemy, not according to the nature of God, truth on the other hand, is essential to divine character. God cannot lie, Titus 1:2, when the new man speaks the truth, the believer is reflecting the nature of the one who created you.
Paul is not only prohibiting explicit lies, he is calling for a culture of transparency and integrity in the body of Christ, to speak the truth with one’s neighbor has a deep relational dimension, the neighbor here is not just anyone, but especially the members of the body of Christ, because we are members of one another. When you lie to another believer, you are harming the very body of which you are a part, it is like a hand deceiving the foot about the location of an obstacle. Lying destroys trust and without trust, there is no genuine fellowship.
Paul is not only prohibiting explicit lies, he is calling for a culture of transparency and integrity in the body of Christ, to speak the truth with one’s neighbor has a deep relational dimension, the neighbor here is not just anyone, but especially the members of the body of Christ, because we are members of one another. When you lie to another believer, you are harming the very body of which you are a part, it is like a hand deceiving the foot about the location of an obstacle. Lying destroys trust and without trust, there is no genuine fellowship.
Many churches are weak, because their members cannot be honest with one another, they hide their struggles, pretend to be okay when they are broken, project an image of perfection that does not match reality. This culture of falsehood hinders true edification, speaking the truth, however, is not the same as being brutal or insensitive, Ephesians 4:15, truth without love becomes a weapon, love without truth becomes sentimentality, the new man balances these two dimensions, believers speak the truth, because they love people enough not to let them live in deception.
The new man speaks with compassion, recognizing the believers own fragility, Proverbs 27:6, sometimes speaking the truth hurts, but it is a love that chooses to hurt temporarily, rather than allow someone to continue on a destructive path. The practice of truth also involves honesty with oneself, many believers lie to themselves about the real state of their hearts, they rationalize sin, justify wrong attitudes, deny areas of disobedience. But the new man lives in the light, believers confessing their shortcomings and seeking continuous transformation through the grace of God.
The new man speaks with compassion, recognizing the believers own fragility, Proverbs 27:6, sometimes speaking the truth hurts, but it is a love that chooses to hurt temporarily, rather than allow someone to continue on a destructive path. The practice of truth also involves honesty with oneself, many believers lie to themselves about the real state of their hearts, they rationalize sin, justify wrong attitudes, deny areas of disobedience. But the new man lives in the light, believers confessing their shortcomings and seeking continuous transformation through the grace of God.
The order observed in the liturgy of now, finds its ultimate grounding in the physical and metaphysical reality of the resurrection, the event that anchors all Christian hope in the solidity of transformed matter. 1 Corinthians chapter 15 indicates that Christian hope does not reside in a platonic escape from matter, but in its radical and definitive transformation. Paul confronts the heresy of a purely intellectual or ethereal spirituality, asserting that if Christ did not redeem biology from corruption, faith is an empty semantic construct and man remains trapped in the nihilism of death. Resurrection is not a myth of the immortality of the soul, but an ontological revolution that claims every atom of creation.
The concept of spiritual body presented by Paul does not suggest a denial of the physical, but its saturation by the life of the eternal, where the corruptible is swallowed by incorruptibility, establishing that human destiny is not the abandonment of earth, but the inauguration of a new physics of existence. This perspective alters the understanding of victory over death, moving it from the realm of poetic consolation to the ground of factual certainty that underpins all ethics of the now. For every act performed in the present echoes in the solidity of materialized eternity, the correlation between the seed that dies to germinate and the body that decomposes to arise establishes a discontinuous continuity that challenges immediate sensory perception.
The concept of spiritual body presented by Paul does not suggest a denial of the physical, but its saturation by the life of the eternal, where the corruptible is swallowed by incorruptibility, establishing that human destiny is not the abandonment of earth, but the inauguration of a new physics of existence. This perspective alters the understanding of victory over death, moving it from the realm of poetic consolation to the ground of factual certainty that underpins all ethics of the now. For every act performed in the present echoes in the solidity of materialized eternity, the correlation between the seed that dies to germinate and the body that decomposes to arise establishes a discontinuous continuity that challenges immediate sensory perception.
The image of a necessary metamorphosis, where the image of the earthly man must give way to the image of the heavenly man, not by a merit of natural evolution, but by a creative act of God that encompasses the tyranny of time. Paul argues that resurrection is the firstborn of a new species, which would make his message the target of censure in circles that seek only psychological comfort or a civilizational morality. For Paul, without the concreteness of the transformed flesh, the gospel loses its voltage and becomes just another philosophy of resignation.
The semantic weight here resides in the assertion that evil and death do not have the final word over matter. A thesis that restores the body, its supreme dignity and human labor, its eternal relevance, for nothing done under the aegis of the Creator is handed over to the forgetfulness of dust. Underlying this structure of hope, lies the denial of dualism, that separates the spiritual sacred from the material profane, a division that Paul annihilates by placing the event of resurrection as the central axis of history. The theological implication of this translation alters the understanding of suffering and physical limitation, seeing them not as permanent states, but as the light and momentary tribulation that prepares the eternal weight of glory.
This worldview demands an intellectual courage that contemporaneity often avoids, preferring spiritual entertainment over the density of a promise that requires the death of the self for the manifestation of full life. Victory over the sting of death, the biblical record does not offer an opiate for the masses, but a fuel for the subversion of all systems of oppression that use the fear of the end as a tool of control, preparing the spirit to understand the authority that emanates not from force, but from embraced weakness.
The semantic weight here resides in the assertion that evil and death do not have the final word over matter. A thesis that restores the body, its supreme dignity and human labor, its eternal relevance, for nothing done under the aegis of the Creator is handed over to the forgetfulness of dust. Underlying this structure of hope, lies the denial of dualism, that separates the spiritual sacred from the material profane, a division that Paul annihilates by placing the event of resurrection as the central axis of history. The theological implication of this translation alters the understanding of suffering and physical limitation, seeing them not as permanent states, but as the light and momentary tribulation that prepares the eternal weight of glory.
This worldview demands an intellectual courage that contemporaneity often avoids, preferring spiritual entertainment over the density of a promise that requires the death of the self for the manifestation of full life. Victory over the sting of death, the biblical record does not offer an opiate for the masses, but a fuel for the subversion of all systems of oppression that use the fear of the end as a tool of control, preparing the spirit to understand the authority that emanates not from force, but from embraced weakness.
Ephesians 4:25, this command seems contradictory, how is it possible to be angry and not sin at the same time? The answer lies in understanding that not all anger is sinful, there is a just anger, a holy indignation in the face of injustice, oppression and blasphemy against God. John 2:13-17, Jesus was not out of control, but deeply disturbed by the profanation of his father’s house. Anger becomes sin when it is selfish, when it springs from wounded pride, when it seeks revenge, when it is disproportionate to the offense. Paul is saying that it is possible to feel anger without allowing it to dominate you or produce destructive actions, the difference is in the control and the motive.
Let not the sun go down on your anger, Paul sets a time limit on anger, even if the initial indignation is justified, it cannot be cultivated. Holding on to anger is to feed bitterness, it is to give space for anger to turn into resentment, hatred and a desire for retaliation. The setting of the sun marks the end of a day and Paul is saying that each day should end with a clean heart. This does not mean that all conflicts will be resolved in 24 hours, but it means that your inner posture cannot be one of permanent hostility. Proverbs 29:22, unresolved anger spreads, contaminates other relationships, distorts perception of reality, you start to interpret everything through the lens of offense, seeing hostility where it does not exist.
Let not the sun go down on your anger, Paul sets a time limit on anger, even if the initial indignation is justified, it cannot be cultivated. Holding on to anger is to feed bitterness, it is to give space for anger to turn into resentment, hatred and a desire for retaliation. The setting of the sun marks the end of a day and Paul is saying that each day should end with a clean heart. This does not mean that all conflicts will be resolved in 24 hours, but it means that your inner posture cannot be one of permanent hostility. Proverbs 29:22, unresolved anger spreads, contaminates other relationships, distorts perception of reality, you start to interpret everything through the lens of offense, seeing hostility where it does not exist.
Grailhunter
Well-Known Member
You say.....analytical, mental issues.....Obessive compulsive OCD? A lot of successful people have this so called disorder. Either way sorry for your issues. In your case intent means a lot.....do your best and Yeshua will judge accordingly.
Of course belief in Yeshua as the Son of Yahweh a God and our savior is required. And I recommend Acts 2:38..... “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. And then participate in the Bread and Wine ritual.
At that point you are Christian. Why? Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? Luke 6:46
From there the Christian life is a Journey.....Philippians 2:12....work out your salvation with fear and trembling; Live a moral life the best you can and go to church and participate with the Christian community. I understand some mental issues make associating with people difficult.....just do the best you can and you will fair well.
Serving God requires neither a stage, nor spotlights, just a willing and sensitive heart to the direction of the Holy Spirit and with this awareness your faith has purpose, you are invited to look at an even greater movement that God is realizing, uniting peoples, breaking down walls and forming a new people, the body of Christ, of which you are now a part. For centuries, the spiritual world was divided between those who were part of God’s covenant, the Jews and those who were excluded from it, the Gentiles, but Ephesians 2:14, Paul announces that Christ is your peace, who made both groups one.
MostlyConfused
Member
Ephesians 3:16, this supplication reveals where the greatest spiritual battles truly occur within you, the Holy Spirit works in the invisible, in the deepest regions of the soul, where silent decisions shape entire destinies. This inner strength is not synonymous with emotional strength, much less self-confidence, it is spiritual power coming directly from the glory of God, capable of sustaining the believer when everything around is crumbling. Paul knew that the greatest danger was not external persecution, but internal discouragement, the inner man needs to be built up every day, for from it flows your resilience, sensitivity to the voice of God and the ability to love with maturity, this prayer teaches you that living by faith requires more than good intentions or biblical knowledge.
Supernatural, invisible, constant strengthening is necessary, it is not something the world applauds as it is not visible to human eyes, but it is precisely this that keeps someone standing when everything seems dark. The strengthened inner man does not depend on circumstances, the inner man is nourished by the continuous presence of God. A heart being restored, the idea is to convey that although this process is invisible, it is the foundation of everything that is visible in your journey with God. Without roots, there is no fruit and it is the Holy Spirit who strengthens this hidden structure and it is precisely by being strengthened on the inside, that you can live in a new way on the outside.
Supernatural, invisible, constant strengthening is necessary, it is not something the world applauds as it is not visible to human eyes, but it is precisely this that keeps someone standing when everything seems dark. The strengthened inner man does not depend on circumstances, the inner man is nourished by the continuous presence of God. A heart being restored, the idea is to convey that although this process is invisible, it is the foundation of everything that is visible in your journey with God. Without roots, there is no fruit and it is the Holy Spirit who strengthens this hidden structure and it is precisely by being strengthened on the inside, that you can live in a new way on the outside.
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