The deal is sealed

Ephesians 4:30

The deal is sealed, was music to the ears of a salesperson, its meaning was clear the bid had been awarded to your company, and your due diligence has paid off.  The meaning of the word seal: “a device or substance that is used to join two things together so as to prevent them from coming apart or to prevent anything from passing between them.”  Verse 30 gives a clear statement on what the Holy Spirit of God has done for all who are in Christ.  “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”  (Ephesians 4:30)

The Holy Spirit is the substance used to join you and I together in one body, that is Christ.  It is Jesus Christ who holds all things together, in the book of Colossians 1:17, “And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”  It is Jesus who said; “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no avail.  The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” (John 6:63)  It is clear that the body of Christ, the Church, has often lost sight of these words from our Master and Savior Jesus Christ.  Do our actions not show that we put our emphasis on the flesh, take for example, we often fix the human needs in our community and that is a good thing, but is it the best.  Many who we love, many who are family members, neighbors, business associates are separated from God.  Each of them need a new heart, each of them need someone to tell them that eternal life is found only in Jesus Christ.  If Jesus tells the truth, the Christian will escape this physical body to live eternally in the presence of our Redeemer, because by faith they entered into Christ, they enter His time line, but your loved one, your neighbor or business associate, will be cast into a fire that has no end.  If you believe Jesus tells the truth, He talked more about hell than he did about heaven.  Jesus made it clear that hell was not designed for men, but it was designed for the devil and his demons, but man chooses to go there.

In 2010 we are all about labels and warnings, but from the beginning God has sent prophets, apostles, evangelists, pastors and teachers, to show us the truth.  And then He sent His only Son, Jesus the Christ, and Jesus who tells the truth, came with this message to whosoever: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” (John 3:17, 18)

We who are one in Christ have these words from our Lord, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him.  Your know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16,17)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice