Saved, Sealed, Secure

Topic: what we receive because of what Jesus did for us.

(a lot)

it’s not so simple, Eph gives a summery.

Go through passages in eph1

Here is a summery of what is true about us:

Chosen

Forgiven

Wisdom & understanding

Inheritance

Holy Spirit as down payment

elightenment

Adoption/sonship

Hope

Lets focus on what role the Holy spirit has in this.

First the most obvious from the text is the sealing, but how do we understand this?

Instead seal as a kings seal, brand on a cow

Earnest money when buying a house

Heart transplant on an adopted son.

We don’t have the full inheritance, that will be in eternity

This is part of what makes our sonship real. It’s not like ing a child, we actually are his child.

What does the HS do for now? Look at the list

a

Wisdom and understanding, what does this mean?

The HS is the author of scripture, He inspired the men who wrote the words.

Enlightenment is the HS personal help to understand scripture.

If we have the HS, we have a secure hope for our future.

Why is this true?

First on the list. We are chosen. God choose you, he foreordained you, predestined you.

Ephesians 1:4 CSB

For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him.

How did he choose you? The Bible never says This is an aspect of God that we cannot really understand.

We tend to think of God always existed in an eternal past. And God, way back then, knew about the future and could “see” it much in the same way that we know about our past and can “see” our memories of what happened.

Use objects in the room to visualize a timeline to help illustrate God’s perspective.

This way of thinking assumes God is like us, existing in time, remembering the past and making choices about the future.

God is not like us, He created time, exists independent of it, and observes all time equally.

So did God choose you, or did you choose God?

YES

The bible affirms both, the only way to be accurate is to affirm both ideas as completely true.

The some of the greatest heresies and trouble of the early church was because people wanted a God that was “logical”. That made sense to them. The details are God’s business.

There are other things the Bible says that are beyond our understanding.

There is 1 God, but 3 persons.

Jesus was 100% and 100% God.

Yes that Bad math, but its the only way we know how to accurately describe Jesus.

Why is this so important.

How is beyond us, but WHY is very very clear.

Go through WHY passages in eph 1.

If you belive in Jesu Christ:

You have the Holy Spirit

You are chosen.

There is nothing desirable in you that you should be chosen.

Not:

Smart

good looking

less sinful

great leadership potential

Deep down really are a good person

You won the divine lottery

Not because you chose him first

HE chose you to the praise of His glory.

How salvation works: You did all the sinning, God did all the saving.

So what? Two things.

You have every spiritual blessing. when?

Ephesians 1:13 CSB

In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed.

Eph 13

God could not possibly have been more generous in what he has given us. We have the spirit, we don't need to recipe, invite, to don’t need to get more.

If you don’t feel like you are experiencing the spiritual blessings, notice how so many of the things in are attached to time in God’s word and time with His Church.

Doing things for God, is not the same as walking with God.

say that again.

You are chosen. It has nothing, i repeat, nothing to do with you.

God’s hand has sealed you

He has permanently marked you

You have had a heart transplant.

God has given a down payment.

Almighty God is outside of time. And to Him, your future perfect self in heaven is just as much a reality as you sitting here right now.

Philippians 1:6 CSB

I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Can you feel discouraged? Can you feel like a failure, can you sometimes feel that God would have been better off not even bothering with your wicked and sinful heart?

You are chosen, you are secure. You have HOPE. your have purpose. your have and inheritance and I identity through Jesus Christ.

From that perspective, nothing else matters.

Application.

Are you really spending time in God’s work. Are you really spending time with God’s church? or are you checking off boxes, doing enough of what people expect so you can get to other things.

Be honest with yourself.

Second, who do you see yourself as?

What is your identity? Do you intentionally or unintentionally think about something you do are more defining that What God has done for you? Perspective is powerful.

Doing things for God is not the same as walking with God.

As believers in Christ we have the Holy Spirt. If our perspective is wrong, if or priorities are wrong, we will be missing out in a very real way.

Ephesians 1:18–19 CSB

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength.