The Deposit
What is the reason for this sermon Karl?
To help people to draw confidence from the fact that the Holy Spirit lives in the lives of people who have accepted Christ and his very presence is an indication of God's intention to ultimately deliver them.
I have an insurance policy
Written in the blood of the lamb,
Sealed by the cross of Jesus,
Redeemable wherever I am!
The company will never go bankrupt,
It is bonded by God's promise true;
It will keep every word of it's contract,
Exactly what it says it will do.
I don't have to die to collect it,
No premiums do I have to pay;
All I do is to keep God's promise
And walk in his holy way.
No collector will ever come calling,
It was paid on Calvary's tree;
It insures me for living and dying
And for all eternity.
-- H. H. Hover
Old Pete had a deep assurance of his salvation. One day while talking with a minister friend, he said, "If God should take me to the very mouth of Hell and say to me, `In you go Pete; here's where you belong,' I would say to Him, `That's true Lord, I do belong there. But if you make me go to Hell, your dear Son, Jesus Christ must go with me! He and I are now one, and we cannot be separated anymore."
People in our world are sadly lacking in this quality today. There seems to be a lack of certainties in our lives. Things that we can actually bank on. Paul made some incredible statements of confidence. "I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day."
"Dear children let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts and he knows everything." 1 John 3:18-24
"I am persuaded that neither life nor......" (Romans 8:31-39)
A very bold religion that we know here today. No other name under heaven or earth whereby men may be saved......."
Admired Steve Moore's confidence. I know that one day you'll come to understand the truth. The implication is that the guy was in left field and one day he would be enlightened.
It has been my general experience in the ministry that there is an overall lack of trust in the promises of God among those who are His people by profession. Christians living up and down relationships, in and out, one day sure and the next day unsure.
My father in law and I were talking the other day and I looked at him and commented, "Wesleyan theology fails to communicate clearly what the grace of God is all about. We understand saving grace very well. God can forgive us of
anything regardless of how terrible the offense might have been but keeping grace is quite another thing.
The Spirit of God has been set in our hearts as a deposit guaranteeing what is to come. We must live with that confidence is we are to be convincing others that this is actually a reality.
1. What are the things in life that tend to cause us to vacillate and turn from our profession of faith?
q A performance oriented relationship with Jesus. In not so many words it says, "As long as I am living as I should, God's grace covers me. When I sin, it is over."
q An eye tuned to that that which is tangible alone. It takes more than a lifetime for God to make us what we ought to be. We shall be like him when we see him, for we shall see him as he is. Salvation is an inner work that becomes more evident with the passing of time.
q We really don't know what we want. That is a matter which must be settled at the outset of a person's relationship with Jesus Christ. He played no games with the young man who came to him under the guise of spiritual desire and conduct. He went straight for the juggler. You must be willing to give everything that you have if you are willing to follow Christ. The issue of desire must be first settled. That identification will settle so many problems. The young man searching for truth. Dissatisfaction is a one word definition for motivation. Indian guru, When your heart yearns for truth as your lungs yearned for air, you will find it. People who really don't know what they want will never find spiritual victory. All of this earth's attachments must be left behind. Our involvements in the world that we live in must be redemptive in nature.
q We expect things from God that he does not promise to deliver. (See Psalms 73 - the story of Asaph) He is not giving away cash prizes. There are not many tangible guarantees. There are many tangible blessings that God may direct our way but they are not universally guaranteed nor are they given in response to our conduct. God does not promise that wealth and prosperity will come our way if we live to honor him. He does not promise popularity and often the reverse is the case. He does not guarantee good health. He is a God of miracles. He does tell us to bring our petitions and our requests to him but he does not guarantee to remove tragedy and inequity and pain and sorrow and misfortune from our lives. To expect those things from God is to look for burnout spiritually.
2. What can we expect from him?
q Whatever we need to function effectively in the role that God has planned for us.
q Enough. That is something that we have an incredibly difficult time defining. Most of us let our incomes define it for us and so enough becomes more with each raise in pay.
q Ability to do what God would have us to do. He has given each of us a trust that must be used in God's own interest. An amazing thing is that God doesn't seem to call too many people when they are established in life. Either that is true or the problem is one of hearing.
q Other things are promised to us. Company for the journey. A mission and a purpose for living. Strength to endure temptation and hardship. Wisdom as explained in the book of James. Courage to face the obstacles and difficulties of life.
It is not and never will be resident in our own lives. In our most victorious moments our righteousness is not our own. It is then as always and always will be, in Jesus Christ.
3. What is this deposit that guarantees that which is to come?
q It is God's goal and his desire to make heaven our eternal residence. It is more of a concern to Him than it is to us at times. Salvation was God's idea, not ours. The gesture made by the person who intends to make the purchase. (II Cor. 1:22) Here it is set in the context of God's definite purpose and the surety of his promise.
q The presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts is an indication that God has full plans to spend eternity with you. It is that indication to you and to me that God is very serious about your salvation. The idea was to provide for the security or the assurance of the person who was doing the selling that there would be no change in plans. (II Cor. 5:5) Deals here with God's plan to deliver us to heaven. Arrabon was earnest money meant to measure the seriousness of a person's desire to purchase. If they were really serious, they found no difficulty in making the payment. It indicated to the one who was selling that there would be no change of plans on the part of the one who was doing the purchasing.
q The initial installment.
reation, will be able to separate us from the love of God
that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Ro -how will he not als
with him, graciously give us all things? Wh
