Signed, Sealed, Delivered PART 1
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· 61 viewsJesus signed for us with His blood, the Holy Spirit seals us to the day of redemption, we are delivered safe and sound to God the Father.
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Jesus’ Signature Promises Delivery!
Jesus’ Signature Promises Delivery!
Our families favorite Hallmark film series is called “Signed, Sealed, and Delivered.” The characters work in the “Dead Letter Office” of the post office. Undeliverable letters and packages end up there where Oliver O’Tool, Shayne MacaNerny and gang attempt to solve who the letter or package was intended to be delivered.
Ephesians 6:21–22 (KJV 1900)
But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things: Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts.
Tychicus carried this letter you are holding to the Ephesus church. A cyclical letter for Christians in their region and believers of all time.
Tychicus is the first mailman of the Bible, at least for Paul and the early church:
The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (Tychicus (Person))
Because of his mission to relay information, the inference has often been made that Tychicus delivered both Colossians and Ephesians, and possibly the letter to the Laodiceans as well (Col 4:17).
Today to send a letter a person signed the envelope with an address: Sender and Sendee. Then proceeds to seal the envelope with “self sticking feature” or lick the envelope, or tape it closed. After that, the letter is delivered to the addressee.
Sometimes it get through, sometimes the mail gets lost.
Jesus never looses a package.
READ PASSAGE: Ephesians 1:3-14.
For all the people reading this letter in Greek 2000 years ago, they would read this as one long, beautiful and majestic sentence.
There are some BIG themes in this book: Election, Predestination, Foreknowledge, Dispensation, and other BIG Terms are not things we need to be afraid of, but terms to understand.
Jesus signed for us with His blood, the Holy Spirit seals us to the day of redemption, and we are delivered safe and sound to God the Father.
Jesus Never Looses A Package.
Because Jesus Signed for Us with His Blood we have 3 promises delivered to us:
Jesus Chose You to Be Holy. 4
“Before the foundation” or establishment of the world. When was the world founded? At Creation.
John 17:4–5 (KJV 1900)
I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
There is time BEFORE earth. There is more to life than what we see in front of us today. Eternity past, present, and future.
God was thinking about you and I BEFORE He created this world!
God knew Jeremiah before he was born! He had a specific reason and purpose for Jeremiah’s life and Jeremiah choose to follow God’s plan.
Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. (ἐκλέγομαι)
CHOSEN = ② to make a choice in accordance with significant preference, select someone/something for oneself, ⓒ with indication of the purpose for which the choice is made:
“God chose us by His own will (Ephesians 1:11) not because He could foresee our choice of Him. Jesus made this compellingly clear.” - Henry Morris
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
We love him, because he first loved us.
“From our Human perspective, every believer has also made his own willing decision to receive Christ. - Henry Morris
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Ryrie Study Bible Expanded Edition: New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update (Ephesians 1)
Predestined. God has determined beforehand that those who believe in Christ will be adopted into His family and conformed to His Son (cf. Rom. 8:29). It involves a choice on His part (v. 4); it is done in love (v. 4); it is based on the good pleasure of His perfect will (vv. 5, 9, 11); its purpose is to glorify God (v. 14); but it does not relieve man of his responsibility to believe the gospel in order to bring to pass personally God’s predestination (v. 13).
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
WHAT DID HE CHOOSE US FOR???
Jesus Chose Us to be Holy.
Holy = of sacrifices and offerings; prepared for God with solemn rite (routine), pure, clean.
Thayer, J. H. (1889). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: being Grimm’s Wilke's Clavis Novi Testamenti (p. 7). New York: Harper & Brothers.
Jesus Chose Us to be Without Blame.
New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries: Updated Edition (299a ἄμωμον (amōmon))
Without Blame = ἄμωμον amōmon; of Indian or.; amomum (a fragrant plant of India):—spice(1).
This is a term that has to do with smell, fragrance, perfume, or odor. God does not want us to smell like filth, dirt, sweat and grime. Not in a physical sense, but the fragrance of our lives.
Recently, we waited up, watching the stars in the hopes of seeing the recent meteor showers. We saw many shooting starts. The nights were hot, humidity high, and the mosquitoes were out for blood. We were hot and sweaty and our deodorant did not have a chance.
Some people have a good fragrance, others have a foul fragrance. Jesus wants our lives to pass the “Smell test” of “Without Blame.”
The choices, actions and attitude of your life should not reek of sin, sinful thinking, and other wrong decisions.
Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?
Jesus Chose You to Be Holy. 4
Jesus Loved You to Adopt You. 4-5, 10
The last 2 words of verse 4 are connected to verse 5 - “In Love (AGAPE) Jesus predesitnated us to adoption.”
Predestinated = to predetermine, decide beforehand; of God decreeing from eternity, to obtain a thing.
Thayer, J. H. (1889). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: being Grimm’s Wilke's Clavis Novi Testamenti (p. 541). New York: Harper & Brothers.
Adoption in the Roman world is much different than for us today. Romans would adopt fully grown people and give them the same status and recognition as natural born sons. In fact, the natural born who was to assume family leadership would be adopted too!
A person could move up the social ladder from a slave to an emperor overnight.
At the time Paul wrote this Claudius was Caesar and he was the adopted grandson of Caesar Augustus!
Galatians 4:1–7 (KJV 1900)
Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
As adopted children (Men and Women) we are ACCEPTED in the Family of God (Beloved = loved ones) 6.
ASSIMILATES YOU and gathers us into His plan for Heaven and Earth! 10 The Fullness of times - at the timing He has in mind, when everything is ready “in Christ.”
Are you living up to the family name? Are you honoring your Heavenly Father???
Jesus Chose You to Be Holy. 4
Jesus Loved You to Adopt You. 4-5, 10
Jesus Called You to Give God the Credit. 11-12
“Catch up with Jesus” and give Him the glory… Snoopy meme.
We have an inheritance.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
We have a purpose.
2 Timothy 1:9 (KJV 1900)
Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.
We have a praise. We praise God. HOW?
“Be” to the praise of His glory.
“Be giving God the Credit for anything good in your life.”
Give God the Credit, when things are good or when things are not the way you thought they would be.
6,000 Plus Illustrations for Communicating Biblical Truths If It Will Glorify You
The following is a wonderful prayer by Norwegian Theologian Ole Hallesby:
“Lord, if it will be to Your glory, heal suddenly. If it will glorify You more, heal gradually; if it will glorify You even more, may your servant remain sick awhile; and if it will glorify Your name still more, take him to Yourself in heaven.”
Jesus Never Looses A Package.
Jesus Chose You to Be Holy. 4
Jesus Loved You to Adopt You. 4-5, 10
Jesus Called You to Give God the Credit. 11-12
Have you been saved from your sin?
Are you living blamelessly?
Are you claiming your role as a child of God?
Are you giving God the Credit for anything good in life?