The Holy Spirit's Seal

"In Him (Christ) you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise" (Ephesians 1:13). Scripture is clear, upon believing the gospel of Christ, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. God has sealed every believer in Christ.

In Bible days, important letters were written on scrolls of parchment. It was rolled together and sealed in such a way that the recipient of the letter knew that no one had changed the message. We could say, it was signed, sealed and delivered. This custom was used to illustrate our security in Christ. Believers are sealed with the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit of promise comes to us through faith in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:2, 5). The Holy Spirit is the covenant promise of God to you and every believer (Acts 2:38-39). God says, "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them" (Ezekiel 36:27).

The Holy Spirit is our seal of promise, to be our Guide, Counselor, Helper and Comforter. The Holy Spirit was promised to us as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:13). Every believer is sealed with the promise of the Spirit, unto the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30). That's the day Christ returns and believers are glorified into His likeness (1 John 3:2). 

Sovereignty Not Fatalism

Sovereignty without human responsibility leads to fatalism. On the other hand, teaching human responsibility while neglecting God's sovereignty leads to deism, where God is simply not ruling in our world. Then, God is nothing more than a spectator. Neither can ever be acceptable according to Holy Scripture.

Concurrence is God's sovereignty plus our responsibility. The Bible teaches both. Consider this illustration. The farmer plows the soil, sows the seed, and continues to cultivate the field. Yet, only God can give the increase. This was the illustration given by the apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 3:5-9). Here we understand the sovereignty of God concurrent with our responsibility.

God is sovereign over all. He is the Almighty, beside whom there is no other. He is the Creator, sustaining and ruling over all. Yet, God has given us choice that makes us responsible and accountable to Him. Therein, we find the basis of God's judgment. Therefore, God speaks to us in the Bible with exhortations and commands.

Concurrence is God's sovereignty including our responsibility. Theological systems that teach God's sovereignty without our responsibility will lead to the error of fatalism. God's sovereignty and our responsibility are always concurrent.

God's Sure Mercies

"And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, the sure mercies of David" (Isaiah 55:3). The everlasting covenant promises us a personal relationship with God. We know from the Bible, that it is God's will to extend mercy, even the sure mercies of David. God made covenant with David concerning the coming of Christ (2 Samuel 7:12-16). It was a sure promise, because it was the promise of God fulfilled in our Lord Jesus Christ.

God's sure mercies are for us are in covenant with Christ (Hebrews 13:20-21). God's oath of promise is to have sure mercies upon us in Christ alone. It's God's sworn promise through the everlasting covenant. Simply stated, covenant means that God will never change His mind.

God's sure mercies for us are secured at the cross of Jesus. He died for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). God accepted the sacrifice of Jesus in our place. God declared it to be true by raising Jesus from the dead (Romans 10:9). All who believe the gospel of Christ are in covenant with God.

God's sure mercies promise to cleanse believers from all sin through Jesus Christ (1 John 1:7-9). The covenant sure mercies of God in the Lord Jesus Christ saves all who believe (Acts 16:31). God's everlasting covenant mercies are sure to us by faith in Christ.

Election Is In Christ

Election is in Christ unto salvation from eternal judgment. Christ is our deliverance from condemnation. Election is God the Father's choice to save sinners in Christ (Ephesians 1:4-6). Reprobation is the opposite of election. It is the reprobate's choice to reject God's salvation in Christ (John 3:18).

Election is in Christ by God's grace. He saves us from the condemnation of our sin. God's grace is his goodness, leading us to repentance (Romans 2:4). The reprobate chooses to obstinately reject the goodness of God's grace in Christ.

Election is confirmed through faith in Christ (2 Peter 1:1,10); reprobation is confirmed through continual rejection of Christ. Election gives mercy to sinners through Christ crucified (Romans 5:8). Christ risen from the dead brings justification to sinners by faith alone (Romans 4:5; 10:9). The reprobate is hardened in his own sin that rejects Christ forever.

Election is in Christ by God's active will to save us as believers. Reprobation is God's passive will to let others continue in their sin and unbelief. Election is the will of God in Christ (1 Peter 1:1-2). Reprobation is the will of man in sin (John 5:40).

Election is in Christ to the praise of God's glory. God saves us by faith in Christ to the praise of His glorious grace (Ephesians 1:6). God passively allows those who are reprobate to reject Christ unto their own just condemnation (John 3:19).

The Gospel for All

The gospel is our salvation (Romans 1:16). The gospel is simple and clear for all to understand. Christ alone died for our sins according to the Scripture. He was buried and raised from the dead on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

The gospel is freely offered to all people everywhere without exception. Christ is offered for all to receive, calling upon the name of the Lord (Romans 10:13). Believers confess Jesus as our Lord risen from the dead (Romans 10:9).

Jesus commanded His disciples to preach the gospel to everyone (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47). Christ offers himself to all people in all nations. Believing in Jesus our Lord is receiving him (John 1:11-12).

The gospel saves every true believer from the condemnation of sin (John 3:17). Believers are saved from everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:46). Believers are delivered from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light (1 Peter 2:9).

The gospel is received by faith or rejected by unbelief (John 3:18). Those who reject the gospel of Christ are judged and perish in their own unbelief (John 3:16). That's because they believe not the Son of God (John 3:36).

Jesus Our Amen

We end our prayers with the word Amen. That word means "so be it." It's a covenant term from the Old Testament. When Israel entered into the old covenant, known as the law of Moses, they spoke collectively the word Amen to agree with the commandments. Today, we use the same term to end our prayers.

The old covenant law was conditional, based upon the obedience of the people. The new covenant is unconditional, based upon the complete and perfect obedience of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we pray in the name of Jesus our Amen. That means believers in Jesus our Amen receive all of God's new covenant promises.

The Bible teaches that Jesus is our Amen, according to the new covenant, also known as the everlasting covenant (Hebrews 13:20-21). Observe the contrast. Under the old covenant, the people promised with an Amen to obey God. Yet, they disobeyed. However, under the new covenant Jesus is our Amen. Jesus is the "Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation" (Revelation 3:14).

According to the law, we are all covenant breakers. In essence, we have all sinned (Romans 3:23). Jesus came to fulfill the law and bring the promises of the new covenant. Jesus is our Amen of all the promises of God (2 Corinthians 1:20). All of the promises of God are for believers through the perfect obedience of your Amen, the Lord Jesus Christ!

Christ Our Mediator

The Lord Jesus Christ is the one and only Mediator with God, through the everlasting covenant. He works in believers to do what is well pleasing to God (Hebrews 13:20-21). God the Father is well pleased in his only begotten Son. We can only please God when his Son Jesus works in us, and through us to the praise of his glory. 

"For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time" (1 Timothy 2:5-6). A mediator brings two parties together who are in disagreement. God's disagreement with us is on one issue alone. That is our sin. There is only one Mediator with God. Jesus is the believer's one and only Mediator.

God the Father gave his only begotten Son as our one and only Mediator of his mercy, grace and love (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ is rejecting God's mercy, grace and love. Jesus is our one and only Mediator with God, because he alone is the God-Man. He is fully God and fully man, as incarnate deity.

Jesus gave himself as every believer's ransom at the cross. He is the gift of God the Father, who alone has paid the price to set believers free from condemnation and wrath (John 3:18, 36; Romans 8:1). That's why Jesus is our one and only Mediator with God. Jesus died for sinners at the cross. He is risen from the dead as the believer's one and only Mediator with God.