Sunday, October 27, 2013

Engaged To Be Married To Christ

"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory." (Ephesians 1:13-14)

The Greek word translated "deposit" (arrabon) speaks of a down payment that was made to secure a purchase. The moment you were saved, the Spirit of God became the down payment on God's final installment of your eternal glory. In modern Greek, arrabon includes the idea of an engagement ring, a deposit securing something in the future. The Holy Spirit is our guarantee that Christ will come again and take us with Him. In that sense, we can view the Holy Spirit as God's engagement ring to his Church, a sign of His deep love and His guarantee to keep His promises. Jesus and His Father give us a guarantee of His promise to marry us. If that marriage in Heaven does not happen between Him and us, then God did not honor His guarantee. So, if a person can lose their salvation, then God is a liar.

Christ purchased us. If He purchased us, He owns us, and we cannot get out of it. Therefore, a person cannot lose their salvation, because Christ bought them. He did not purchase every single person, for if He did, then every single human being would go to Heaven. He only purchased the Elect. And if He purchased us, then our belonging to Him has to do with Him, not with us. “It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.” (Romans 9:16)

Salvation is the work of God, not of man. It has to do with the sovereignty of God. The fact that salvation is the work of God, and not of man, works to the praise and glorification of God. But if it is up to man, then it works to the praise of man.

3 comments:

Dr. Russell Norman Murray said...

God makes us born again (John 3).

God does not 'born again' persons twice, but a person indwelled can be guided heavily by the Spirit (filled).

Nor do people become 'un-born again'.

Jeff said...

Much obliged, Dr. Murray, and I agree.

A person is anointed by the Holy Spirit when they are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and that happens at salvation, and that happens one time.

A person can be filled with the Holy Spirit countless times, and the Bible tells us to continuously be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Jeff said...

The below is from How You Can Continue to Be Filled with the Holy Spirit


by Bill Bright


If you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit already dwells within you. When you purchase a mechanical item that runs on batteries, frequently the notice "Batteries Not Included" is printed on the box. The Holy Spirit -- your source of power for living -- is "included" when you receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. Therefore, you do not need to invite Him to come into your life. He came to live within you when you became a Christian, and Jesus promised that He will never leave you.


The moment you received Christ, the Holy Spirit not only came to indwell you, but He imparted to you spiritual life, causing you to be born anew as a child of God. The Holy Spirit also baptized you into the body of Christ. In I Corinthians 12:13, Paul explains, "We were all baptized by one Spirit into one body."


There is but one indwelling of the Holy Spirit, one rebirth of the Holy Spirit, and one baptism of the Holy Spirit -- all of which occur when you receive Christ.


Being filled with the Holy Spirit, however, is not a once-for-all experience. There are many fillings, as is made clear in Ephesians 5:18.


How to Be Filled Continually - Part I


Read Ephesians 5:18. In the original Greek, "be filled" means "keep on being filled constantly and continually." Living a godly life is a vital part of this process.


1. What characterizes the life of the Christian who is "being filled" constantly and continually? (John 15:1-11, Galatians 5:16-25)


2. Which two commandments do you think are most important to living the Spirit-filled life? (Matthew 22:36-40) Why?


3. In your own words, explain the concept of Spiritual Breathing (from the video at the beginning of this study). Exhale: I John 1:9. Inhale: Ephesians 5:18, I John 5:14-15


4. How can Spiritual Breathing enable you to live a godly life and be filled continually with the Holy Spirit?


5. To be filled continually with the Holy Spirit, you must abide in Christ. Read John 14:21. How can you do that? (John 15:1-11, 15:10) What does the example of the vine and the branches in verses 1-8 mean to you in your Christian life?


How to Be Filled Continually - Part II


1. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit. Read Ephesians 4:25-32. How do you grieve the Holy Spirit? Which commandment in that list do you need to pay special attention to?


2. How can you get rid of the sin in your life? According to Romans 8:13, what does the Holy Spirit want for you?


3. Spend time daily in prayer and Bible study. What do these verses teach about the role of prayer in the life of the Spirit-filled believer?
(Hebrews 4:15-16, James 5:16, I Samuel 12:23, James 1:5, Acts 4:31)


4. What do these verses tell us about the role of God's Word in the Spirit-filled life?
(Romans 1:16, Hebrews 4:12, II Timothy 2:15, II Timothy 3:16-17)


5. Obey God's commandments. According to these verses, what role does obedience have in the Spirit-filled life?
(John 14:15, 23-26)


6. Witness for Christ. According to Acts 1:8, for what purpose was the Holy Spirit given?


Life Application


The Spirit-Filled Life is an obedient and abiding life. It can be experienced daily as you:


•Love God with all of your heart

•Practice Spiritual Breathing

•Spend time daily in prayer and Bible study

•Obey God's commands

•Witness for Christ