Ephesians 4:30 – Paul speaks of something that has been perverted in much of Christianity. The question of significant importance in regards to salvation is, if we have been sealed (i.e. marked) by the Holy Spirit, is it with a permanent marker, or can it be tampered with, and erased [i.e. erasable ink; to “blot out” – see Rev. 3:1-6 below in note for Matthew 24:42-44]? Tampered is defined as “to interfere with (something) in order to cause damage or make unauthorized alterations.” And, “to interfere so as to weaken or change for the worse.” “The day of redemption” speaks of a future event, of something yet to happen. See more on this below.
30 Do not grieve [3076] the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed [4972] for the day of redemption [629].
NASU
NT:3076 lupeo (loo-peh'-o)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
from NT:3077; to distress; reflexively or passively, to be sad:
KJV - cause grief, grieve, be in heaviness, (be) sorrow (-ful), be (make) sorry.
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
to make sorrowful; to affect with sadness, to cause grief; to throw into sorrow: tina (2 Cor. 2:2, 5)
NT:4972 sphragizo (sfrag-id'-zo)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
from NT:4973; to stamp (with a signet or private mark) for security or preservation (literally or figuratively); by implication, to keep secret, to attest:
KJV - (set a, set to) seal up, stop.
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
a. for security: ti (Matthew 27:66)
b. to hide keep in silence, keep secret: ti (Revelation 10:4)
c. in order to mark a person or thing; hence, to set a mark upon by the impress of a seal, to stamp (Rev. 7:3)
d. in order to prove, confirm, or attest a thing; to confirm, authenticate, place beyond doubt
(Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words)
[NT:4972] sphragizo – “to seal,” is used to indicate (a) security and permanency (attempted but impossible), Matthew 27:66; on the contrary, of the doom of Satan, fixed and certain (Rev. 20:3, RV), “sealed it over”; (b) in Romans 15:28, “when... I have... sealed to them this fruit,” the formal ratification of the ministry of the churches of the Gentiles in Greece and Galatia to needy saints in Judea, by Paul's faithful delivery of the gifts to them; this material help was the fruit of his spiritual ministry to the Gentiles, who on their part were bringing forth the fruit of their having shared with them in spiritual things; the metaphor stresses the sacred formalities of the transaction (Deissmann illustrates this from the papyri of Fayyum, in which the “sealing” of sacks guarantees the full complement of the contents); (c) secrecy and security and the postponement of disclosure (Rev. 10:4); in a negative command 22:10; (d) ownership and security, together with destination (Rev. 7:3,4,5; as with the noun in v. 2); the same three indications are conveyed in Ephesians 1:13, in the metaphor of the “sealing” of believers by the gift of the Holy Spirit, upon believing (i. e., at the time of their regeneration, not after a lapse of time in their spiritual life, “having also believed” — not as KJV, “after that ye believed” —; the aorist participle marks the definiteness and completeness of the act of faith); the idea of destination is stressed by the phrase “the Holy Spirit of promise” (see also v. 14); so 4:30, “ye were sealed unto the day of redemption”; so in 2 Corinthians1:22, where the middle voice intimates the special interest of the Sealer in His act; (e) authentication by the believer (by receiving the witness of the Son) of the fact that “God is true,” (John 3:33); authentication by God in sealing the Son as the Giver of eternal life (with perhaps a figurative allusion to the impress of a mark upon loaves), 6:27.
Note: In Revelation 7, after the 5th verse (first part) the original does not repeat the mention of the “sealing” except in v.8 (last part) (hence the omission in the RV).
NT:629 apolutrosis (ap-ol-oo'-tro-sis)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
from a compound of NT:575 and NT:3083 [see def. right below]; (the act) ransom in full, i.e. (figuratively) riddance, or (specially) Christian salvation:
KJV - deliverance, redemption.
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
a. to redeem one by paying the price
b. to let one go free on receiving the price: a releasing effected by payment of ransom; redemption, deliverance, liberation procured by the payment of a ransom;
1. properly
2. everywhere in the N.T. metaphorically, viz. deliverance effected through the death of Christ from the retributive wrath of a holy God and the merited penalty of sin (Romans 3:24)
NT:3083 lutron (loo'-tron)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
from NT:3089; something to loose with, i.e. a redemption price (figuratively, atonement):
KJV - ransom.
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
the price for redeeming, ransom (Matthew 20:28)
Tampering With A Seal
Tampering:
The action of touching or making changes to something that you should not, usually when you are trying to damage it or do something illegal [i.e. lawlessness, without law].
The crime of trying to change evidence in a legal case, or make a witness (a person who has seen or knows something about a crime [i.e. the Holy Spirit in the case of a Christian]) change their evidence.
Tamper-evident:
A tamper-evident seal will indicate that a seal or closure has been interfered with or removed. A tamper-evident seal is a sealing device designed to reveal if the opening of a container has been interfered with.
Made so that you are able to see if anything has been changed, opened, removed, or damaged.
The Day Of Redemption
As I said in the note above, “The day of redemption” speaks of a future event, of something yet to happen. In response to His disciple’s questions regarding the end of the age, Jesus made the following statement;
“There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption [629] is drawing near."
(Luke 21:25-28/NASU)
In his letter to the Romans, Paul also refers to this future day;
“For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption [629] of our body.”
(Romans 8:19-23/NASU)
This implies that in the day of our redemption, our salvation will be brought to completion; spirit, soul, and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). This redemption from our fallen state has been accomplished through the blood of Jesus (Colossians 1:13-14), which is why we must be careful of our walks in the new covenant. It is a grave offense to flippantly treat this ransom price that we have been bought with, thereby insulting the Spirit of grace through continued rebellion without repentance (Hebrews 10:29).
The following insights are from an online book titled “The Day Of Redemption,” by Trumpet ministries (http://www.wor.org/book/3581/the-day-of-redemption);
“The Lord Jesus advised us to look up during the time of worldwide turmoil because our redemption then will be near. Several verses of the New Testament speak of the coming salvation…
The term redemption means to restore to the original or rightful owner that which was taken from him by trickery, forfeiture, or force. In the case of mankind, Adam and Eve were tricked by Satan and gave away their inheritance. The Lord Jesus came from Heaven and with His blood paid the price necessary to restore man’s inheritance.
The price of redemption has been fully paid for us. But Satan, not being an honorable person, refuses to surrender the lost property. Therefore, Satan must be bound so that what he is holding illegally, the nations of the earth and the earth itself, may be returned to the original and rightful owners. Redemption from the hand of such an enemy can be accomplished only by force, by war…
When the Lord returns, we shall be released from all that remains of our sinful personality and brought into the glorious freedom of the sons of God. This will take place provided we have faithfully followed the Lord in all He has shown us. It absolutely is not true that the final redemption from sin will be our inheritance even though we have not been faithful today. The current teaching that all believers will be set free in the Lord when He comes even though they have not followed the Lord is not at all true. The present teaching of unconditional grace is a grievous perversion of the doctrine of the Apostle Paul;
“…so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation. (Hebrews 9:28)
The salvation that will come with the appearing of the Lord will be experienced only by those who continually are looking to Him in all areas of their personality and behavior. The redemption of the last days is not for the lukewarm.
Our redemption is drawing near. We are to look up for it is coming to us from Heaven. In that day we shall be completely free from sin in body, soul, and spirit. We shall be able to serve the Lord in the fullness of righteousness, peace, and joy. The glory of the Kingdom of God will be ours to enjoy for eternity…
As much as possible, make certain that you and your loved ones are prepared for the time of judgment that even now is appearing on the horizon. The day of redemption will be glorious beyond belief for God’s faithful soldiers. The day of redemption will be terrifying beyond belief for those who have rebelled against God, particularly the sinners in the churches.
The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness has seized the hypocrites: “Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?” (Isaiah 33:14)Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the LORD is coming, for it is at hand: (Joel 2:1)”
This is why every Christian, after receiving Christ as your Lord and Savior, must “strive to enter through the narrow door” that “few” believers will (Luke 13:23-24). To strive is “to struggle, to contend with adversaries, to fight, to endeavor with strenuous zeal.” Once we have turned to Christ, the devil will persistently fight against us in an attempt to shipwreck our faith, retaking possession of our souls. We must steadfastly hold on firmly to Christ with an obedient heart. This is why Paul encouraged Timothy to, “…fight the good fight, keeping [2192- “to have, to hold fast, to keep”] faith and a good conscience [i.e. moral consciousness], which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.” (1 Timothy 1:18-19/NASU)
The Pledge/Deposit/Guarantee/Earnest Of Our Inheritance
Ephesians 1:13-14
13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation [4991- “deliverance, preservation, safety, salvation”] — having also believed, you were sealed [4972- see def. above] in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, [see Galatians 3:14, Luke 24:49, and Acts 2:33]
14 who is given as a pledge [728] of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption [629- def. above in Ephesians 4:30] of God's own possession [4047], to the praise of His glory.
NASU
Ephesians 1:13-14
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked [4972] in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
14 who is a deposit guaranteeing [728] our inheritance until the redemption [629] of those who are God's possession [4047] — to the praise of his glory.
NIV
Ephesians 1:13-14
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed [4972] with the Holy Spirit of promise,
14 who is the guarantee [728] of our inheritance until the redemption [629] of the purchased possession [4047], to the praise of His glory.
NKJV
Ephesians 1:13-14
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed [4972] with that holy Spirit of promise,
14 Which is the earnest [728] of our inheritance until the redemption [629] of the purchased possession [4047], unto the praise of his glory.
KJV
NT:728 arrhabon (ar-hrab-ohn')
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
of Hebrew origin [OT:6162]; a pledge, i.e. part of the purchase-money or property given in advance as security for the rest:
KJV - earnest.
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
an earnest, i. e. money which in purchases is given as a pledge that the full amount will subsequently be paid
(Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words)
[NT:728] arrabon – Originally, “earnest-money” deposited by the purchaser and forfeited if the purchase was not completed [i.e. by a covenant breaker], was probably a Phoenician word, introduced into Greece. In general usage it came to denote “a pledge” or “earnest” of any sort; in the NT it is used only of that which is assured by God to believers; it is said of the Holy Spirit as the divine “pledge” of all their future blessedness (2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5); in Ephesians 1:14, particularly of their eternal inheritance. In the Septuagint [a Greek version of the Old Testament], Genesis 38:17-18,20. In modern Greek arrabona is an “engagement ring.”
[Just remember that an engagement is not the wedding, but a pledge between two people of their agreement to become one. Through numerous reasons, in particular unfaithfulness, it CAN BE broken off though, BEFORE the ceremony. Only as the two "work together" (2 Cor. 6:1), remaining solely committed to each other, will there be great joy when they are "joined together." And so it is with the Lord and His Bride.]
What is “earnest money?
“[In real estate], earnest money, or good faith deposit, is a sum of money you put down to demonstrate your seriousness about buying a home [the Holy Spirit is the “good faith deposit” in a Christian, demonstrating His seriousness about buying us for His dwelling; “you were bought with a price” in 1 Cor. 6:20, and 7:23]. In most cases, earnest money acts as a deposit on the property you're looking to buy. You deliver the amount when signing the purchase agreement [i.e. covenant] or the sales contract… There are times when homebuyers lose their earnest money after a broken deal [i.e. break covenant].”
2 Timothy 1:14 – This is every Christian’s responsibility; to guard “with the help of the Holy Spirit” that which has been deposited in us. To be warned to “guard the good deposit” indicates that there is something that can cause great harm to us if we are not careful. This means that we can be “broken into” by something or someone of an evil nature that desires to take something from us (see Matthew 24:42-44 below).
14 Guard the good deposit [2570- “good, beautiful, magnificent, praiseworthy, morally good, noble”] that was entrusted [3866] to you — guard [5442- “to guard, keep, watch; to care for”] it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
NIV
NT:3866 paratheke (par-ath-ay'-kay)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
from NT:3908; a deposit, i.e. (figuratively) trust:
KJV - committed unto.
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
a deposit, a trust or thing consigned to one's faithful keeping (2 Timothy 1:12)
(Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words)
[NT:3866] paratheke – “a putting with, a deposit” (para, “with,” tithemi, “to put”), and its longer form, parakatatheke, are found, the former in 2 Timothy 1:12, “that which He hath committed unto me,” RV, marg., lit., “my deposit” (perhaps, “my deposit with Him”), the latter in 1 Timothy 6:20, where “guard that which is committed unto thee” is, lit., “guard the deposit,” and 2 Timothy 1:14, “that good thing which was committed unto thee,” i. e., the good deposit; RV, marg., “the good deposit.”
NT:4047 peripoiesis (per-ee-poy'-ay-sis)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
from NT:4046; acquisition (the act or the thing); by extension, preservation:
KJV - obtain (-ing), peculiar, purchased, possession, saving.
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
1. a preserving, preservation (Hebrews 10:39)
2. possession, one's own property (1 Peter 2:9)
3. an obtaining: with a genitive of the thing to be obtained (1 Thessalonians 5:9)
Matthew 24:42-44 – See the note below.
42 "Therefore keep watch [1127- “to watch, keeping awake, spiritual alertness, give strict attention to”], because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
43 But understand this: If the owner [3617- “the head of a family, master of a house, householder”] of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch [1127] and would not have let his house [3614- “a house, a dwelling”] be broken into [1358- “to dig through, to penetrate”].
44 So you also must be ready [2092- “to be ready, prepared”], because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
NIV
This passage is Jesus’ response to His disciple’s questions regarding the end of the age and His return. I believe the reason for our not knowing the exact day or time is so that we will always be on guard. If we knew exactly when He would come again, we might have a tendency to be slack in the guarding of our hearts beforehand.
The thief (i.e. the devil and his spokesmen) comes to steal, kill, and destroy what the Lord has deposited within us (John 10:10). This is why the devil has covertly introduced doctrines that say that he could never do this. When accepted as truth, his lies cause us to “put our guard down,” thereby allowing him to enter into our lives and wreak chaos, disorder, and ultimately destruction. This is how a Christian can, if not careful of their walks with Christ, become what Paul refers to as a “man of lawlessness,” a “son of destruction” in the great falling away from Christ right before His return (2 Thessalonians 2:3). They willfully sit on God’s throne within them, showing themselves to be God through the choosing of their will over the Lord’s (2 Thessalonians 2:4).
In his letter to the Galatian Christians, Paul made the following statement in response to Peter’s hypocrisy of no longer eating with Gentiles after being intimidated by the appearance of the Judaizers;
“If, while we seek [2212- “to seek or strive after [Luke 13:24], to seek in order to find”] to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves are sinners, does that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! If I rebuild what I destroyed [2647- “to unloose, to loosen down, to dissolve, disunite, to throw down”], I prove that I am a lawbreaker.”
(Galatians 2:17-18/NIV)
So, a lawbreaking Christian (i.e. the “man of lawlessness”) is someone who rebuilds in their lives the bondages that have been destroyed (i.e. loosed from) through our turning to Christ. If not repented of, they destroy His dwelling within us, bringing us to destruction (2 Thessalonians 2:8, 1 Corinthians 3:16-17).
It’s interesting that the Lord compares Himself to a thief in the night in numerous passages (see 1 Thess. 5:1-11; 2 Peter 3:10-14; Revelation 3:1-6, 16:15). One of these passages is worth looking at for now.
In His seven letters in John’s Revelation, the Lord declared to the church in Sardis;
“To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds [i.e. works] complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received [i.e. which means they have received Christ] and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. Yet you have a few people [the “few being saved” in Luke 13:23; Math. 7:14] in Sardis who have not soiled [3435- “to pollute, stain, contaminate, defile”] their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes [3528- “to subdue, to conquer, to come off victorious”] will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out [1813- “to wipe off or away, to blot out, obliterate, to erase (remember Ephesians 4:30 at the beginning of our study)”] his name from the book of life [see Psalm 69:28; Phil. 4:3; Rev. 3:5, 13:8, 17:8, 20:12, 15, 21:27], but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
(Revelation 3:1-6/NIV)
First of all, Jesus had said in Matthew 24:43 above, “If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.” So, we can know, or “be ready” for His return if we are “awake,” which means alert and focused, guarding our hearts from partaking in that which is not pleasing to Him. Through discernment, we will know, by the Holy Spirit, that the time for Christ’ return draws near and we must act accordingly.
Lukewarm Christians who are not looking, not guarding their hearts so as to stay near the Lord with a sincere and pure devotion (2 Cor. 11:3), will be unprepared, foolish virgins who will not be allowed entrance into the wedding feast. They will be cast into a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. (For more on the obedient Christians, known as wise virgins, that will be taken up before the wrath of God is poured out in the great tribulation, and the disobedient Christians known as foolish virgins that will be left behind to go through the tribulation, see the Bible study Elul; The Season Of Preparation and 40 Days Of Favor.)
Hireling pastors seduce their congregations through their false teachings that this would never occur to them, that they are secure in Christ even though they continue to walk in rebellion against Christ, without repentance. Because of their soiled wedding garments that they did not see the need to keep clean, their names will be blotted out of the book of life. They became an uprooted from Christ, “twice-dead” Christian (Jude 12). Tragically, in the end, they will simply curse God and die, cast into the unquenchable fire of hell.
Blot Out From The Book Of Life
The following insight is from chapter twenty-eight in my book The Resurrected Bride, which I titled Disappearing Ink;
In Revelation 3, the Lord warned the church in Sardis to wake up and complete their works. He said;
“To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds [“works”]; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds [“works”] complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.”
(Revelation 3:1-3/NIV)
The Greek for complete is pleroo (play-ro'-o). It’s described as “to level up a hollow, to make full, to finish, to render perfect, to carry through to the end.” They had become apathetic, neglecting their covenantal obligation to finish the works of the Lord so that nothing would be wanting in regards to a full measure in His sight from them.
The problem was their reputation before men did not match their reputation with God. Man saw them as alive and vibrant, a great place to go to church at and worship the Lord. This sounds like many of our hollow, entertaining American churches. Like many of them, the “Church Of The Walking Dead” in Sardis had some serious inner issues that, if not repented of, would cause some heavenly ink to quickly disappear.
Jesus went on with His rebuke to the church in Sardis, saying;
“Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes [“the cloak or mantle”]. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. He who has an ear [speaking to those in verse 3 who “received and heard”], let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
(Revelation 3:4-6/NIV)
Per the words of Jesus, to not overcome is to not be clothed in the proper garments which results in having your name erased from the book of life. That’s how serious it is to put on the Lord Jesus Christ!
Jesus makes it clear in this passage that one CAN have their name erased from the book of life. Again, the number one (in my opinion) doctrine of demons called “eternal security” is exposed as a lie from hell. Only Christians have their names placed in this book. How could one be in the book of life without possessing the Bread of Life? The erased ones are those whose heart is like that of Judas Iscariot, the unfaithful betrayer of Jesus that, at one time, ate from His table.
The Overcomers
The few that do not “soil their clothes” in verse 4 are those referred to in verse 5 as “overcomers.” They are the worthy Christians that have obediently kept themselves pure. The overcomer mentioned in this letter to Sardis is the Christian that has not been as diligent in guarding their hearts, but, after hearing the Lord’s rebuke to wake up, they repent [see Jesus’ parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-13]. This was a very stern warning to the church that we dare not dismiss as being irrelevant to us today.
In the west, our thinking has become so distorted that we look at the church as some type of a membership role only that meets in a building. God doesn’t think that way. The church is the ekklesia, the “called out” ones who have heard and then received Jesus.
Many come out, only to eventually go back into practicing sin and walking in unbelief. They’re the ones Peter refers to as the dog that returns to its own vomit, and the pig that, after washing (in the blood of Jesus), returns to wallow in the mud (2 Peter 2:20-22).
The Christians referred to in Revelation 3:1-6 are the ones commanded by God to wake up (verse 2), strengthen what still remains in their Christian faith but is about to die (verse 2), complete their works (verse 2), hold fast to what they heard and received, and repent (verse 3). They need to have their soiled clothes that have been stained, polluted, and defiled by sin rewashed in the blood of forgiveness before it’s too late.
If they listen and repent, they are the ones the Lord calls “overcomers.” The Greek for overcomers is nikao (nik-ah'-o) which means “to subdue, to conquer, to come off victorious.” It’s also defined as Christians who “hold fast their faith even unto death against the power of their foes, and temptations, and persecutions.”
Jesus is saying that if you and I, as a Christian, continue to disobey when He commands us to repent through His Holy Spirit, that we run the risk of crossing a line that will result in our name being erased from His book of life. Later, John makes it clear that not everyone is written in this book. He speaks of those “whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.” (Revelation 13:8)
Thankfully, the Lord is very patient with us, but we dare not in arrogance, without the fear of God, continue to walk in foolish presumption thereby testing Him. The prize of salvation is rewarded at the end, not the beginning, to those who endure, crossing the finish line through submission to the Holy Spirit’s inner dealings.
Through acceptance of false teachings, many in the church assume that a runner is automatically ensured of the prize when he first begins the race. As in an earthly contest, only those who finish receive what they’re running for.
Training, especially for endurance, is essential for running well. This happens spiritually through the training of the Lord that some fight in their lives, believing they are eternally secure and not in need of endurance. Without it, you will not finish. Hebrews 10:36 confirms this, saying; “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.” Clearly, doing the will of God is the ONLY way to “receive what was promised.”
Paul gave the following exhortation to the Christians in the city of Corinth;
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize… I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
(1 Corinthians 9:24-27/NAS)
The Greek word for “disqualified” is defined as “unapproved, rejected; by implication, worthless, not standing the test, that which does not prove itself as it should, reprobate.” Unlike many of our preachers today, Paul is not using this figure of speech to be witty. The only ones that look at this in that manner, dangerously taking away God’s words, are those who foolishly adhere to the devil’s lies. They have to reinforce their false beliefs.
As Jesus declared to His disciples when questioned about His return and the end of the age; “He who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 24:13) Otherwise, you become a “twice dead” (Jude 1:12), foolish virgin whose name disappears from the book of life.
If necessary, may the Lord grant you and I repentance before it’s too late and the doors of His ark of deliverance are eternally shut.
2 John 8-11 – See the note below.
8 Watch out [991- “to look at, to take heed, to see, discern”] that you do not lose [622- “to destroy”] what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully [4134- “full, complete, lacking nothing, perfect”].
9 Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue [3306] in the teaching of Christ does not have [2192- “to have (hold) in the hand, to hold fast, keep”] God; whoever continues [3306] in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.
10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him.
11 Anyone who welcomes him shares [2841- “to have a share of, to share with, take part in”] in his wicked work.
NIV
2 John 9
9 Whoever transgresses and does not abide [3306] in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides [3306] in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.
NKJV
NT:3306 meno (men'-o)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
a primary verb; to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy):
KJV - abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry (for), thine own.
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
to remain, abide
I. intransitively
1. to place
a. to sojourn, tarry (Luke 8:27)
b. tropically
a. equivalent to not to depart, not to leave, to continue to be present (1 John 2:19)
b. to be held, or kept, continually: in the state of death (1 John 3:14)
2. to time; to continue to be, i. e., not to perish, to last, to endure: used of persons, to survive, live
3. to state or condition; to remain as one is, not to become another or different: with a predicate nominative monos (John 12:24)
II. transitively; tina, to wait for, await (Acts 20:5)
John starts out by warning us that it is possible to “lose [“destroy”] what you have worked for,” not receiving a full reward (1 Cor. 3:10-15). In fact, he declares that if we do not “continue” in the teaching/doctrine of Christ, you do not “continue” to have Him. The Greek word we interpret as “continue,” or “abide” in other versions, is meno (men'-o). It’s defined as “to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy), to remain, abide.” This is a teaching/doctrine from Christ that keeps us near Him with an obedient heart, through the boundary for our fallen natures known as the fear of God. By the way, this is the importance of studying what Christ taught in the gospels. If you do not know what He taught you will not know the truth that will keep us from the deceit of the devil.
One day, as Jesus spoke to the people, many came to believe in Him;
“So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed [4100- “to have faith in, to believe, to be persuaded of, place confidence in”] Him, ‘If [a conditional statement!] you continue [3306- see def. above] in My word [3056- logos – “something said, collection, discourse”], then you are truly [230- “surely, indeed, in reality, most certainly”] disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’”
(John 8:30-32/NASU; see the Bible study Deliverance Ministry)
In this teaching of Jesus, He exhorts the Jews who had believed in Him to “continue in My word.” To continue is the same Greek word, meno (men'-o), used in 2 John. It is as we continue in His word, reading and looking into what He taught, that we will “know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” True freedom in Christ, not just in word but in reality (i.e. “truly”), comes from knowing the truth, having it revealed to us, and then applying it in our lives. Always ask the Teacher and Guide, the Holy Spirit, to show you the truth as you read the Bible. I can testify that He is faithful in revealing His truth to you in order to help you get set free from any bondage of the flesh. A verse I have leaned on since becoming a Christian in 1984 is found in Jeremiah 33:3; “Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”
In his first letter to the Corinthian believers, Paul said the following regarding the connection between continuing in the truth after receiving Christ, and receiving salvation;
“Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel [“the word of truth”] I preached to you, which you received [3880- “to take to oneself, to receive, to join oneself to”] and on which you have taken your stand [2476- “to continue, to stand by (i.e. continue safe and sound)”]. By this gospel you are saved, if [another conditional statement] you hold firmly [2722- “to hold down, detain, retain, keep secure, keep possession of”] to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain [1500- “without success of effect, without cause, to no purpose”].”
(1 Corinthians 15:1-2/NIV)
Salvation is a lifelong process, not a onetime shot. When you first turn to Christ you do not understand all the terms of the covenant with Christ you have now committed yourself to. That takes time. Paul makes it clear that if we do not "hold firmly [2722- “to hold down, detain, retain, keep secure, keep possession of”] to the word I preached to you,” that we will have “believed in vain.” Our lack of retaining the truth we received in Christ had no effect on us. It’s Divinely intended purpose of saving us from the sin that sends us to hell was unsuccessful because of our lack of continuing in obedience to what it said.
John then says in our passage above that if anyone does not bring this teaching, we are not to joyfully welcome them into our home. If we do, we are sharing in “his wicked work,” which means, by definition of the Greek word, “to have a share of, to share with, take part in” his wicked work of lying and deceit. If we do not separate from them, we will share in their judgments (Numbers 16:23-26, 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1, 2 Peter 3:16-18, Revelation 18:4-8).
2 Corinthians 1:21-22
21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God,
22 who also sealed [4972] us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge [728].
NASU
2 Corinthians 5:1-5
1 For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2 For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven,
3 inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked.
4 For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life.
5 Now He who prepared [2716- “do work fully; to accomplish; signifies ‘to work out, achieve, effect by toil (see def. for “vain” in 1 Cor. 15:1-2 above)’; by implication, to finish, fashion”] us for this very purpose [again, see def. for “vain” in 1 Cor. 15:1-2 above] is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge [728].
NASU
Isaiah 63:7-10 – See the note below. This passage is also in the Bible study Iwo Jima Sulphur Island.
7 I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the Lord has done for us — yes, the many good things he has done for the house of Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses.
8 He said, "Surely they are my people, sons who will not be false [8266- “to cheat, i.e. be untrue (usually in words; to deal falsely”] to me"; and so he became their Savior [see Jude 5].
9 In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.
10 Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned and became their enemy and he himself fought against them.
NIV
Isaiah describes the rebellion of the children of Israel which, in turn, grieved the Holy Spirit. The Lord had declared that they would not be “‘false to Me’; and so He became their Savior” (see Jude 5). Unfortunately, they, like many in the church today, did become rebellious false sons and daughters.
Because of their acceptance of the lies of the devil regarding salvation (i.e. once saved, always saved), some would say that this is the Old Testament and, therefore, doesn’t apply to us today. They need to study the book of Jude, in particular verse 5 which states, “Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe [i.e. were unfaithful to their pledge].” He saved them, He redeemed them, He lifted them up and carried them, but “they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit. So he turned and became their enemy and he himself fought against them.” God actually became the enemy of His own people. They fought against Him so He in turn fought against them.
Further on in this chapter, in verses 18-19, Isaiah says to the Lord;
“Your holy people possessed Your sanctuary for a little while, our adversaries have trodden it down. We have become like those over whom You have never ruled, like those who were not called by Your name.”
This is the New Testament warning Jude refers to as well. Truth produces the fear of the Lord so as to keep us from sinning, so that we may remain in (i.e. in Christ) the dwelling place of the Lord (Jude 6). When we do sin, which all Christians do, this truth produces a repentant heart so that our communion is not broken. If we do not repent, continuing in sin with no urgency to return, we could end up annulling our pledge of allegiance to Christ, and be cut off from Him (Romans 11:17-22).
“Can The Seal Of The Holy Ghost Be Broken?”
“Most people ‘ASSUME’ that the seal can’t be broken, I invite all to do a study on what Paul was talking about by seal. The Culture in which he lived. Also, notice the same Greek word for seal here was used other times in the Bible--Each time the seal being BROKEN. And in Revelation when the word seal is used, it will be broken in the future which proves a seal can be broken. So, why do some say this seal can’t be broken?
Here is a little more on the subject of the seal and what it means.
In 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, we read, ‘Now he that established us with you in Christ, and anointed us, is God; who also sealed us, and gave us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.’ In Ephesians 1:13-14, we read, ‘in whom ye also, having heard the word of the truth, the gospel of your salvation, -- in whom, having also believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is an earnest of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God's own possession, unto the praise of his glory.’ Ephesians 4:30 says, ‘And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in whom ye were sealed unto the day of redemption.’Calvinistic theologians take these passages to mean that one who has ever believed in the Lord is at that moment granted salvation from sin and its punishment, and that salvation is secured so that there is no possibility of it being lost, for he is ‘sealed and secured’ by God and given a pledge that he can never be lost. It is often styled ‘eternal security of the believer,’ or ‘impossibility of apostasy.’There is little doubt that the term ‘earnest,’ from the Greek arrabon originally referred to what we call ‘earnest money’ deposited by a purchaser as a down payment, and to be forfeited if the purchase was not complete, or the agreement broken [i.e. covenant breaking]. In the New Testament it is suggested that the Holy Spirit is given to a Christian as a divine pledge or down payment on the future blessings that God has in store for us.Surely every Christian is at least dimly aware that every spiritual blessing he now has in Christ is but a foretaste, a sort of ‘down payment,’ of the life and blessings God has reserved in heaven for us ‘who are kept by the power of God [which can be denied; 2 Timothy 3:5] through faith unto salvation reserved in heaven for us, ready to be revealed in the last time" (1 Peter 1:4-5). Note that we are kept by the power of God, but it is through faith. The basic question with which we are dealing with is, ‘Once the earnest money was given, did it necessarily follow that the thing purchased was unconditionally guaranteed?’ The answer should be apparent whether one looks at any purchase today, or how the term applied in either the Old Testament or the New. There were and are terms of any contract, will or covenant. If one party does not abide by the terms, the earnest money that was put down is forfeit. Anyone who ever put up ‘earnest money’ to buy a house may have discovered that.
1 John 3:23-24 is one among many passages that teach that abiding in Christ is dependent upon keeping His commandments. If we grieve the Spirit (Eph. 4:30, quench the Spirit (1 Thess. 5:19), do despite to the Spirit (Heb. 10:29), then we may break the contract or the relationship that existed when the earnest was given.Now let us examine briefly what is meant by the ‘seal.’ The noun sphragio, and the verb, ‘sphragizo’ are used in various ways to indicate ownership, security, authentication, etc., in a way that is very similar to how we use the word ‘seal’ in the English language. We seal a letter by moistening the glue. A notary puts his seal on a document to attest to the fact that the party or parties involved actually gave the testimony indicated, or that the signatures are valid. When the tomb of Jesus was sealed (Matthew 27:66), it was for the purpose of fixing it so the body could not easily be removed. It was not meant to be broken, but note carefully that although it was not meant to be broken, it was. When we seal a letter, it is not meant to be opened before it gets to its destination, but it can be. When a notary puts his seal on an agreement, the agreement is not supposed to be broken, but it can be.When God gives the Holy Spirit to His children as an authentication that He has bought us, and we belong to Him, that seals an agreement that we have made with Him that we accept the authority of Jesus as Lord, and belong to Him forever. That in no way implies that we cannot break that agreement, and be unfaithful. When Abraham received ‘the sign of circumcision, as a seal of the righteousness of faith which he had’ (Romans 4:11), God was attesting to the fact that Abraham and his descendants who kept the ritual properly, and obeyed the law, would be His special people. It did NOT signify that they could not break His covenant, be disobedient and be cut off from the blessings promised. Surely no person who reads the history of Israel could logically conclude otherwise. I suggest you do a study on why the seal can’t be broken if that same seal was broken because of the Israelites disobedience.
To summarize: God has put His ‘stamp of approval’ (seal) on us as His children by giving us His Spirit (Romans 8:9; 1 Cor. 3:16). If we demonstrate that we are His by producing the fruit of the Spirit, then this seal shows that we are owned by Him and are under His protection and authority. We may fail to do that, ‘break the seal’ and be lost. Even in the context of Ephesians 4:30-32 when Paul says we are sealed unto the day of redemption, he warns us not to grieve the Holy Spirit, and to be kind and forgiving. Jesus said that God will not forgive us if we do not forgive others (Matthew 6:14-18). So we must conclude that though He has sealed us with the Spirit, and the Lord knows who are His (2 Timothy 2:19), if we do not depart from unrighteousness we will be lost, or as we might put it, the seal will be broken.
I pray that you and others will do a complete study on the seal. Why could that seal be broken over the Israelites but NOT you brother? Think about it. Think about the numerous other times that the seal was broken.
God bless.”
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