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Sealed By God

"Moreover the one establishing us with you in Christ, and having anointed us is God, and who also having put his seal on us and having given us the pledge of the Spirit in the hearts of us."1

 This word for pledge means properly, an installment; a deposit ("down-payment") which guarantees the balance (the full purchase-price). Jesus valued us so much he paid this price, "do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price." This pledge represents full security backed by the purchaser who supplies sufficient proof they will fulfill the entire pledge (promise). This sufficient proof is the sealing and the pledge of the Spirit in the hearts of us.

 "In whom you also, having heard the word of the truth, the good news of your salvation, in whom also having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of the promise."3

This word for seal "signifies ownership and the full security carried by the backing (full authority) of the owner. "Sealing" in the ancient world served as a "legal signature" which guaranteed the promise (contents) of what was sealed."6 The seal of the old covenant was circumcision of the flesh, the seal of the new covenant is the circumcision of the heart, a new heart, a new creation, a new spirit born from above. Think of circumcision, a seal not removable from the flesh, so it is with God's seal on our hearts. God could remove the seal but it would break his word, his promise, such a covenant has been established in our hearts sprinkled by the blood of Jesus. As Moses sprinkled with blood the people and the articles of worship in the old covenant, God has sprinkled the blood of the Lamb on our hearts so that we might have a sincere heart and draw near to God, to worship him not in fear but in boldness, in spirit and truth.7

Of course there is a natural and a spiritual, the natural comes first. The natural is the first man Adam, born of the image of man, the earth, dust, a living soul, it is the natural body, dishonored, weak, dead in sin, it is the seed that must die, the caterpillar, it is flesh and blood and such will not inherit the kingdom of God.8 The last Adam, Jesus Christ, the heavenly man, became a life giving spirit, life, incorruptible, the spiritual body, butterfly, power, born of the spiritual man. From death we are raised into incorruptible, the mortal into immortality, "When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”9 "The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law." This new covenant established is in fullness of Grace and Truth, through grace we receive Liberty, and when we look into its perfect law we will serve a living God, not based on fear, the fear of death whose power is in the law, no, but from our inner being we receive life, abundantly, in our mortal bodies.

Christ must reign until all things are put under His feet, the last being death.10 We have this hope in the resurrection of the dead, Christ being the first-fruits. Until then we must go through the natural to the spiritual. For I am at first born in the image of the man of dust, a living soul, then I am born from above into the image of the heavenly man, Jesus, the spiritual man. Flesh and blood can not inherit heaven but I am flesh and blood, thank God I am Spirit, this body will not inherit heaven, it is still corruptible, there is still sin in my members. I am not fully the heavenly man, I am in a mortal body. The natural teaches me to work out the salvation within my inner being, my soul salvation, grace gives me the ability to do so. The sanctification of my living soul is important to God, loyalty is desired. One day, at the twinkling of an eye, at the sound of the trumpets I will rise with Christ into that which is incorruptible. Then I can say in fullness, "O death where is your sting? O Hades where is your victory?"11

It is this testimony within us that gives us assurance. "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him."3 Many want to focus on the external, habitual transgression of the law or habitual following of the law but it is this love for the Father that produces an obedience to the Spirit within. If you love me you will follow my commandments, Jesus said, I command you to love one another. The Law can be followed by fleshly means but the Spiritual requires love for another. "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments."4 We can tell our spiritual maturity by how we follow the Golden Rule, how we treat others, how we love the children of God. "The Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree."5 This testimony within us is greatest, as it is God's Spirit, those who believe in the Son have the testimony within them.

The new covenant was established by the incorruptible life, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus,when we believe in Him we are sealed by the Spirit of God where the precepts of God are written on our hearts and put in our minds, this was prophesied of. This installment or promise of the new covenant was established on the death of Jesus, "For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood."8 And on the resurrection of Jesus we have this hope in Him that one day, while we fully do not know what that we will look like, we will be like Him, in fullness of life, body, soul, and spirit. The great thing about this seal and pledge is that it is based upon the righteousness of Jesus, not my own, it is based upon the word of God. 

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