12/27/17 CONCERNING BIBLICAL SEALS
I thought some of y'all might like this.
(from my post in 10/13/14)
Ephesians 4:30-32
30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
2 Timothy 2:19
19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
10/13/14 The Seal Of God
I thought some of y'all might like this.
(from my post in 10/13/14)
Ephesians 4:30-32
30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
2 Timothy 2:19
19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
10/13/14 The Seal Of God
In my previous post I quoted a couple of verses that refer to the "seal" that God puts on Christians. Sadly and erroneously there are people who refer to God's seal as if it has anything to do with the false doctrine of Eternal Security or Once Save, Always Saved. IT DOES NOT.
Seal Of Approval, Verification, Not A Lock
The proper understanding of the "seal" of God has to do with His approval, His acknowledgement, His designation, His verification of people in a redemptive relationship through Christ, and not with any such idea that we are LOCKED into an irrevocable relationship with God. This "seal" is like the seal of approval placed on an item, either by a manufacturer or the government agency that verifies the quality of that item. We are familiar with the UL Seal of Approval, the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval and U.S. government seals of approval. These seals of approval can be on food, medicine, electrical items, toys, tools, for instance. The seals can be broken, as the seal on the Tylenol bottles were broken, and the item can be violated or corrupted. The seal on the item indicates the safety or validity of the item, as long as the seal is unbroken.
Legal, But Breakable
The world "seal" is used in the New Testament in reference to the legal status of the object sealed, such as a government "stamp of approval." Those seals were set for security, but not as locks. In other words, when the Scripture says that the tomb of Jesus was "sealed" and secured, the seal was not the lock or the security (except in the legal sense). The seal was the legal notice, badge, that the tomb was not to be entered. The guards were the security detail. The fact that the "seal" could be broken and the tomb entered is verified by the fact that there was an armed guard detail. If the seal made the tomb impregnable, there would not have been a need for armed guards. They could have simply been observers and would not have been held responsible for any breech.
Seals In Revelation
The word "seal" in the New Testament alerts people to the official status of the item sealed. It could be broken, violated, in which case the item was no longer guaranteed by the one who sealed it, as being legitimate or inviolate. The "seals" on the document in Revelation could be broken, but in that case the only one Who was legally qualified to break the seals was the Lamb (Jesus). The "seals" verified the inviolate condition of the document at the time the document was opened.
Jesus Was Sealed By The Father
We see the idea of Divine approval associated with God's seal in John 6:26-27, where it is said that Jesus was sealed by the Father. It was not a seal that secured the righteousness of Christ or His deity or His eternality. The seal that the Father placed on Jesus was His witness that Jesus was the Father's approved Messenger and Provider of eternal life.
Purpose Believers Are Sealed
The clearest statement in the New Testament, concerning the purpose of the seal of God, is found in 2 Timothy 2:19.
19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
Conditional Sealing
Christ is our Foundation, and He stands sure. God knows those who are actually His people, and He places His seal on them to authenticate, verify His Divine approval and ownership. This seal indicates that those who claim the name of Christ are recognized to have departed from iniquity. This seal is broken when the person turns to sin and no longer follows Jesus. When a person follows sin, he is no longer sealed, approved, recognized, authenticated, verified that he is a Christian.
Seal Of Approval, Verification, Not A Lock
The proper understanding of the "seal" of God has to do with His approval, His acknowledgement, His designation, His verification of people in a redemptive relationship through Christ, and not with any such idea that we are LOCKED into an irrevocable relationship with God. This "seal" is like the seal of approval placed on an item, either by a manufacturer or the government agency that verifies the quality of that item. We are familiar with the UL Seal of Approval, the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval and U.S. government seals of approval. These seals of approval can be on food, medicine, electrical items, toys, tools, for instance. The seals can be broken, as the seal on the Tylenol bottles were broken, and the item can be violated or corrupted. The seal on the item indicates the safety or validity of the item, as long as the seal is unbroken.
Legal, But Breakable
The world "seal" is used in the New Testament in reference to the legal status of the object sealed, such as a government "stamp of approval." Those seals were set for security, but not as locks. In other words, when the Scripture says that the tomb of Jesus was "sealed" and secured, the seal was not the lock or the security (except in the legal sense). The seal was the legal notice, badge, that the tomb was not to be entered. The guards were the security detail. The fact that the "seal" could be broken and the tomb entered is verified by the fact that there was an armed guard detail. If the seal made the tomb impregnable, there would not have been a need for armed guards. They could have simply been observers and would not have been held responsible for any breech.
Seals In Revelation
The word "seal" in the New Testament alerts people to the official status of the item sealed. It could be broken, violated, in which case the item was no longer guaranteed by the one who sealed it, as being legitimate or inviolate. The "seals" on the document in Revelation could be broken, but in that case the only one Who was legally qualified to break the seals was the Lamb (Jesus). The "seals" verified the inviolate condition of the document at the time the document was opened.
Jesus Was Sealed By The Father
We see the idea of Divine approval associated with God's seal in John 6:26-27, where it is said that Jesus was sealed by the Father. It was not a seal that secured the righteousness of Christ or His deity or His eternality. The seal that the Father placed on Jesus was His witness that Jesus was the Father's approved Messenger and Provider of eternal life.
Purpose Believers Are Sealed
The clearest statement in the New Testament, concerning the purpose of the seal of God, is found in 2 Timothy 2:19.
19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
Conditional Sealing
Christ is our Foundation, and He stands sure. God knows those who are actually His people, and He places His seal on them to authenticate, verify His Divine approval and ownership. This seal indicates that those who claim the name of Christ are recognized to have departed from iniquity. This seal is broken when the person turns to sin and no longer follows Jesus. When a person follows sin, he is no longer sealed, approved, recognized, authenticated, verified that he is a Christian.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.