Sealed with a Promise
Bible Devotional
Ephesians 1:3-6; 13-14 (ESV)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
How do you know that you are chosen and sealed by God?
How do you know that God has selected you to do His work? We will address this question as we study Ephesians 1 today. Then, each following Sunday, we will go chapter by chapter, because each one has something special. And instead of going verse by verse on every chapter, what I’ve decided to do is to give more substance to certain topics of each chapter. So for today, I am going to give more attention to the topic of “predestination” and being “sealed by the Holy Spirit.”
Now, before I get into it, I want you all to open your Bible to Ephesians 1:3-14. This is one of the greatest prayers made by the Apostle Paul. And every sentence of this prayer is so packed with substance that I can not cover it all. So, what I’ve decided to do is that I’m only going to be able to cover verses 3-6 and 13-14 for today. By the way, this prayer in the original language is one long sentence. The translators had to break it down so we could understand what it means.
So, are you ready to have some fun! Let’s dig into the Word of God. Now, to understand the book of Ephesians, it’s very important to understand how the letter reached the Christians in Ephesus, because the author of this book, Paul, was in Prison in Rome, chained up to a Roman guard.
Background/Context:
In Rome around A.D. 49, you had two types of Jews stirring up riots in the city. You had the Christian Jews arguing with the traditional Jews about Jesus being God. And one thing that the Romans hate is any type of riot. These arguments between the Jews were starting to escalate and become like riots. And the Roman Emperor Claudius decided to kick out all the Jews in Rome. Even if you didn’t riot or even if you had business in Rome for decades, you had to leave. So all the Jews in Rome were exiled.
Now, one of the exiled couples, Aquila and Priscilla, ended up in Corinth. And at Corinth, there was another individual by the name of Paul. So, Paul’s trade was a tent maker, and Aquila was also a tent maker. And when you enter the synagogue, and you're in the same trade, you sit together. Since these two were in the same trade, they connected and became good friends. Now, if you know Paul, he is not going to be shy about sharing the gospel, and eventually Aquila and Priscilla became followers of Jesus.
They were in Corinth, working as tentmakers and sharing the gospel with others. And about a year and a half later, Paul decided to go on his 2nd missionary journey to Ephesus and took Aquila and Priscilla with him. Now this is where it starts to get interesting.
Paul stayed in Ephesus for about 2.5 years, and Aquila and Priscilla eventually became effective communicators of the gospel. When you are with Paul for four years, it’s like having a Bible scholar live with you for four years. And since this couple was doing well, Paul decided to continue his mission work and left Aquila and Priscilla to do the Lord’s work in Ephesus. And Aquila and Priscila were the ones who helped plant a church there.
About three years later, Paul returns from his missionary trip and firmly establishes the Ephesian church, which becomes his home base for mission work. Now, while Paul was in Ephesus, the church started grow, the gospel started to spread, but it was also becoming more dangerous. Why?
Background of Ephesus
So, when Paul shared the gospel, many Ephesians accepted Christ, and they no longer wanted to buy the little figurine statues of the “Great Artemis.” These small figures of Artemis were made of Silver, and they were on the expensive side - they weren’t cheap. So, when your customers stop buying your products, they will get upset because you're now losing a lot of money. So a bunch of people in this trade, smiths, got together, and in Acts 19, they started a riot and shouted, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” And, they shouted for two hours. That was the major spiritual warfare the Christians were living in. So, once again, one thing the Romans hate is any riot.
So, long story short, Paul eventually decides to leave Ephesus for Jerusalem, and let the Christians run the church. Now, while Paul was in Jerusalem, some jews from Asia recognized Paul as the instigator of the riot. They said, “This is the man who preaches against our people everywhere and tells everybody to disobey the Jewish laws. He speaks against the Temple—and even defiles this holy place by bringing in Gentiles.” (Acts 21:28). That is a strong accusation!
So, a mob of people tried to arrest Paul and kill him. And once again, one thing the Romans hate is any type of riot. So, they arrested Paul and were about to whip him, but before Paul was whipped, he told the Roman soldiers that he was a Roman citizen, and he made a plea, and made these famous words.
Acts 25:11-12 (NLT)
If I have done something worthy of death, I don’t refuse to die. But if I am innocent, no one has a right to turn me over to these men to kill me. I appeal to Caesar!” Festus conferred with his advisers and then replied, “Very well! You have appealed to Caesar, and to Caesar you will go!”
So here in Rome, Paul is in prison or house arrest, chained to an elite Roman guard. And he was there for about two years in Rome.
Now, can you imagine being chained up to Paul? Who is really being chained up? Is the Roman guard chained to Paul, or is Paul chained up with the Roman soldier? Paul is like, “Praise the Lord! This guy is going to hear me preach 24/7!”
So, here is Paul in prison, he is locked up and chained up. Now, while Paul is waiting for his appeal to Caesar,, Paul writes what is called the “Prison Letters.”
Prison Letters
Now I want to remind people that, in the season of life Paul was in, he made the best of the worst situation. Whatever season you are in, can you turn this new year into the best season of your life?
And because Paul turned this prison season into the best season we have, these four books in our hands today - Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. How can you make this year the best season of your life, in whatever situation you are in?
If Paul was in prison, then how did the letters get to the churches? Great question. Ephesians 6:21-22 gives us the answer.
Ephesians 6:21-22 (NLT)
To bring you up to date, Tychicus (Greek: Too-khee-kos') will give you a full report about what I am doing and how I am getting along. He is a beloved brother and faithful helper in the Lord’s work. I have sent him to you for this very purpose—to let you know how we are doing and to encourage you.
So a fellow believer named Too-khee-kos, who was not too far from Rome, visited Paul. Remember, Paul was in house arrest but was allowed visitors, and Too-khee-kos received the letter from Paul and gave it to the elders of the church. And this is where you have the book of Ephesians.
Now with that as the backdrop, here are the major themes for the Book of Ephesians.
Major Themes for Ephesians
First 3 Chapters teaching New Testament instructions, why? Because you had false teachers telling them things like, “You should not get married, and you should not eat certain foods.”
Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He gave us the Great Commission - Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19), and then He ascended into heaven. So, the gospel started to spread; this is now called the “church age” or the “age of Grace.”
And, you will have two things going out at the same time: the spread of the gospel, but also a lot of false teachers will arise and teach false doctrines or instructions, which we clearly see today. You have Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Muslims, and many more. In fact, the Jehovah's Witnesses have their own bible called the New World Translation, which is almost identical. It’s hard to tell the difference. Now, this is going to happen till the 2nd coming of Christ. So, when Jesus comes again, this will all end, and the final truth will be revealed.
So, in the first three chapters of Ephesians, Paul has to address false doctrines. Now that we have the basic background of Ephesians, I am just going to go over some key points of Ephesians chapter 1. Let’s dig into God’s Word.
Ephesians 1:1 (ESV)
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:
When some people hear the word “saint,” they think of people who don’t sin or make bad decisions in life, but that’s not what that word means. The word “saints” simply means followers of Jesus Christ, or believers. Not that you are a perfect person, but a person whose heart is willing to surrender and submit to God’s will, and that is a saint.
Pastor Joseph, what is the will of God for me?
Comment: When you understand the will of God in your life, you are good with wherever God has you, and whatever God has you doing. Pastor Joe, “Wasn’t the Apostle Paul in prison in Rome writing this letter? So, are you saying that it was in the will of God for Paul to be in prison?”
That is a great question. In fact, Paul goes even further.
2 Corinthians 11:25-27 (ESV)
Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
Paul’s like, “Being in prison, chained to a Roman guard is nothing! I’ve been beaten up, shipwrecked, drifting at sea, being in danger, sleepless nights, hungry, thirsty, and in all those things, God had a purpose and a plan.” In fact, the same person wrote this in
Romans 8:28-29 (ESV)
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
How to Know God’s Will for You
Ephesians 1:4 (ESV)
even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love
I get this question a lot. Why would God choose one person over another? Did God know that some people would be saved and others not saved? The best way to answer this is with a question: What is the greatest desire of God?
John 3:16 (ESV)
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
This is God’s desire. So, whoever puts their hearts right before God and genuinely believes in Jesus will be with Him and have eternal life. This means that God does not force anyone to go to heaven. You have free will, either to accept the free gift of eternal life or not.
So, even though God chose us before the foundation of the world, this does not mean that we humans will choose God. God did not create us to be robots, but gave us free will to accept this wonderful free gift of eternal life with Jesus. So even though God’s greatest desire is to be with us in heaven, He gives us freedom to reject His offer. God has given us the ability to choose.
Hebrews 11:24-25 (ESV)
By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.
So, here is Moses, who grew up as a prince of Egypt, and did not have to suffer like the Hebrew slaves, but he intentionally chose to suffer. That’s what Jesus did, right? Jesus chose to suffer for our sake on the cross.
Decades ago, I was a guest speaker at a large youth group event, and one of the youth group teachers asked me this question: “If God has already predestined us and chose us before the foundation of the world, then why do I need to pray, since God already knows everything?” My response was this: “Yes, God knows everything from the past, present, and the future, but you and I don’t know the future. That is why we have to constantly seek God to hear His voice.”
Listen, every living thing has DNA (a complex molecule that contains all the information necessary to build and maintain a living organism). We didn’t discover the structure of DNA until the early 1950’s. So for thousands of years, no one knew what it was. So, what I’m trying to say is that it is our job to decode (to take out, extract) what God has already encoded for us to find. It is our job to search and find through the Word of God to decode, search, and find what our purpose is, and what is God’s will for me. Yes, God has predestined the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, so it is our job to extract and decode what God has encoded.
So the next question is, what did He choose us for?
Ephesians 1:4 Amplified Bible
just as [in His love] He chose us in Christ [actually selected us for Himself as His own] before the foundation of the world, so that we would be holy [that is, consecrated, set apart for Him, purpose-driven] and blameless in His sight. In love
God will not force you to choose God, but He will choose those who want to be chosen to be with Him in eternity. Can you just imagine being at a gathering over a meal, only to have some people who don’t want to be there? In fact, they hate being next to you. How did that turn out? God is just selecting those who want to be with Him.
And the word “Holy” simply means: consecrated, set apart for Christ, and purpose-driven for God’s will. Here is the definition of Holy in the context of "Being Holy."
Colossians 2:10 Amplified Bible
And in Him you have been made complete [achieving spiritual stature through Christ], and He is the head over all rule and authority [of every angelic and earthly power].
Listen, you are not good because of you; you are made complete through Christ. So, when you are in Christ, regardless of predestination, God is with you and will never leave you nor forsake you.
Ephesians 1:5 (ESV)
he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
When we think of the word “adoption,” we can’t think of this through our current understanding of this word. We have to think of the people who are reading this letter at the time they were living.
In Rome, when you are a citizen, a father can kill his natural children, and some did. But to adopt someone was a very difficult and very expensive process. You had many meeting switch a judge, and it was an intense process. But once you are adopted, you have every right to inherit whatever your father’s inheritance, resources, and even his love.
Here’s the crazy thing: when you are adopted, the father can not kill the adopted child. The father can kill his naturally born children, but not his adopted child.
This is wild, right? So, when the Christians in Ephesus hear this, they understand what this adoption meant. He is saying, you will have the inheritance of our heavenly Father, and that no one, not even your earthly father, can take away your heavenly blessings. This is the “adoption” into Christ. When you are adopted into Christ, no one can take that away from you. It is the seal of the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 1:13-14 (ESV)
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
Before being sealed with the promise of the Holy Spirit, you must hear the “Word of Truth,” and then you can choose to either receive the free gift of salvation or not.
My friends, if there was ever a time to celebrate, Ephesians 1:13 is what you need. When you hear the truth and believe in the truth, you will be sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.
But what does being sealed with the Holy Spirit mean?
In the ancient Near East, you had a “signet ring.” For example, the king would write a very important letter to someone, seal it with his signet ring, and only the recipient could open it. If anyone else were to open it, then basically, you will be in jail or dead.
So the seal sealed the letter. So, to a Christian hearing this saying: God has chosen us to receive this important and precious letter, and only believers can receive it. And the seal is by the blood of Jesus, and you simply believing in Him is sealed by the Holy Spirit, and no one can take it away.
So, the Holy Spirit dwelling within us is a form of identification, a seal that demonstrates that we belong to God.
Ephesians 1:13 (NLT)
And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.
So when we choose God, we belong to Christ, then we have the Holy Spirit living in us as a seal, a mark of identification.
Romans 8:9 (NLT)
But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)
It is impossible to claim that you belong to Christ without the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us the assurance that you and I are secure in Christ. This is sealed by the promise of God.
So, how do you know that you are truly sealed by the Holy Spirit?
Paul summarized the Christian life in one sentence.
Acts 26:20 (NLT)
I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do.
The Holy Spirit, as a seal, provides us with the confidence that we belong to God and that our salvation is secure, and no one can take that away from us.
So, how can you be saved?
Romans 10:9-10 Amplified Bible
because if you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God], and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes [in Christ as Savior] resulting in his justification [that is, being made righteous—being freed of the guilt of sin and made acceptable to God]; and with the mouth he acknowledges and confesses [his faith openly], resulting in and confirming [his] salvation.
Let me close with this. Why did God choose the nation of Israel? Out of all the nations He could have picked from, God chose the nation of Israel?
Deuteronomy 7:7-9 (NLT)
“The Lord did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! Rather, it was simply that the Lord loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors. [Meaning God is the God who keeps His promises] That is why the Lord rescued you with such a strong hand from your slavery and from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.
How do you know that you are chosen? How do you know that you are sealed by the Holy Spirit? Love God. Obey His commands, and serve His people. God has chosen each of you, sealed you by the Holy Spirit, and given you a DNA in your body with the purpose of doing His will.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
How do you know that you are chosen and sealed by God?
How do you know that God has selected you to do His work? We will address this question as we study Ephesians 1 today. Then, each following Sunday, we will go chapter by chapter, because each one has something special. And instead of going verse by verse on every chapter, what I’ve decided to do is to give more substance to certain topics of each chapter. So for today, I am going to give more attention to the topic of “predestination” and being “sealed by the Holy Spirit.”
Now, before I get into it, I want you all to open your Bible to Ephesians 1:3-14. This is one of the greatest prayers made by the Apostle Paul. And every sentence of this prayer is so packed with substance that I can not cover it all. So, what I’ve decided to do is that I’m only going to be able to cover verses 3-6 and 13-14 for today. By the way, this prayer in the original language is one long sentence. The translators had to break it down so we could understand what it means.
So, are you ready to have some fun! Let’s dig into the Word of God. Now, to understand the book of Ephesians, it’s very important to understand how the letter reached the Christians in Ephesus, because the author of this book, Paul, was in Prison in Rome, chained up to a Roman guard.
Background/Context:
In Rome around A.D. 49, you had two types of Jews stirring up riots in the city. You had the Christian Jews arguing with the traditional Jews about Jesus being God. And one thing that the Romans hate is any type of riot. These arguments between the Jews were starting to escalate and become like riots. And the Roman Emperor Claudius decided to kick out all the Jews in Rome. Even if you didn’t riot or even if you had business in Rome for decades, you had to leave. So all the Jews in Rome were exiled.
Now, one of the exiled couples, Aquila and Priscilla, ended up in Corinth. And at Corinth, there was another individual by the name of Paul. So, Paul’s trade was a tent maker, and Aquila was also a tent maker. And when you enter the synagogue, and you're in the same trade, you sit together. Since these two were in the same trade, they connected and became good friends. Now, if you know Paul, he is not going to be shy about sharing the gospel, and eventually Aquila and Priscilla became followers of Jesus.
They were in Corinth, working as tentmakers and sharing the gospel with others. And about a year and a half later, Paul decided to go on his 2nd missionary journey to Ephesus and took Aquila and Priscilla with him. Now this is where it starts to get interesting.
Paul stayed in Ephesus for about 2.5 years, and Aquila and Priscilla eventually became effective communicators of the gospel. When you are with Paul for four years, it’s like having a Bible scholar live with you for four years. And since this couple was doing well, Paul decided to continue his mission work and left Aquila and Priscilla to do the Lord’s work in Ephesus. And Aquila and Priscila were the ones who helped plant a church there.
About three years later, Paul returns from his missionary trip and firmly establishes the Ephesian church, which becomes his home base for mission work. Now, while Paul was in Ephesus, the church started grow, the gospel started to spread, but it was also becoming more dangerous. Why?
Background of Ephesus
- Temple of Artemis (Diana), one of the 7 wonders of the world. [In the marketplaces in Ephesus, there was a trade in which they would specialize in making small figures of the goddess Diana. And people would buy it and put it in their homes to worship this goddess, and the people who made it were making a lot of money from it.]
- An important political, educational, and commercial center.
So, when Paul shared the gospel, many Ephesians accepted Christ, and they no longer wanted to buy the little figurine statues of the “Great Artemis.” These small figures of Artemis were made of Silver, and they were on the expensive side - they weren’t cheap. So, when your customers stop buying your products, they will get upset because you're now losing a lot of money. So a bunch of people in this trade, smiths, got together, and in Acts 19, they started a riot and shouted, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” And, they shouted for two hours. That was the major spiritual warfare the Christians were living in. So, once again, one thing the Romans hate is any riot.
So, long story short, Paul eventually decides to leave Ephesus for Jerusalem, and let the Christians run the church. Now, while Paul was in Jerusalem, some jews from Asia recognized Paul as the instigator of the riot. They said, “This is the man who preaches against our people everywhere and tells everybody to disobey the Jewish laws. He speaks against the Temple—and even defiles this holy place by bringing in Gentiles.” (Acts 21:28). That is a strong accusation!
So, a mob of people tried to arrest Paul and kill him. And once again, one thing the Romans hate is any type of riot. So, they arrested Paul and were about to whip him, but before Paul was whipped, he told the Roman soldiers that he was a Roman citizen, and he made a plea, and made these famous words.
Acts 25:11-12 (NLT)
If I have done something worthy of death, I don’t refuse to die. But if I am innocent, no one has a right to turn me over to these men to kill me. I appeal to Caesar!” Festus conferred with his advisers and then replied, “Very well! You have appealed to Caesar, and to Caesar you will go!”
So here in Rome, Paul is in prison or house arrest, chained to an elite Roman guard. And he was there for about two years in Rome.
Now, can you imagine being chained up to Paul? Who is really being chained up? Is the Roman guard chained to Paul, or is Paul chained up with the Roman soldier? Paul is like, “Praise the Lord! This guy is going to hear me preach 24/7!”
So, here is Paul in prison, he is locked up and chained up. Now, while Paul is waiting for his appeal to Caesar,, Paul writes what is called the “Prison Letters.”
Prison Letters
- Ephesians
- Philippians
- Colossians
- Philemon
Now I want to remind people that, in the season of life Paul was in, he made the best of the worst situation. Whatever season you are in, can you turn this new year into the best season of your life?
And because Paul turned this prison season into the best season we have, these four books in our hands today - Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. How can you make this year the best season of your life, in whatever situation you are in?
If Paul was in prison, then how did the letters get to the churches? Great question. Ephesians 6:21-22 gives us the answer.
Ephesians 6:21-22 (NLT)
To bring you up to date, Tychicus (Greek: Too-khee-kos') will give you a full report about what I am doing and how I am getting along. He is a beloved brother and faithful helper in the Lord’s work. I have sent him to you for this very purpose—to let you know how we are doing and to encourage you.
So a fellow believer named Too-khee-kos, who was not too far from Rome, visited Paul. Remember, Paul was in house arrest but was allowed visitors, and Too-khee-kos received the letter from Paul and gave it to the elders of the church. And this is where you have the book of Ephesians.
Now with that as the backdrop, here are the major themes for the Book of Ephesians.
Major Themes for Ephesians
- First 3 Chapters emphasize New Testament doctrines (instructions).
- Last 3 Chapters are practical and focus on Christian behavior.
- This letter was written to remind believers of their immeasurable blessings in Jesus Christ, and to live in a manner worthy of those blessings.
First 3 Chapters teaching New Testament instructions, why? Because you had false teachers telling them things like, “You should not get married, and you should not eat certain foods.”
Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He gave us the Great Commission - Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19), and then He ascended into heaven. So, the gospel started to spread; this is now called the “church age” or the “age of Grace.”
And, you will have two things going out at the same time: the spread of the gospel, but also a lot of false teachers will arise and teach false doctrines or instructions, which we clearly see today. You have Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Muslims, and many more. In fact, the Jehovah's Witnesses have their own bible called the New World Translation, which is almost identical. It’s hard to tell the difference. Now, this is going to happen till the 2nd coming of Christ. So, when Jesus comes again, this will all end, and the final truth will be revealed.
So, in the first three chapters of Ephesians, Paul has to address false doctrines. Now that we have the basic background of Ephesians, I am just going to go over some key points of Ephesians chapter 1. Let’s dig into God’s Word.
Ephesians 1:1 (ESV)
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:
When some people hear the word “saint,” they think of people who don’t sin or make bad decisions in life, but that’s not what that word means. The word “saints” simply means followers of Jesus Christ, or believers. Not that you are a perfect person, but a person whose heart is willing to surrender and submit to God’s will, and that is a saint.
Pastor Joseph, what is the will of God for me?
Comment: When you understand the will of God in your life, you are good with wherever God has you, and whatever God has you doing. Pastor Joe, “Wasn’t the Apostle Paul in prison in Rome writing this letter? So, are you saying that it was in the will of God for Paul to be in prison?”
That is a great question. In fact, Paul goes even further.
2 Corinthians 11:25-27 (ESV)
Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
Paul’s like, “Being in prison, chained to a Roman guard is nothing! I’ve been beaten up, shipwrecked, drifting at sea, being in danger, sleepless nights, hungry, thirsty, and in all those things, God had a purpose and a plan.” In fact, the same person wrote this in
Romans 8:28-29 (ESV)
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
How to Know God’s Will for You
- Obey God’s Word
- Love God and Serve His people
Ephesians 1:4 (ESV)
even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love
- God the Father chose for Himself for the praise of His own glory through Jesus before the foundation of the world. (Doctrine of election - Predestination)
I get this question a lot. Why would God choose one person over another? Did God know that some people would be saved and others not saved? The best way to answer this is with a question: What is the greatest desire of God?
John 3:16 (ESV)
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
This is God’s desire. So, whoever puts their hearts right before God and genuinely believes in Jesus will be with Him and have eternal life. This means that God does not force anyone to go to heaven. You have free will, either to accept the free gift of eternal life or not.
So, even though God chose us before the foundation of the world, this does not mean that we humans will choose God. God did not create us to be robots, but gave us free will to accept this wonderful free gift of eternal life with Jesus. So even though God’s greatest desire is to be with us in heaven, He gives us freedom to reject His offer. God has given us the ability to choose.
Hebrews 11:24-25 (ESV)
By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.
So, here is Moses, who grew up as a prince of Egypt, and did not have to suffer like the Hebrew slaves, but he intentionally chose to suffer. That’s what Jesus did, right? Jesus chose to suffer for our sake on the cross.
Decades ago, I was a guest speaker at a large youth group event, and one of the youth group teachers asked me this question: “If God has already predestined us and chose us before the foundation of the world, then why do I need to pray, since God already knows everything?” My response was this: “Yes, God knows everything from the past, present, and the future, but you and I don’t know the future. That is why we have to constantly seek God to hear His voice.”
Listen, every living thing has DNA (a complex molecule that contains all the information necessary to build and maintain a living organism). We didn’t discover the structure of DNA until the early 1950’s. So for thousands of years, no one knew what it was. So, what I’m trying to say is that it is our job to decode (to take out, extract) what God has already encoded for us to find. It is our job to search and find through the Word of God to decode, search, and find what our purpose is, and what is God’s will for me. Yes, God has predestined the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, so it is our job to extract and decode what God has encoded.
So the next question is, what did He choose us for?
Ephesians 1:4 Amplified Bible
just as [in His love] He chose us in Christ [actually selected us for Himself as His own] before the foundation of the world, so that we would be holy [that is, consecrated, set apart for Him, purpose-driven] and blameless in His sight. In love
God will not force you to choose God, but He will choose those who want to be chosen to be with Him in eternity. Can you just imagine being at a gathering over a meal, only to have some people who don’t want to be there? In fact, they hate being next to you. How did that turn out? God is just selecting those who want to be with Him.
And the word “Holy” simply means: consecrated, set apart for Christ, and purpose-driven for God’s will. Here is the definition of Holy in the context of "Being Holy."
- An unrighteous person becomes righteous, not that you are perfect, but simply because you surrendered your heart to God.
- Unworthy sinners are declared worthy, not because of you, but because God calls you worthy. When you are “In Him” or “In Christ,” you are worthy.
- We are not perfect because of us, but we are perfect in righteousness and blameless because when we submit to God, we are set apart, or positioned to be Holy and Blameless before God. This is the gospel message. This is the good news that we need to share with others.
Colossians 2:10 Amplified Bible
And in Him you have been made complete [achieving spiritual stature through Christ], and He is the head over all rule and authority [of every angelic and earthly power].
Listen, you are not good because of you; you are made complete through Christ. So, when you are in Christ, regardless of predestination, God is with you and will never leave you nor forsake you.
Ephesians 1:5 (ESV)
he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
When we think of the word “adoption,” we can’t think of this through our current understanding of this word. We have to think of the people who are reading this letter at the time they were living.
In Rome, when you are a citizen, a father can kill his natural children, and some did. But to adopt someone was a very difficult and very expensive process. You had many meeting switch a judge, and it was an intense process. But once you are adopted, you have every right to inherit whatever your father’s inheritance, resources, and even his love.
Here’s the crazy thing: when you are adopted, the father can not kill the adopted child. The father can kill his naturally born children, but not his adopted child.
This is wild, right? So, when the Christians in Ephesus hear this, they understand what this adoption meant. He is saying, you will have the inheritance of our heavenly Father, and that no one, not even your earthly father, can take away your heavenly blessings. This is the “adoption” into Christ. When you are adopted into Christ, no one can take that away from you. It is the seal of the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 1:13-14 (ESV)
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
Before being sealed with the promise of the Holy Spirit, you must hear the “Word of Truth,” and then you can choose to either receive the free gift of salvation or not.
- If you do choose salvation or to be born again, and you genuinely believe in Him, then you will be sealed with the promise of the Holy Spirit.
My friends, if there was ever a time to celebrate, Ephesians 1:13 is what you need. When you hear the truth and believe in the truth, you will be sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.
But what does being sealed with the Holy Spirit mean?
In the ancient Near East, you had a “signet ring.” For example, the king would write a very important letter to someone, seal it with his signet ring, and only the recipient could open it. If anyone else were to open it, then basically, you will be in jail or dead.
So the seal sealed the letter. So, to a Christian hearing this saying: God has chosen us to receive this important and precious letter, and only believers can receive it. And the seal is by the blood of Jesus, and you simply believing in Him is sealed by the Holy Spirit, and no one can take it away.
So, the Holy Spirit dwelling within us is a form of identification, a seal that demonstrates that we belong to God.
Ephesians 1:13 (NLT)
And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.
So when we choose God, we belong to Christ, then we have the Holy Spirit living in us as a seal, a mark of identification.
Romans 8:9 (NLT)
But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)
It is impossible to claim that you belong to Christ without the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us the assurance that you and I are secure in Christ. This is sealed by the promise of God.
So, how do you know that you are truly sealed by the Holy Spirit?
- Do you obey God’s Word?
- Do you love God and serve His people?
Paul summarized the Christian life in one sentence.
Acts 26:20 (NLT)
I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do.
The Holy Spirit, as a seal, provides us with the confidence that we belong to God and that our salvation is secure, and no one can take that away from us.
So, how can you be saved?
Romans 10:9-10 Amplified Bible
because if you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God], and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes [in Christ as Savior] resulting in his justification [that is, being made righteous—being freed of the guilt of sin and made acceptable to God]; and with the mouth he acknowledges and confesses [his faith openly], resulting in and confirming [his] salvation.
Let me close with this. Why did God choose the nation of Israel? Out of all the nations He could have picked from, God chose the nation of Israel?
Deuteronomy 7:7-9 (NLT)
“The Lord did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! Rather, it was simply that the Lord loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors. [Meaning God is the God who keeps His promises] That is why the Lord rescued you with such a strong hand from your slavery and from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.
How do you know that you are chosen? How do you know that you are sealed by the Holy Spirit? Love God. Obey His commands, and serve His people. God has chosen each of you, sealed you by the Holy Spirit, and given you a DNA in your body with the purpose of doing His will.
Posted in Weekly Devotional