-What does the 'sealing'
in.Ephesians
1:13 mean?
Being 'sealed' such as in
John
6:27 is being qualified
and ratified
to do what the sealing refers
to.
The original for 'sealed'
is 'mark of distinction'.
And to what does
this distinction belong? Colored wax was dripped on a document such as
a letter, then pressed with say, the king's ring having his special insignia
to authenticate
the letter. In various ways, that's often still done today.
The verse in Ephesians 1:13
says we are sealed with that holy Spirit of promise. The promise was that
you would be like
the Creator:.Ephesians
2:12,13.
The Holy Spirit is the Creator's
mark.(Matthew
7:16-20).of
distinction.authenticating
to those concerned about the matter that Gentile
converts to Christ were being accepted as His children, just as any
of
the
physical house of Israel were, if they too
were believers:.Galatians
3:26-28 "For you are all the children of God by faith in Christ
Emmanuel.
For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ.(what
does this mean?).have
put on Christ.(Christ
is something we put on). There
is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither
male nor female. For you are all
one in Christ Emmanuel."
In the Old Testament, circumcision
was a seal:.Romans
4:11. Those who believe are written in the Book
of Life.
We are sealed by God:.2Corinthians
1:21,22 "Now he which establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed
us, is God; Who has also sealed us and given the earnest.(a
guarantee {"the Holy Spirit of promise", as mentioned just above}).of
the Spirit in our hearts."
The Creator is reproducing
Himself, similar to us reproducing children.
A being
"sealed with that holy Spirit of promise" refers to the promise of eternal
life:.Titus
1:2.
The Holy Spirit was visible
at various occasions back then as a sign to others.(Matthew
3:16; Acts 2:3),
a sign especially to the Jews.(the
Jews back then were called the circumcision {Acts
10:45}, because all Jewish males then were circumcised shortly after
birth); a sign that God was indeed
calling the Gentiles to be in His invisible
kingdom.. Circumcision then being no longer a physical rite:.1Corinthians
1:22 "For the Jews require a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom."
Acts
2:16,17 "But this is that which was spoken by the prophet.Joel;
And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, I will pour out of
my Spirit upon all flesh....." Acts 2:4
"And they were all filled with the
Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave
them utterance." 1Corinthians
14:22 "Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe,
but to them that believe not....." Acts
10:45,46 "And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished,
as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles
also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak
with tongues and magnify God....."
Romans
3:29 "Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles?
Yes, of the Gentiles also." Acts 11:1
"And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea
heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God." Acts
11:18 "When they heard these things, they held their peace and glorified
God, saying, Then has God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto
life." Acts 15:17 "That the residue
of men might seek after the Lord and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name
is called, says the Lord, who does all these things." Acts
13:46-48 "Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and said, It was necessary
that the word of God should first have been spoken to you. But seeing you
put it from you and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo,
we turn to the Gentiles. For so has the Lord commanded us, saying, I have
set you to be a light of the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation
unto the ends of the Earth. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were
glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as were ordained
to eternal life believed." Acts 15:14
"Simeon has declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take
out of them a people for his name." Acts
14:27 "And when they were come and had gathered the church together,
they rehearsed all that God had done with them and how he had opened the
door of faith unto the Gentiles." Acts
15:3 "And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through
Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles. And they
caused great joy unto all the brethren." Acts
14:2 "But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and made their
minds evil affected against the brethren." Romans
1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. For it is the power
of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first and
also to the Greek."
-How
can I get more of the Holy Spirit?
-Where
is the Holy Spirit in us?
-Ephesians
4:30 How can the Holy Spirit be grieved?
You 'grieve' the Holy Spirit
when you do what you know you should not, an explanation of this is
here. This shows that you need more power to overcome that which is
slowly slaying you. How
to get it.
Sin, which is missing the
mark of living a higher consciousness life than the consciousness which
produces evil things, grieves
the Holy Spirit, this meaning that those negative things close and lock
the door if one lives by them. Once you become a spiritual person,
referred to in Holy Bible as being a
Christian, you have made a decision to become
as God is, honest, sincere,
righteous,
pure
and holy. And all these positive qualities of character are summed
up in the nature of the Great Infinite Intelligence and that nature is
love.
You now desire to be as He
is and that is, to express the nature He has, which is, only love.
This is the nature of the Creator that has now
been placed in you. When you keep
yourself in line with your decision.(by
prayer, Bible study to learn to improve and by being of a helpful attitude
to others).you
progress toward the reasons why we are physical
and on Earth here:.Luke
9:62 "And Emmanuel said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the
plough and looking back, is fit for the kingdom
of God." Ephesians 5:1,2 "Be
you therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as
Christ also has loved us and has given himself for us an offering and a
sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour."
