WE ARE CONFIDENT?
Sunday, November 30, 2014
2Corinthians
[GW] 5:1-11 We know that if the life we live here on earth
is ever taken down like a tent, we still have a building from God. It is an
eternal house in heaven that isn't made by human hands. In our present
tent-like existence we sigh, since we long to put on the house we will have in
heaven. After we have put it on, we won't be naked. While we are in this tent,
we sigh. We feel distressed because we don't want to take off the tent, but we
do want to put on the eternal house. Then eternal life will put an end to our
mortal existence. God has prepared us for this and has given us his Spirit to
guarantee it. So we are always confident. We know that as long as we are living
in these bodies, we are living away from the Lord. Indeed, our lives are guided
by faith, not by sight. We are confident and prefer to live away from this body
and to live with the Lord. Whether we live in the body or move out of it, our
goal is to be pleasing to him. All of us must appear in front of Christ's
judgment seat. Then all people will receive what they deserve for the good or
evil they have done while living in their bodies. As people who know what it
means to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. God already knows what we
are, and I hope that you also know what we are.
Ephesians
[GW] 2:6-10 God has brought us back to life together with
Christ Jesus and has given us a position in heaven with him. He did this
through Christ Jesus out of his generosity to us in order to show his extremely
rich kindness in the world to come. God saved you through faith as an act of
kindness. You had nothing to do with it. Being saved is a gift from God. It's
not the result of anything you've done, so no one can brag about it. God has
made us what we are. He has created us in Christ Jesus to live lives filled
with good works that he has prepared for us to do.
What is the
opposite of security? The distracting angst of insecurity.
How wonderful
that God’s wondrous gift of eternal life is guaranteed by none other than His
Spirit! (2Cor.5:5)
To help
understand God’s eternal security guarantee that Paul speaks of in his 2nd
letter to the assembly at Corinth, let’s look at “sealed” in God’s Word; in
application meaning beyond any doubt substantiation by God the Father.
(Reference both Strong and Thayer G4972)
Note Jesus’
statement recorded in John 6:27 “… everlasting life, which
the Son of man shall give unto you: for him [Jesus] hath God the Father sealed.G4972 ”
And then later n God’s
Word the same authenticating seal by God the Father for those of us in His John
1:12 family: “… God; Who hath also sealedG4972
us, and given the earnestG728 [ἀῤῥαβών, arrhabōn, ar-hrab-ohn'
Of Hebrew origin [H6162]; a pledge,
that is, part of the purchase money or property given in advance as security
for the rest: - earnest.] of the Spirit in our hearts. (2Cor.1:22
) .
. . In whom ye also trusted,
after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of yourG5216 salvation: in whom also after that ye
believed, ye were sealedG4972 with that holy Spirit of promise, . . . And
grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealedG4972
unto the day of redemption. “( Eph.1:13; 4:30)
What
is the opposite of the distracting angst of insecurity? Living by God’s sure
pledge under His seal!
EBB4
PS. Again I encourage the reading and prayerful meditation
of all verses in context.
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