Jesus Christ is my God!
Issued 02.05.2011
The seal of the Holy Spirit
Receiving the Spirit of God saves you from the power of evilness into the Kingdom of God. Listen to the gospel of Jesus and pray until the Holy Spirit gives you the testimony that you are His.
The fellowship with the Holy Spirit
God owns everything He has created. Thus He owns also all people and does with His own what He wants. However it is totally a different thing to be His own through the work that Jesus Christ did on the cross, because through it He purifies our heart so that the Spirit of God is able to enter us. He who loves Jesus has His Spirit, but "if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His." Ro.8:9
If Jesus has come to our heart, in Him we received also the Holy Spirit into our spirit marking us to be His own. "In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory." Eph.1:13-14
It is possible to receive the Holy Spirit only by believing the gospel that tells about Jesus. However many have such a faith that has not given them the seal of the Holy Spirit. They have believed Jesus to be true but they have not allowed themselves to be captivated by God's love in Jesus.
Love to Jesus is the sign which proves that someone has received the Holy Spirit. Don't mix the seal of the Holy Spirit with the baptism in the Holy Spirit in which God gives us spiritual gifts and ministries.
God owns everything He has created. Thus He owns also all people and does with His own what He wants. However it is totally a different thing to be His own through the work that Jesus Christ did on the cross, because through it He purifies our heart so that the Spirit of God is able to enter us. He who loves Jesus has His Spirit, but "if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His." Ro.8:9
If Jesus has come to our heart, in Him we received also the Holy Spirit into our spirit marking us to be His own. "In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory." Eph.1:13-14
It is possible to receive the Holy Spirit only by believing the gospel that tells about Jesus. However many have such a faith that has not given them the seal of the Holy Spirit. They have believed Jesus to be true but they have not allowed themselves to be captivated by God's love in Jesus.
Love to Jesus is the sign which proves that someone has received the Holy Spirit. Don't mix the seal of the Holy Spirit with the baptism in the Holy Spirit in which God gives us spiritual gifts and ministries.
Sealed with the mercy of God
God forgives sins and seals as His own a person who listens to the gospel letting it change himself. You were saved just at the moment when the Holy Spirit came into your spirit. Although you would not remember the calendar day, you remember your experience. Receiving the Spirit of God is the grace of God which causes one who was condemned to have the mercy of God.
"By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Eph.2:8-9 God gives His Spirit to us by grace through faith in Jesus. It is not a matter of our ability to believe but do we listen to Jesus. God causes faith in us if we listen to Him.
"God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Jas.4:6 The gospel about Jesus is preached to people so that they could humble themselves before God. "Jesus Christ died for you!" God punished His only Son instead of you so that you could escape the punishment. This fact should touch your heart to its bottom. Why did the Son of God have to die for You? The death of Jesus can make proud humble.
Many people have heard the gospel but it has not remained living in their innermost thoughts. They have not been ashamed of their own evilness before the goodness of God. They have accepted Christ and believed the gospel in that meaning they believe it is true, but they have not allowed the sacrifice of God make them humble. Evil spirits too believe that Jesus of the Bible exists but it doesn't change their heart.
God saves "by grace through faith" but not through any faith but through the faith of the gospel. The work of Jesus, which He did on the cross, must touch our spirit and not only our religious feelings or our philosophic intelligence. You yourself are responsible for "eating the gospel into your spirit". The salvation, which God gives, is not a lottery prize that by chance would be directed to some people. Man himself prevents his own salvation.
God wants that everyone would be saved. If you will not be saved it is your own fault. You cannot be without the experience of repentance and of humility, if you internalize the message of the crucified and up risen Son of God. "The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." 1Co.1:18
God forgives sins and seals as His own a person who listens to the gospel letting it change himself. You were saved just at the moment when the Holy Spirit came into your spirit. Although you would not remember the calendar day, you remember your experience. Receiving the Spirit of God is the grace of God which causes one who was condemned to have the mercy of God.
"By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Eph.2:8-9 God gives His Spirit to us by grace through faith in Jesus. It is not a matter of our ability to believe but do we listen to Jesus. God causes faith in us if we listen to Him.
"God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Jas.4:6 The gospel about Jesus is preached to people so that they could humble themselves before God. "Jesus Christ died for you!" God punished His only Son instead of you so that you could escape the punishment. This fact should touch your heart to its bottom. Why did the Son of God have to die for You? The death of Jesus can make proud humble.
Many people have heard the gospel but it has not remained living in their innermost thoughts. They have not been ashamed of their own evilness before the goodness of God. They have accepted Christ and believed the gospel in that meaning they believe it is true, but they have not allowed the sacrifice of God make them humble. Evil spirits too believe that Jesus of the Bible exists but it doesn't change their heart.
God saves "by grace through faith" but not through any faith but through the faith of the gospel. The work of Jesus, which He did on the cross, must touch our spirit and not only our religious feelings or our philosophic intelligence. You yourself are responsible for "eating the gospel into your spirit". The salvation, which God gives, is not a lottery prize that by chance would be directed to some people. Man himself prevents his own salvation.
God wants that everyone would be saved. If you will not be saved it is your own fault. You cannot be without the experience of repentance and of humility, if you internalize the message of the crucified and up risen Son of God. "The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." 1Co.1:18
Have you been made a partaker of Jesus?
Many have done the decision of faith but have not been sealed with the Holy Spirit. The authority of the Holy Spirit is replaced with the authority of Christian churches in the life of many believers. To obtain the genuine salvation they ought to turn to Jesus with their prayers.
The salvation doesn't come from churches, priests, preachers or believers but from Jesus. "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" Rev.7:10
The followed two pictures describe a religious conversion and turning to Jesus Christ.
When coming to faith we get the assurance of the Holy Spirit that God has taken us His own in Jesus Christ. "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God." Ro.8:16
Some have received the Holy Spirit already when they heard the gospel for the first time. Their heart was so ready to receive the gospel that their innermost being turned immediately to God and also received instantly the response from Him. In this way it happened to Cornelius, which is told in the Bible.
When some heard the gospel, they believe it being true, but their heart is hard to God's love and therefore doesn't turn to God in humility. They should listen to the gospel up to their humbleness and pray until God gives them the witness of the Spirit and seals them to be His own.
However often an eager believer gives them the assurance by saying that sure, you are now saved because you have done your decision. In this way the salvation of many has left half-finished, because they have not received the Holy Spirit as the seal of their salvation.
Many have done the decision of faith but have not been sealed with the Holy Spirit. The authority of the Holy Spirit is replaced with the authority of Christian churches in the life of many believers. To obtain the genuine salvation they ought to turn to Jesus with their prayers.
The salvation doesn't come from churches, priests, preachers or believers but from Jesus. "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" Rev.7:10
The followed two pictures describe a religious conversion and turning to Jesus Christ.
The religious conversion: 1. Jesus Christ is the Word of God about which is told in the Bible. 2. Word of the Bible is proclaimed to you. 3. You believe the gospel is true. 4. You give yourself to Jesus with your prayers. 5. Your church assures you that you are saved. 6. You believe that you are saved. 7. You act according to your faith.
Turning to God: 1. Jesus Christ is the Word of God about which is told in the Bible. 2a. The Holy Spirit testifies of Jesus to you. 2b. Word of the Bible is proclaimed to you. 3. You receive the gospel into your spirit. 4. You repent your evilness because of Jesus and confess your sins to God. 5. God replies to you and gives you the Holy Spirit as the seal of your belonging to Jesus. 6. You experience the assurance of the salvation. 7. You live in the faith of Jesus.
When coming to faith we get the assurance of the Holy Spirit that God has taken us His own in Jesus Christ. "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God." Ro.8:16
Some have received the Holy Spirit already when they heard the gospel for the first time. Their heart was so ready to receive the gospel that their innermost being turned immediately to God and also received instantly the response from Him. In this way it happened to Cornelius, which is told in the Bible.
When some heard the gospel, they believe it being true, but their heart is hard to God's love and therefore doesn't turn to God in humility. They should listen to the gospel up to their humbleness and pray until God gives them the witness of the Spirit and seals them to be His own.
However often an eager believer gives them the assurance by saying that sure, you are now saved because you have done your decision. In this way the salvation of many has left half-finished, because they have not received the Holy Spirit as the seal of their salvation.
Not everyone who says ...
This thing has often shaken me: Someone believes to be accepted by God but he is not. Jesus tells this in the Bible as follows: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord' Lord', shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven." Mt.7:21
In the next verses Jesus reveals that these believers had even done miracles in His name, but even so Jesus says to them: 'I never knew you.' About the reason He says that they 'practiced lawlessness'. This tells us what is the most important effect of the Holy Spirit in us. He causes us to live according to the will of God.
Jesus tells (Mt.25:1-12) about the ten virgins who believed in Him but He says to the five of them: 'I do not know you.' Paul says: "If anyone loves God, this one is known by Him." 1Co.8:3 So they didn't love Jesus though they said they believed in Him. Nobody can love God if he has not first experienced God's love in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus. Just in that experience the Holy Spirit comes into man.
They had not received the Holy Spirit into their innermost being to testify that they belong to Jesus. Also John, the apostle writes about this matter in this way: "He who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us." 1Jo.3:24
How Jesus lived as a man is His commandment to us. In our attitudes, thoughts, words and deeds we must live as He lived. "He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked." 1Jo.2:6
When we received God's love in the cross work of Jesus, we got the Holy Spirit. Then love to Jesus was aroused in us. Therefore His commandments are not burdensome for us. Jesus said to His own: "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." Joh.14:15
He, who doesn't follow Jesus, doesn't love Him. He, who has not the Holy Spirit, doesn't love Jesus. He, who has not received God's love in the death of Jesus, has not received the Holy Spirit. He, who has not listened to the gospel, has not been able to receive God's love.
This thing has often shaken me: Someone believes to be accepted by God but he is not. Jesus tells this in the Bible as follows: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord' Lord', shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven." Mt.7:21
In the next verses Jesus reveals that these believers had even done miracles in His name, but even so Jesus says to them: 'I never knew you.' About the reason He says that they 'practiced lawlessness'. This tells us what is the most important effect of the Holy Spirit in us. He causes us to live according to the will of God.
Jesus tells (Mt.25:1-12) about the ten virgins who believed in Him but He says to the five of them: 'I do not know you.' Paul says: "If anyone loves God, this one is known by Him." 1Co.8:3 So they didn't love Jesus though they said they believed in Him. Nobody can love God if he has not first experienced God's love in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus. Just in that experience the Holy Spirit comes into man.
They had not received the Holy Spirit into their innermost being to testify that they belong to Jesus. Also John, the apostle writes about this matter in this way: "He who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us." 1Jo.3:24
How Jesus lived as a man is His commandment to us. In our attitudes, thoughts, words and deeds we must live as He lived. "He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked." 1Jo.2:6
When we received God's love in the cross work of Jesus, we got the Holy Spirit. Then love to Jesus was aroused in us. Therefore His commandments are not burdensome for us. Jesus said to His own: "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." Joh.14:15
He, who doesn't follow Jesus, doesn't love Him. He, who has not the Holy Spirit, doesn't love Jesus. He, who has not received God's love in the death of Jesus, has not received the Holy Spirit. He, who has not listened to the gospel, has not been able to receive God's love.
The Bible version used in references is NKJV