Knowing who you are in Christ. You are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Romans chapter 8 is one of the most fascinating chapters written. It begins with the absolute fact of no condemnation for those in Christ and ends with no possibility of separation from Christ.
the second part of verse 1 ‘…who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit’ wasn’t in the original manuscript. It was added in in the third century. It rightly belongs in verse 4. So, this should read “there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the spirit of life….
If we must go by that last part of the verse, then salvation would be dependent on our walk. That would make it conditional.
Salvation is unconditional. It doesn’t depend on how we walk. Christ says, come as you are. You don’t bring anything to the table except a positive response to the gospel. You have nothing to offer God. He has everything to offer you. Your contribution has no worth. The Word of God says in Isaiah 64:6…our righteousness are as filthy rags. Romans 3:12 says “there is no one that doeth good.
Christ paying the price for you is what made you worthy. Our contributions had nothing to do with it. By us trying to do something to make us more worthy before Christ is the same as saying to God that Christ’s work on the cross wasn’t completed and it up to us to get the finished job done. That is an insult to God.
The work of redemption was completed on the cross. When Christ said, “It is finished” He was speaking about Redemption. It was completed in Him.
Paul is saying here that for those who are in Christ Jesus, there is no condemnation. Remember this is a man who at length in chapter 5 and 6 of Romans explained that we are justified (saved from the penalty of sin) and sanctified (saved from the power of sin). As you know, justification is done once, never to be repeated.
if there was a possibility of losing our salvation then this would nullify the whole of Romans 5, 6 and chapter 8 to name a few.
Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. This verse is saying that we are sealed unto the day of redemption. The day of redemption is speaking about the redemption of our bodies. This happens at Christ’s return. 1 John 3:2. This is saying that when Christ appears, not only will we see Him in His glorified form (as no one has ever seen Him before) but we are going to be just like Him. hallelujah.
No one can unseal the work of the holy spirit which continues to the day of redemption Rom 8:22-23. John 14:16 says “he abides with you forever.”
Once God seals something, no man can unseal it. remember Noah’s Ark? Didn’t God seal the ark when Noah entered? Why do you think God did that? This was to make sure that no one opened the door until He (God) was ready to open it. Romans 8:22 says our seal is unto the day of redemption. Remember this is how we are known by God. 2 timothy 2:19
John 3:16 …and whosoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life. not a temporary life but everlasting. When God says something, He means it.
Let’s have a look at Colossians 2:13-14. During the time of the Roman’s rule the law stated that when a man committed a crime, he was given a letter called a certificate of debt in which was written the crime and the time he must serve. This letter was given to his jailer. If that offense was five years with each passing year of his sentence the jailer would mark off the offense until the full five years were passed.
At the end of the five years the jailer would endorse the letter marking, paid in full. the same Greek word was used for Christ on the cross when he said it is finished or paid in full. (tetelestai)
If for any reason the prisoner escaped before his sentence was finished, then the jailer would have to continue the sentence imposed on the prisoner himself. This was the case in Acts 16:25-31. If Paul and Silas had indeed escaped, then the guard would have to finish off their sentence
When one’s sentence is completed that document would be stamped paid in full, one could never be charged again for that crime. This is the reason he must always carry with him the signed signature so that he can prove the price was fully paid.
It is the same with Christ. Christ’s work of redemption was not just for the sins of the past when he was tried and crucified but for the present and future as well.
The act of redemption was fully paid for. One can never be tried again for the sins that was covered on the cross. Christ paid it all. Past, present and future.
We carry around our proof of our certificate of debt. (the Holy Spirit). He is our stamp of approval and the proof that our price was fully paid, and we can never again be tried for our sins, past, present and future. 2 timothy 2:19
This is what Paul was speaking about in Colossians 2:13-14. Paul used the law term ‘handwriting of ordinances” (certificate of debt). Remember the Jews would be familiar with this term so they would have understood what he was saying. Christ blotted out our trespasses and sins and nailed it to the cross. It was done once and for all never to be repeated. God the father paid sin’s debt in Christ.
In John 19:13 the last words that Christ spoke while on the cross to mankind was tetelestai “paid in full/it is finished”.
Let us address two question that has been asked concerning validity of our security in Christ.
The first question is in 1 john 5:16 … “There is a sin unto death” the question is, is this verse speaking about spiritual death or physical death?
In Acts 5;1-11 Ananias and his wife Sapphira lied to Peter. Peter told them it is in fact the Holy Spirit they were lying to and as a result because of their deceit the Word of God said they fell down and gave up the ghost. They sinned a sin that led to their deaths. Was this death spiritual? No. they died physically. Can my lying qualify me for hell? Wasn’t lying covered on the cross? Dying because of sin doesn’t mean one loss their salvation. It simply means they died.
Romans 5:8 says but God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Sin here means to be defiantly rebellious with scorn. If God can save us while we were in this state why would he throw us away now that we are sealed?
We see other accounts of sin leading to death.
Nadab and Abihu – lev 10:1-7
Achan – Josh 6-7
Uzzah – 2 Sam 6
These were sins unto death.
Moses never got to enter the promise land. He died without inheriting God’s promise for His people because of His sin. He misrepresented God when he struck the rock twice after God told him to strike it only once. This was supposed to be a type of Christ dying once for the sins of man.
In 1 Cor 11:3 Paul talked about those who had fallen asleep because they did not regard the Lord’s supper.
All sin is hateful to God and it should be hateful to the believer; but some is punished with death.
If all These people died spiritually then it would be safe to assume that Moses did as well. But we of course know from scripture that Moses along with Elijah was on the Mount of transfiguration with Jesus. Matthew 17:1-8.
The second question we are going to address is in Matt 12:34-37 The unpardonable sin.
It is much more than a sin of words because words come from the heart, and that is where the sin lies Matt 12:34-37
why can blasphemy against Jesus be forgiven matt 12:32 but not blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? Is Jesus greater than the Holy Spirit?
Jesus made it clear that God can and will forgive all sins. The only “unpardonable sin” is refusal to trust in Jesus Christ John 3:16-18,36.
John 16:8-9 tells you that the Holy Spirit came to convict the world of sin. Sin here is in the singular. There is only one sin He convicts of and verse 9 tells you what that is. “of sin because they believe not on me”
Jesus warned the Jewish leaders if they could reject the Son of God while He was on earth, God would not judge them immediately. God will still give them a chance to repent. but when the Spirit came at Pentecost and the believers did many marvelous works, the leaders still refused to believe. This was their last opportunity; they rejected the evidence and died in unbelief.
They sinned against the witness of the Spirit and could not be forgiven. What did Jesus say the Holy Spirit was sent to do? To testify of Him (Jesus). Remember Jesus Himself said “I am the way, the truth and the life, and no man can come to the Father except through me”.
They rejected the only way to the Father and killing Stephen was a major (milestone)
In the strictest sense, there can be no “unpardonable sin” today but the sinner who resists the witness of the Spirit and rejects Christ commits the one sin God cannot forgive.
All our sins have been forgiven Eph 1-7; Col 2:13. And if we sin against God, we can confess that sin and He will forgive us 1 John 1:5-22. The Word of God says that ALL sins were paid for on the cross.
Jesus said in John 17:2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
John 17:6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.
John 17:9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
John 17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
John 17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
John 17:24 4 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
One may argue that Christ was praying for His disciples and He was, but I also believe that this wasn’t a prayer for just His disciple but for all that was given to Him. that includes you and I. he says in verse 24, all that Father has given Him that they be with Him where He is. 2 Corinthians 5:8. it says to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. He was praying for all that the Father had given Him. are we not the called of God? Ephesians 1:4-6, Romans 8:30. 1 Peter 2:9. Hallelujah
John 10:28-30. Jesus says that no one can pluck us out of His hands. He even goes on to say that no one can pluck us out of His Father’s hands. We have two hands holding us. The Father and the Son. He says once we are in His hand, we have eternal life. eternal means lasting or existing forever without end.
Something that is eternal can never be lost. If it were even possible then God would really have a problem. His name would be tarnished. This would mean that God is not capable of keeping us. That would be a problem wouldn’t it? to trust in a Father who does not have the capable of sustaining us?
The Word of God says “Let God be true and every man a liar”
We are saved through Christ not through ourselves. To lose your salvation is to say that Christ lost you. The question is, is it even possible for Christ to lose us?
Remember salvation is dependent on Christ and not us. Nothing you can do can add to what Jesus completed on the cross.
God has prepared a destiny for you that is so fantastic that there is no way you can earn or be eligible for it. only Jesus can. He went to great extreme to allow his eligibility to be available to you. IT WAS ALL HIM.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
1. salvation is eternal life. you can’t lose something that’s eternal
2. it’s a gift of God’s grace. You can’t un-earn something you didn’t earn. It’s a gift.
3. God adopted you into His family. You are already in. good or bad it’s for life
4. if it is possible then Jesus would be a liar (Jesus prayer) no one can take us out of his hand. Nothing can separate us from the love of God
5. If you could do something that can make you lose your salvation then that would mean that it wasn’t covered on the cross.
Romans 8:37-39 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
All scriptures taken from the (KJV)
Pastor Karen Bruce.