For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. Hebrews 8:7, NIV We only emphasize that Christian life we are in is not based on another form of religious ritual but on a covenant. The question is what type of covenant are you in? Is it a covenant of religion or a covenant of love? It should be a covenant of love. Love is a person and that is God (see 1 John 4:16). The covenant we are in is a covenant based on who He is and not on who we are. It's based on what He has done and not on what we have done. When you sign an agreement form, you understand what type of covenant or agreement you are signing in. And this is the reason why still many Christians missed the true essence of Christianity. It's because they don't understand the covenant they are in. In result, many are so called Christians are still living a life like they don't have Christ. There's no real transformation happened. They think Christian...
"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit" Ephesians 1:13 NIV
From the time we have heard and believed the message of truth, that we were included in Christ because of His finished work on the cross, we were marked with him with a seal, the promised of the Holy Spirit.
We will notice two truths in our key verse today. The first truth is "you were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth". Take note the word, "were". Its in the past tense. It signifies an accomplished fact. It signifies that to be included in Christ is an accomplished fact. It is God himself who made a way for us to be reconciled with Him and that is through the death and resurrection of his Son.(see 2 Corinthians 5:19)
The second truth is, "When you believed, you were marked with him with a seal, the promised of the Holy Spirit". Hearing the message of truth alone will not save us. It has to be believed. Like a social media channel, it has to be subscribed.
When it is proclaimed and believed, that's the time that the saving power of God begins. The power of God begins when we believe the Good News of Christ (see Romans 1:16). Since from that time we had believed the Good News, the love of God has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (see Romans 5:5).
The good news is, when we believed, we were sealed by the Holy Spirit. We were sealed by the love of God through the Holy Spirit. When the Lord sealed it, no one can unsealed it. No one can snatch us out from the hand of Christ (see John 10:28). We were sealed by the blood of Christ. No evil plans against you can bring you down because you know that you are God's beloved. When you know that you are His own, that's where you are more than a conqueror. That's where you are powerful. That's where you will rise above every challenges.
Thoughts Of The Day:
"When I know I am God's beloved, that's where I am more than conqueror"