|
|
| |
|
How To Be Sealed By The Spirit
|
|
There are
so many scriptures that a person can go to in the Bible that explain
clearly how to be saved. The most important thing to remember is that
yes, Jesus wants to save you from your sins. But that is not the end
goal of your salvation. Jesus didn’t come and do all that he did just so
you could be saved and then live a mediocre life. He wants to transform
you, change you, and mold you into the person that he has called you to
be before you were ever born. So having said that, the best example I
know of with salvation is by using none other than the example of Jesus
himself.
Now you might ask: “Why use Jesus as an example of salvation? He didn’t
have to be saved did he?” The answer is no. He didn’t have to be saved.
But his purpose in life was to come down to this earth and live as a
man. He was God in man living to show us how to live as human beings. He
was our perfect example. And so everything he did and experienced
becomes our experience as a Christian. So lets look at these guideposts
in the life of Jesus.
Guidepost #1 – He held a deep faith in God. The Bible makes it
abundantly clear that Jesus put his complete trust in God. The same then
is asked of us. Before a person can be saved they must personally
believe that God exists and that He is who He says He is. John 8:24
says, “…If you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will
indeed die in your sins.” Part of this deep belief in God is the
willingness to tell others about your faith. Jesus also said, Matthew
10:32 “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him
before my Father in heaven.” If you are going to be a Christian, you
will need to be a part of a thriving church in your community. Most make
their confession in a church service before the members of the
congregation.
Guidepost #2 – He lived what a repentant life looks like. When
you look at the life of Christ, you see a life that was lived without
sin. But again, that was how we were supposed to live before the Fall
occurred back in Genesis. Now we have sin, and the Bible calls us to
turn away from our sins. This idea of “repentance” means to turn away
from something and turn to something else. Jesus constantly turned away
from sin and turned to God. Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a
high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have
one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without
sin.” We in turn must be willing to do the same. Bear in mind, this is
not to say that you are going to be perfect because you will not. It is
a willingness to do whatever it takes to change your life.
Guidepost #3 – He submitted to the will of God. Before he began
his ministry and public life, the Bible records that he visited John who
was baptizing at the Jordan river. Then something rather shocking
happens. He goes down into the water and waits for John to baptize him.
John is rather shocked by this because he knows that Jesus has no need
of being baptized—he perfect, without sin. He rightfully asked the
question, “Shouldn’t I be baptized by you?” Jesus’ answer is telling.
The story continues in Matthew 3:13-15, 13 Then Jesus came from Galilee
to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him,
saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" 15 Jesus
replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill
all righteousness." Then John consented. Jesus knew that regardless of
the fact he was perfect, it was God’s will for him to be baptized, to
show as an example the way we are to follow in his footsteps.
After his baptism Matthew records, 16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he
went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw
the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. 17And a
voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well
pleased." And so completes the picture of salvation for those who follow
in the footsteps of Christ.
In short, to be saved, a person must believe in God and confess that
Jesus is His Son, and that he came to this earth to die for our sins, to
undo all the effects of sin. They must repent, that is, be willing to
change and turn away from their old life and turn to God for a new life.
Having this foundation they then follow Christ into the water of baptism
“to fulfill all righteousness” at which time they too, just like him,
receive the Holy Spirit—God’s presence in your life that helps your
daily walk and transformation (see Acts 2:38-39).
Now I must say that there is one more guidepost—the most important one
of all.
Guidepost #4 – Jesus was faithful unto death. After the baptism
of Jesus he lived for the next 3 ½ years living and fulfilling the
mission that God had for him on the earth. He stayed faithful through
all of it, regardless of other people’s attitude toward him. And
ultimately his faithfulness to God led to him being crucified on a
cross. If we are to walk in the path of Christ, we are also called to
this same level of devotion. Again we will not do it perfectly, which is
why we have the Holy Spirit to help us. But the scripture says in
Matthew 16:24, “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone would come
after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’”
If you have decided to become a Christian, then let me encourage you to
continue your growth by doing the other things he did. Read the gospels.
They will give you a clear picture of God’s will for your life on things
like: getting connected with a church that is faithfully committed to
following God, prayer, Bible study, fasting, giving, helping others,
etc. May God bless you in your decision and if you have any questions or
need any further help on becoming a Christian, feel free to contact me
at:
duncan@seventhsealdesigns.com
|
|
|
|
