Ephesians 1:13–14
“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.” (Ephesians 1:13–14)
The Spirit’s Seal and the Believer’s Responsibility
Every believer who truly belongs to Christ is sealed with the Holy Spirit at conversion. The Spirit’s presence in us is the guarantee that those who have Him possess the promise of eternal life.
Paul’s point in Ephesians is not that the Spirit’s presence is unconditional, but that the Spirit Himself is the pledge—the down payment—of what is coming. The seal confirms ownership and identity, not automatic perseverance.
God has promised that His Church will always have the Spirit in her midst. But Scripture never says that every individual who once received the Spirit will always continue to walk with Him.
The presence of the Holy Spirit is our guarantee, but the presence of the Spirit is not guaranteed.
Those who have the Spirit have the hope of eternal life, but that hope must be guarded, not presumed.
Category: “Free Grace” Theology
Perfect Love Casts Out Fear
Perfect Love Removes Terror, Not Reverence
Scripture says, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18). John is not removing the fear of God. He is removing the terror of condemnation for those who abide in Christ.
A child does not live in dread of punishment—they hope in their Father’s love. So the one who walks in Christ should not constantly fear death or hell. If a believer lives every day terrified that they might be damned, something is wrong. They have not yet understood the Spirit’s witness:
“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.” (Ephesians 1:13)
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” (Romans 8:14–16)
We are not waiting for wrath. We have hope of eternal life:
“Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:5)
But that confidence only belongs to those who walk in love and obedience:
“And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.” (1 John 4:16–17)
This boldness in judgment belongs to disciples, not rebels. True love doesn’t remove obedience—it produces it.
Continue reading “Perfect Love Casts Out Fear”
2 Great Errors About Salvation
Intellectual
1. Salvation comes through believing certain facts ABOUT Christ instead of ENTRUSTING OURSELVES TO Christ
Many believe they are saved because they believed certain facts about the atonement. But doctrines cannot save us. We must entrust ourselves to the One Who is risen to save! Don’t trust doctrines ABOUT Christ; TRUST CHRIST!
Hebrews 7:25
Therefore He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, because He at all times lives to make intercession for them.
Transactional
2. Salvation comes through a PAST TRANSACTION with God instead of an ONGOING RELATIONSHIP with God through Christ based on a faith that works through love
Many believe they have eternal life because they made a transaction with God in the past. Salvation is NOT yesterday; salvation is TODAY! It is not found in a transaction, but in a risen Savior! Trust in Christ! Trust Him TODAY, not yesterday!
2 Corinthians 6:1-2
Working together with Him, we also appeal to you, “Don’t receive God’s grace in vain.” For He says:
I heard you in an acceptable time, and I helped you in the day of salvation. Look, now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation.
“SavED” In The Past Tense
For 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.
Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV
The Bible speaks of being saved in 3 tenses, past, present, and future. What does it mean that we were “saved in the past.” When the Bible speaks like this it is referring to the fact that there was a time in our past when we turned from our rebellion and through faith submitted to Jesus Christ. It was at this moment that we were reconciled to God. Salvation in the past tense refers that time when we were reconciled to God.
Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men–extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. ‘I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ “And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Luke 18:9-14 NKJV
In Luke 18 we see an illustration of this in one of Jesus’ parables. Here we see that the moment the tax collector humbled himself in repentance towards God and called out for mercy he was justified. That is, he was accepted by God. This later happens in reality in Luke 19 when Zacchaeus repented of his sins during dinner and Jesus immediately declared, “Today salvation has come to this house.”
For more on this topic, here is a short video:
pilgrimshopemedia.com 