In Genesis 6, we read that God looked upon the earth and saw the wickedness of men, but Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. By faith, Noah believed that great judgement was coming upon the earth. By faith, Noah built an ark according to the instructions of the Lord. God told Noah,
Gen 6:14
14 "Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch. (NKJ)
Noah sealed the ark with pitch so that the ark would be waterproof and none of the judgement waters would touch those who were sealed inside the ark. Before the rains came, the Lord brought Noah and his family into the ark, and the Lord shut the door.
Gen 7:16
16 And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in. (KJV)
The ark is a picture of the Lord Jesus in that those who by faith are spiritually baptized into the Lord Jesus are protected from the fiery judgement which is to come in the next life. The pitch is symbolic of the Holy Spirit for it is the Holy Spirit of God Who seals us inside Jesus Christ.
Eph 1:13
13 . . . ye also trusted (in Christ), after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
(KJV)
Eph 4:30
30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
(KJV)
The day of redemption is the day when we stand before the Lord Jesus and plead the shed blood of Christ as our atonement for sin. The seal of the Holy Spirit will protect not only in that day of judgement, but it seals and protects us in Christ until that day. From the day we believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins, we are protected in Christ by the Holy Spirit of God.
John 3:36 says,
36 "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." (NKJ)
Notice that John did not say that believers will have everlasting life. Believers have everlasting life. The moment they believe, they are sealed by the Holy Spirit of God unto the day of redemption.
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Other church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
Tuesday, November 18, 2003
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