Let's face it: the apostle Paul had a strange style of writing. I'm sure that some nuances get lost in translation, but it is easy for me to get turned around in all of the "yesses" and "nos" of 2 Corinthians 1 (NET). This morning, we are going to focus on verses 18-22.
18 But as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” 19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, the one who was proclaimed among you by us—by me and Silvanus and Timothy—was not “Yes” and “No,” but it has always been “Yes” in him. 20 For every one of God’s promises are “Yes” in him; therefore also through him the “Amen” is spoken, to the glory we give to God. 21 But it is God who establishes us together with you in Christ and who anointed us, 22 who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment.
(NET)
Yesterday in Sunday School class one of our members brought up the doctrinal point of "security of the believer". For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, it is the doctrine that says once you become a Christian you can't "lose" your salvation. Some Protestant denominations, and most other denominations that call themselves "Christian" believe that a person's continuing salvation is based on how hard they work or how "good" they are. I've blogged about this before; some of you will remember.
Yet, here we have another passage, assuring us that, once a person truly accepts Jesus Christ into his or her heart, a forever transformation occurs, which cannot be reversed. I won't expound on all the relevant passages this morning, choosing instead to focus on this one.
So, Paul had promised the Corinthians he'd come to see them at such-and-such a time. But, his plans and God's plans did not line up together, it seems. He is sending this letter to them instead. In the context of explaining his change of plans he writes the verses above, to explain that God does not change, that God keeps His promises...always.
20 For every one of God’s promises are “Yes” in him; therefore also through him the “Amen” is spoken, to the glory we give to God.
Paul goes on to say that the biggest promise God makes to us today is to establish us who have been "anointed" in Christ. Now, to understand this, we need to look at the Biblical process of anointing for a moment. Anointing was a process where a person had oil applied to his body in a religious ceremony. The purpose for this, in the presence of witnesses, was to affirm God's calling on that person's life. Once God anointed a person (through the actual physical application of oil by another person), the calling was irreversible. Prophets, priests and kings were anointed to their official roles. (Check the weblink under Sources: for scriptural references to this practices.) There were other uses for anointing oil, but they are not relevant to this passage in 2 Corinthians.
Jesus was anointed by God the Father and the Holy Spirit. This was revealed to mankind at the time of His baptism. He was anointed prophet, priest and king, because He fulfills all three roles. His calling was not reversible either. Every one of God's promises are fulfilled through Jesus. Jesus, the Son, is God the Father's "So Be It", Abba Father's "Amen" (vs. 20).
Likewise, Christians are anointed. "How?", you ask. We are anointed at the time of our salvation, by the Holy Spirit. Look at verses 21 and 22 again:
20 For every one of God’s promises are “Yes” in him; therefore also through him the “Amen” is spoken, to the glory we give to God. 21 But it is God who establishes us together with you in Christ and who anointed us, 22 who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment.
God has spoken His "Amen", His "so be it" (which is what "amen" means) over us! Hallelujah! Once we accept His Son as our Savior, our hearts are forever changed. We become a new creation in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit enters our heart of hearts to remain forever. At that point, we are given God's unbreakable seal, reflective of His certain promise to us. The Holy Spirit is the downpayment God makes on us, marking us as His property. From that point on, God continues to "establish" us in our relationship with His Son. Notice that God does this, not us. It is His glorious work in us, which should cause us to give Him the glory!
This truth makes me want to serve Him with my whole heart - - - not to earn my salvation (can't), not to keep my salvation (also can't). My "works" are totally inadequate. But, I do serve Him, because I love Him!
This is what the devil tries to do: He tries to get you to doubt that you are forever Christ's. If he can convince you that you have lost your salvation or that you can't keep your salvation or that your past sins will forever haunt you, then he has in large part stolen your joy! Without joy, the next step is to sit ourselves "on the shelf" in discouragement. Unh-uh! God forbid!
Jesus Christ never meant for us to live sad, despairing, defeated lives. In John 15:11, Jesus expressed His desire that our joy be FULL! The psalmist, David, knew this truth through his relationship with God the Father; and in spite of his (often horrible) sins, David wrote Psalm 16. Look:
You lead me in the path of life;
I experience absolute joy in your presence;
you always give me sheer delight.
Psalm 16:11 NET
I ask: "Does he sound like a defeated person?" No. David would confess his sin, turn from it and then go on to embrace the joy that was his in his God.
Search your heart. Does the Holy Spirit bear witness that you belong to Christ? When you made your decision to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, did you accept Him only intellectually? Or, did you accept Him with your intellect and with your heart as well? Only with the heart can salvation occur.
10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”
Romans 10:10 NIV
If you did wholeheartedly embrace Him as your Savior, move forward as a conqueror, armed with that truth. You are anointed, sealed and sure. God will never abandon His own.
Lord God, Abba Father, we praise Your holy name today for Your faithfulness! It is Your faithfulness which binds us forever to Your heart. Please continue to remind our hearts of this truth. And, please continue to establish us, to mold us more and more into the image of Your Son, our Savior. In Jesus' name, amen.
Sources:
http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/anointing/
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