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THE
SEALING
Lesson 30
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Then I saw another angel
coming up from the east, having the seal of the
living God. He called out in a loud voice to the
four angels who had been given power to harm the
land and the sea: Do not harm the land or
the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the
foreheads of the servants of our God. Then
I heard the number of those who were sealed:
144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.
-
Revelation 7:2-4
Introduction
God showed the prophet
John an interesting sight that he describes in
Revelation 7. He saw an angel rising in the east
who had the seal of God delaying the destruction
of Earth. The angel from the east calls out to
four angels who are about to harm the Earth,
Do not harm the land or the sea or the
trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the
servants of our God. What does this vision
mean? What is the seal of God? How does the
sealing relate to the 144,000 and the salvation
of man?
The Carnal Nature
Jesus said, Blessed
are the pure in heart, for they will see
God. (Matthew 5:8) These words are a
promise. Yet, when I look around and also look
within myself, I find an overwhelming amount of
sin. When it comes to having a pure heart, all
human beings have two problems. First, we come
from the womb with a sinful nature. Because of
this, we are predisposed to rebel against
authority from the moment of birth. Second, the
devil understands our human predisposition toward
sinning and the inherited traits that push us in
that direction. Knowing this, he does everything
he can to entice us into complete rebellion
against Gods will and authority. All these
factors make rebellion against God and His laws
easy and submission to the will of God very
difficult. In fact, in our present state it is
impossible to consistently submit to the will of
God.
When a person experiences
the miracle of spiritual rebirth, God installs a
second nature a spiritual nature
that is antagonistic toward the sinful nature. As
a result, every born again person lives in a
constant state of war because these
two natures are diametrically opposed. When asked
about his born again experience, Martin Luther
summarized the contest between these two natures
by saying that even though the carnal nature
remains, it does not reign. No doubt his words
were borrowed from his favorite Bible writer, the
Apostle Paul. Paul reminded the Romans that the
carnal nature does not have control over us if we
allow the Holy Spirit to live in us. He wrote,
You, however, are controlled not by the
sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the spirit of
God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the
spirit of Christ, he does not belong to
Christ. (Romans 8:9)
No writer in the Bible
explains these two warring natures as well as the
Apostle Paul. After Paul had been a born again
Christian for about 25 years, He wrote, I
do not understand what I do. For what I want to
do I do not do, but what I hate to do. I know
that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my
sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what
is good, but I cannot carry it out. (Romans
7:16,18) Pauls statement confirms the fact
that after a person is born again he or she
remains in a constant state of war between the
two natures. Pauls discovery about his
carnal nature is something like the discovery of
gravity by Sir Isaac Newton. For thousands of
years no one thought it strange that objects fell
in a downward direction because they had weight.
Over the course of time, however a new
explanation was needed about the direction
objects fall because man discovered that Earth
was a large sphere spinning on its axis. The
question begged to be asked, why do objects fall
in the direction of down on a rapidly spinning
sphere when logic suggests they should fall in
the opposite direction! Finally, the presence of
gravity was discovered and Sir Isaac Newton was
among the first to qualify the law of gravity. In
a similar way, the Apostle Paul understood the
presence of the carnal heart and he qualified the
law of sin that operates upon it. Both the law of
gravity and the law of sin are predictable and
unchangeable. The law of gravity and the law of
sin also have one other similarity both
can be thwarted under the right circumstances.
The law of gravity can be thwarted if a spaceship
exceeds 17,000 miles per hour. At this speed, man
can overcome the force of Earths gravity
and escape the planet. Likewise, the law of sin
can be overcome if a person chooses to obediently
surrender his or her will to the Holy Spirit. In
this situation, the indwelling power of the Holy
Spirit will enable a person to escape the control
of sin.
What is the law of sin?
It is a code of conduct, an inbred or inborn
rebellion against authority. The law of sin has
dominion over every fallen being. Paul understood
that there is no escape from the law of sin
except through faith in Christ. He wrote,
So I find this law at work: When I want to
do good, evil is right there with me
what a
wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this
body of death? Thanks be to God-through Jesus
Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am
a slave to Gods law, but in the sinful
nature a slave to the law of sin. (Romans
7:21,24,25) Carefully consider the words of this
reformed legalist: Now if I do what I do
not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but
it is sin living in me that does it.
(Romans 7:20) So, this is the explanation. As
hard as it may be for some of us to admit, we are
sinful from within the core of our being and
sooner or later our conduct will prove it!
Somebody Help Me!
Paul lamented the
inescapable effects of the law of sin in his own
life. He wrote, So I find this law at work:
When I want to do good, evil is right there with
me. (Romans 7:21) Pauls remarks in
Romans 7 are very revealing because he once
belonged to a religious body that believed
sinless ness, purity and zeal for God were
absolute mandates and Paul was as devoted to God
as anyone could be. (Philippians 3:4-7) The
Pharisees had meticulously defined impurity as a
violation of any one of some 600 laws and Paul
was zealous to observe every law. He summed up
his life as a boastful Pharisee saying,
as for legalistic righteousness,
faultless. (Philippians 3:6)
Then, Paul met Jesus.
Eventually he began to understand that the
righteousness achieved by rigorous
obedience and religious devotion cannot produce a
pure heart. Religion had deceived Paul. As a
Pharisee he was completely convinced that
righteousness came through legalistic
obedience-the avoidance of sin. But after he met
Jesus on the road to Damascus, he saw how
wretched and offensive he really was in
Gods sight. (Romans 7:24) This remarkable
change in his perspective occurred because he
caught a glimpse of the righteousness that God
requires and it changed everything. God requires
a pure heart, but a heart is not pure until it
has absolutely no attraction for sin. We may
avoid sin; we may escape falling into certain
temptations, but the avoidance of sin is not to
be confused with a pure heart. When Paul met
Jesus, the perfectionist discovered his
imperfection. The arrogance of Saul the Pharisee
was shattered. God transformed him, renamed him
and called him into the service of His saints.
When a person experiences
a complete meltdown over long held
religious beliefs, psychologists call this a
paradigm shift. A paradigm shift occurs when
concepts believed to be true are proven to be
totally false. A paradigm shift shakes us to the
core of our being and is very emotionally
disturbing. When Jesus spoke to Paul, Paul was
devastated to learn that his perfect
religious life was offensive and unacceptable to
God. After Paul realized that he could not make
himself pure or acceptable before God by good
works, Paul had nothing more to boast about. (God
sure knows how to silence legalists.) When Paul
saw that he had no righteousness in Gods
sight, he became a meek man. In this new state of
mind, he became a champion of the righteousness
of Christ. He wrote, For in the gospel a
righteousness from God is revealed, a
righteousness that is by faith from first to
last, just as it is written: The righteous
will live by faith. (Romans 1:17)
When Paul finally grasped the idea that salvation
requires a righteousness that man cannot produce,
only then did he realize his desperate need for
Jesus.
The Nature of Sin
Since the law of sin
declares that human nature remains rebellious
toward God, how can any person ever become pure
in heart? It is impossible through human effort.
Consequently, the carnal nature is mans
greatest problem. Our carnal nature makes us
rebellious and prevents us from having faith in
God or obediently submitting to His commands. We
are born with a spring loaded carnal
nature, ready to do wrong at an early age.
Children dont have to be taught to do
wrong, and adults cannot achieve the purity of
heart that God requires. Since Adam and
Eves sin, the human race has been in
trouble. Yet, a miracle happens every time a
person experiences a rebirth. A miraculous change
occurs within the heart. Whereas the carnal heart
was full of rebellion, the born again heart
becomes divided. Part of the heart wants to obey
God and part of it wants to remain in rebellion
against God. This tremendous struggle never ends.
This is why Paul, as a mature Christian lamented,
For I have the desire to do what is good,
but I cannot carry it out. (Romans 7:18) Do
not despair-there is good news on two fronts!
Peter demonstrated that
we could walk on water through the power of
Christ. Paul wrote, For if you live
according to the sinful nature, you will die; but
if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of
the body, you will live, because those who are
led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
(Romans 8:13,14) This is the key. The presence
and work of the Spirit within the heart is
crucial. He brings victory to all who live by
faith. The victory that the Spirit brings is not
man-made and is not merely the avoidance of sin.
When the Spirit brings victory, rebellion is
removed.
When we become no longer
attracted to a specific sin, then the heart has
been set free from the law of sin in this area of
life. Therefore, the heart is no longer under the
dominion of sin! Sometimes, the Spirit will not
give victory where we want victory the most.
Instead, the Spirit may focus on other issues
that need His attention first, but you can be
sure that the Holy Spirit always controls the
purifying process for each person. If a person is
not gaining victory over a sin, as he or she
wants, it could be the Spirit wants control over
every aspect of this persons life first.
This requires patience and perseverance. James
says, Consider it pure joy, my brothers,
whenever you face trials of many kinds, because
you know that the testing of your faith develops
perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work
so that you may be mature and complete, not
lacking anything. (James 1:2-4)
On the second front, good
news comes in the assurance of forgiveness as we
admit and confess our sin. John wrote, My
dear children, I write this to you so that you
will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have
one who speaks to the Father in our defense-
Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the
atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for
ours but also for the sins of the whole
world. (1 John 2:1)
Can We Become Pure?
Is it possible to have a
pure heart if we want one? The answer is a
resounding Yes! But the means and
timing of this event may not be what you think. A
number of views exist within the Christian
community about the topic of purity. At one
extreme, people believe that a pure heart comes
through an exhaustive struggle with self and take
the responsibility for purity upon them. They do
everything they can to shut out all worldly
influences, hoping to avoid corruption. These
people often succumb to the temptation of being
legalistic about Gods definition of
righteousness. The concept of isolation from sin
contributed to the early formation of monasteries
and stems from the idea that man is inclined to
be evil. Therefore, in order to be pure, a person
must be physically separated from worldly
influences. (The truth is, humanity is inclined
to do evil because we have a carnal nature.
Wherever a person goes, sin is there, for sin is
within each persons heart!)
On the other hand, some
people believe that a pure heart is not possible
or necessary since Jesus paid the price on
Calvary for mans salvation. Such Christians
shudder at the thought of self-denial or dealing
with a cross to bear. Unfortunately, these
Christians often succumb to spiritual
complacency. They think they are insulated from
the penalty and properties of sin by religious
rituals, rites and services. But none of this is
true. Like the law of gravity, there is only one
way to escape the relentless of the law of sin.
His name is Jesus-He is the Way!
No doubt our
personalities, religious heritage, culture, and
family traditions color our understanding on this
fundamental subject. There is no purity in
isolation because the carnal nature is within and
there is no righteousness in religious rituals,
rites or services because the carnal nature is
ever present. So, what is a person to do? Before
answering this question, let us level the playing
field for everyone.
A Christian Handicap
There is a serious
handicap that can occur among those people who
grow up in a Christian home. Let us suppose
Johnny was born into a Christian home
and taught to avoid certain bad habits such as
gambling, drugs, smoking, drinking and
pornography. Somehow, Johnny becomes an adult
without getting hooked on sex, drugs, cigarettes
and alcohol. Since Johnny knows nothing about
drug addition or alcohol dependency in his own
body, he may conclude that he is purer than
those poor souls captured by these sinful
habits. This is not true. Johnny
still has a carnal heart just like every
prostitute and addict. Johnny was fortunate to
avoid the prison of addition and the subsequent
consequences because of his good fortune (a
Christian home). Johnny cannot understand the
power of addition because he has not been a slave
to lust, drugs or alcohol. But, and this is an
emphatic but, Johnnys nature is no
different from the worst sinner. His lifestyle
may be different, but his carnal nature is the
same. Johnny, just like everyone else, could have
become an addict if his home life and parental
guidance had not been as positive. As you may
have heard, But for the grace of God, there
go I. True words have not been spoken. This
illustration is given because
lifestyle Christians sometimes get
vain and self-righteous. Just because Johnny does
not have a craving addition for something grossly
evil, this does not mean he has a pure heart! It
must be stated again, Mans greatest
problem is his carnal nature. Yes, avoiding
sin is good. Yes, religious services can be
beneficial. But, neither avoiding sin nor
attending church is a substitute for a pure
heart.
What to do about the
Power of Sin?
Suppose I want to do
something that I know is sin. I have at least
four options:
- I
can yield to temptation because I cannot
help myself.
- I
can resist the temptation and avoid
sinning as far as possible.
- I
can pray ahead for help since I know
temptation is coming.
- I
can recognize the inner attraction for
sin, confess it to Jesus and ask for
deliverance.
Of course, all of these
options are acceptable except number one.
Resisting sin is an important process in
character development. However, no person can
resist every sin-the carnal will not permit it.
As Paul said so well, What I want to do, I
dont do. In my estimation, option
four should be our greatest focus, followed by
option three and then two. Ask Jesus for
deliverance. Ask Him to do something for you that
you cannot do for yourself. Even more, ask Him to
remove the desire. This is the key. Remove the
desire and the attraction is gone! Victory over
sin often depends on being prepared for
temptation at any given moment. When you fall
into sin, quickly admit it, confess your sorrow
and do not forget how it happened. The Bible says
we have an Advocate who is willing to forgive us.
(1 John 2:1,2) But the Bible also cautions that
if we continue in willful rebellion against God,
He will not forgive us. (Hebrews 10:26,27;
Matthew 12:31) The process of sanctification, or
the struggle between the carnal nature and the
spiritual nature, does not occur without a
constant connection and communication with God.
Peter quickly sank into the depths of the Sea of
Galilee when he took his eyes off Jesus and we
will most assuredly sink into the depths of sin
for the same reason.
Why the Torture of
Sanctification?
The following statements
about sanctification are very important:
1.
When a person is born again, a sanctifying
struggle begins.
2.
No one is granted eternal life on the basis of
human perfection. Everyone who receives the
assurance of eternal life must continually submit
to the humiliating process of sanctification.
3.
The process of sanctification ends at death or
when the carnal nature is eliminated.
God watches over each one
of us. Nothing is hidden from His sight.
(Ecclesiastes 12:13,14; Luke 8:17; 2 Corinthians
5:10) God measures our love and faith for Him by
what we do (or do not do). James wrote,
Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied
by action, is dead. (James 2:17)
Sanctification is a lifelong experience under the
tutelage of the Holy Spirit. When the Bible says
that Enoch, Noah and Abraham walked with God, the
Bible does not mean that these men merely walked
with God down a country road. No, it means that
these men endured the humiliation of
sanctification and as a result, God was pleased
to visit and speak with them as friends. The
carnal heart hates humiliation because it hates
authority. But Jesus said, Blessed are the
meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
(Matthew 5:5) Our response to the sanctification
process is our way of expressing praise, honor
and faith in God. God would much rather see the
sanctification occurring in the lives of His
children than to hear the praise of 10,000
choirs. (Isaiah 1:13-18) Obedience and submission
to authority is the most basic form of praise or
glory that a child can produce! (Ask any parent
if you do not believe me.) So remember, that (a)
sanctification does not merit or bring salvation,
and (b) our struggle with sanctification does not
end until death or the carnal nature is
eliminated.
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