After hearing the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, you wanted your life to change from misery to joy. You figured that if this Jesus, who claims to love sinners and who claims to have the power to save sinners, can do these things, maybe He can save you! You struggle with believing that God could love you so much that He was willing to send His Son, Jesus, to save a wretched sinner like you. You wanted Jesus to do what He said He could do because you wanted a change, and that message made you feel so hopeful and good, and most of all, you believed it!
At this point, you are willing to declare with your mouth that you want Jesus to be Lord of your life because you believe that He is lord, and you believe that Jesus is alive because God raised Him from the dead. You believe the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation!
Jesus willingly had the sins of the world placed on Him, so He had to be sacrificed on the cross for those sins, even though He was innocent and had never sinned. The blood of Jesus literally washed your sins and all the sins of the world away because He was the “sacrificial lamb”. He overcame the devil, sin, and death in hell, and on the third day, Jesus rose from the dead and gave us His life-giving Spirit!
Ephesians 1:13b … When you believed,…
Romans 10:9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For 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.
When you believed the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, the promised Holy Spirit came into your spirit and sealed you. You are now a child of God, and you belong to Jesus! Because Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth, no evil or demonic force can take the sealed Holy Spirit from you. Let me repeat. No evil or demonic force can take the sealed Holy Spirit from you. Again, you are a child of God, and you belong to Jesus!!
Ephesians 1:13c … you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,…
As a child of God, you have an inheritance awaiting you when Jesus returns for you and all His brothers and sisters in Christ. The Holy Spirit is a deposit that guarantees your inheritance when Jesus comes back to take you and every other believer into heaven.
Ephesians 1:14a … who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance,…
There are still non-believers that need redemption, and God expects His children to be the Salt of the earth and the Light of the world through Jesus, our Lord, and Savior. Every believer should join a church, which is the body of Christ, so that they can grow in their faith, connect with other believers, serve others, minister to others, and evangelize for the kingdom of God in accordance with the church leadership and ordinances. The Holy Spirit will give you spiritual gifts, Jesus will provide opportunities to use those spiritual gifts, and God will do His work in your gifts and service to others.
Ephesians 1:14b … until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
1 Corinthians 12:4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.