Gifts of Love: Three Different Areas of The Holy Spirit in Our Lives

Recently, I was working on my personal devotion time when I can across a verse and specifically one word in the verse that stopped me. I spent about the next hour of my devotional time breaking down this verse and following the lead of the Holy Spirit throughout the Bible. As I walked through this moment that seemed to stand still there was this feeling that something was being unraveled just for me. It was something that was there to help me grow deeper with God, grow deeper in His knowledge, grow deeper in His love. It seemed that over the next couple days any time I would read the Word, a devotional, or just be in prayer this unraveling continued. This unraveling even continued with conversations with others as they would tell me about their experiences that they had been having recently. There moments of joy. There 30 seconds in His presence.

I pray that today as I share this with you I give it justice in what has been revealed to me. I can tell you that even as I was putting together this message it is something that still continues to grow in me and has me amazed by His Glory.

I pray that today as I share this with you I give it justice in what has been revealed to me.

We are going to look at three different areas of The Holy Spirit in our lives and what this represents. We will get to it, but I want to say upfront that all of this is tied back to the actions that took place on The Cross. These three areas of The Holy Spirit are only possible in our lives with one, the blessings of the Father above, and two, with a personal commitment in faith to believe in the actions on The Cross and the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days later. We are going to look at the seal(s) that are upon us, the first fruits that come with faith, and the down payment representing just the first installment.

Sealed

When I was going through this personal revelation with Christ the last piece that was shown to me is really the first piece in all of this. We understand that when we have committed our life to Christ we are accepting in faith the actions that have taken place on The Cross. We may not fully understand what this all means at the time, but we do know that in the commitment something has changed in our life. In the time that follows this commitment, through personal study and time, we learn more about Jesus and the blessings that come with Him and this commitment. One of the things that we gain is greater understanding in the protection we have in God and His Armies.

We understand that this does not equate to all good times, but that it really means that the devil is looking at us closer, looking to tear us down. If the devil was ever unsure if we had changed sides, it is in this closer look at us that he discovers that we really have committed our lives to Jesus Christ. It is in this look that he sees that we are sealed by God and His Son, Jesus Christ. (Need to tell them to put I am sealed to make it personal)

(CSB), "He has also put His seal on us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment."

(CSB), "He has also put His seal on us ......"

Now I understand that this is not a big shock to any of you because you take the time to stay in God’s Word, prayer, and small groups to continue to grow in God. Honestly, this was not the shocking news of the day for me either. It is more comforting to know that I am sealed by Him.

But it is what is all tied into this seal that is part of this revelation. First it is important to understand what sealed even means. According to the Dictionary of Theological terms it is defined as something of ownership or responsibility. It can also denote security, authenticity, privacy or secrecy, proof of genuineness, and or to confirm.

First it is important to understand what sealed even means. According to the Dictionary of Theological terms it is defined as something of ownership or responsibility. It can also denote security, authenticity, privacy or secrecy, proof of genuineness, and or to confirm.

When I look at this in the terms of Jesus, I see ownership, authenticity, privacy, and to confirm stand out. With this seal that is put upon us, through our step of faith, we verbally agree with God through Jesus Christ that we hand it all over to Him. We are saying that we are no longer wanting the ownership of our life, we no longer want to struggle in the dark. We want to be part of something that is greater than us, we want to be part of the light upon the hill. We are asking to have the mark of a new owner, and in this case, it is Jesus Christ.

When we commit to this new mark, this new seal, we are confirming to all, we follow only one, Jesus. Within this we are gaining something new, again, we may may not understand it all, but we are willing to step forward. Within this step we gain a washing of our sins that are sealed by the blood of Christ and they are no more. It is the Blood of Christ that still remains on The Cross for our actions that shows the proof of authenticity of what the Father has done for us. This represents just one of the seals that is upon us.

It is in this second seal that this revelation was coming together for me.

(CSB), "In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit (meaning in addition to the first seal) when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed. (that first step of faith)

We see Paul is telling us that when we heard the Word of Truth and gave our life to Jesus in that first step of faith, in our belief in The Cross and The Resurrection, we gained a second seal. This second seal represents another layer to who God is. We can acknowledge that we do not deserve the actions that were taken by Jesus, but we are forever thankful for it. We can also acknowledge that there is nothing we can do to fully repay the cost. Yet, we are given this second seal because of His love that He has for us. What comes with this second seal? What comes with this gift of love?

When I look back at what a seal is and look at what the Holy Spirit is, I see a few things stand out. I see this seal as proof of genuineness, responsibility, and security. All of us at times have struggled with trying to understand and or explain how you can believe in something that you cannot see. When you are trying to explain the greatness of Him and what He can do in your life we struggle in putting the physical proof in front of someone, especially someone that did not know you prior to your salvation. You may be a seasoned Christian and all they see is a Bible thump-er, so it could be difficult to explain.

That is where I believe the proof of genuineness of The Holy Spirit lies. When you became a believer, when you truly handed it all over, there was a moment that occurred that is unexplainable. It is different for each, and for some it may not happen that moment. But each of us that have walked through it can acknowledge that there was something that we felt. It may be explained as a warmth, a comfort, a blanket in the cold, clarity, peace, light, completeness, and many other terms, but no matter the term, it was something that was at the same time unexplainable. This is what I call proof of genuineness, this is when you know God is real and that step of faith just became as real as the seat you are sitting in right now. It is that step of faith into the water that was needed to have the waters part.

The Holy Spirit is more than this proof of genuineness in our walk. The Holy Spirit has a level of responsibility and security in our life. Now this does not negate what we are responsible for in the choices we make. What it does mean is that the Holy Spirit guides us in our walk, intercedes for us, recognizes the enemy around us, teaches us, gives us the words needed, and so much more. But none of this is possible if first, we do not believe in The Cross, and second, trust in The Holy Spirit.

First Fruit(s)

The verse that sparked this revelation for me is .

(CSB)," ...but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits..."

It was this word first fruits that was holding me up. When I think of first fruits I think the harvest and what was stated in (CSB), “Each year you are to set aside a tenth of all the produce grown in your fields” and (CSB), “Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first produce of your entire harvest.” When you look at this set aside it is the first of the harvest, it is the best, the finest of the harvest, it is giving back to God what is His. It is one of those verses that is used to explain why we tithe. So, if the first fruits is tied to what we give to God, how is it that we see here that The Holy Spirit is the first fruits to us? Additionally, if The Holy Spirit is one, why is it plural?

Before we can understand this we first have to understand what truly is the first fruit for us.

, (CSB), “But as it is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep....For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits;…(afterwards, at his coming, those who belong to Christ)”

So again, we see this tying back to The Cross and more specifically this time to the three days of death and The Resurrection that followed by Jesus. This first fruit is the redemption that is required for us to be the next part of the verse, “…afterwards, at his coming, those who belong to Christ.” Meaning, if you have given your life to Christ you are part of this. You see it is through this bounty, this payment, of the Blood of Christ and the three days with death that we are truly redeemed. It is through this action, this first fruit, that we have been delivered from death. This is the first part of the redemption for us.

It was this word first fruits that was holding me up. When I think of first fruits I think the harvest and what was stated in (CSB), “Each year you are to set aside a tenth of all the produce grown in your fields.” When you look at this set aside it is the first of the harvest, it is the best, it is giving back to God what is His. It is one of those verses that is used to explain why we tithe. So if the first fruits is tied to what we give to God, how is it that we see here that The Holy Spirit is the first fruits to us?

First Fruits is where God continues to give. He gave us His Son and now in a step of faith we receive the other part of the First Fruits, The Holy Spirit. It is received after the redemption, the deliverance from death. We have the Blood filled Cross to show us the actions of Jesus, and now we have The Holy Spirit to show us our actions. Like we talked about the Holy Spirit is that second seal on us and it is in this we really gain the knowledge of God and Jesus. When we open our hearts and minds The Holy Spirit is able to work through us, and in this we are able to recognize The Holy Spirit in our life.

(CSB), "And don't grieve God's Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption."

First Fruits is where God continues to give. He gave us His Son and now in a step of faith we receive the other part of the First Fruits, The Holy Spirit. It is recieved after the redemption, the deliverance from death. We have the Blood filled Cross to show us the actions of Jesus, and now we have The Holy Spirit to show us our actions. Like we talked about the Holy Spirit is that second seal on us and it is in this we really gain the knowledge of God and Jesus. When we open our hearts and minds The Holy Spirit is able to work through us, and in this we are able to recognize The Holy Spirit in our life.

If we see first fruits as a harvest and what is given to God, we understand it to be a percentage. When we look at what God does for us with these first fruits, God is giving even more and allowing us to have a percentage of the future redemption to give us strength and courage.

There is another part to this redemption. If we see first fruits as a harvest and what is given to God, we understand it to be a percentage. We understand this as 10%. When we look at what God does for us with these first fruits, God is giving even more and within it he is allowing us to have a percentage of the future redemption to give us strength and courage. Redemption not only denotes the present deliverance from sin, but includes the future redemption, the future deliverance of a new body and many other promises. We know this from the Word.

(CSB), "And don't grieve God's Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption."

(CSB), "The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory"

Down Payment

(CSB)," ...but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits..."

Down Payment

This leads to the third piece of the revelation, the down payment. We already heard...

(CSB), "The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory"

(CSB), "He has also put His seal on us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment."

When I came across this I instantly was thinking about the down payments that we put on houses and cars. This may vary from individual to individual, but it is usually somewhere around 10 to 20 percent. When looking through different sources it is defined as the first installment, a pledge, a deposit, guarantee of the commitment, a good faith commitment. In each of these terms used to define it they all have something in common. They each represent that there is more to come. There is more that will be given for the commodity that you are acquiring. They each represent that the one paying is promising to deliver on his or her word. So how again does God seem to keep giving when we are not worthy of it?

It again goes back to an act on The Cross and the step of faith that we each personally have to take. I stated it before that we did not really understand what we were accepting when we gave our life over to Jesus. In that action, this first step, we were adopted by a loving Father who wants nothing more than to shower us with His love. While we are still in these bodies He has given us this down payment of the Holy Spirit to represent a pledge, a promise, the first installment of so much to come.

Adoption is something that changes one’s path in life. It could be good or bad depending what family you have been adopted into. For us in Christ, this adoption comes with a new lineage, a new family, a new Father, a new Brother, a new inheritance. Through adoption we were redeemed and given an inheritance that is sealed by the actions on The Cross and by the down payment and first fruit, Jesus and The Holy Spirit. Which is only possible by the grace of God which transcends all understanding and is gained though hearing the Word, steeping in faith, and believing The Truth, Jesus Christ. What is amazing about this inheritance is that it is not divided by the number of children God will have at the end. God’s grace and love is so big that it is able to cover all of us more than we can imagine or fathom.

It is in this down payment of The Holy Spirit that helps me understand that Gods love is more than we will ever truly understand and it will be more than we will ever need, nor will we ever fight over the abundance that one has over another. Think of this, if The Holy Spirit is that of a down payment (which He is), He represents a portion of what is to come. Within that down payment we are receiving the first installment of His (Gods) love for us, this guarantee of His (Gods) commitment to us, like we needed another one. He (God) has deposited into us this gift of love. What is this gift of love?

This gift of love, The Holy Spirit, is help in our weakness; one who intercedes for us; educator, one who walks us through understanding, knowledge, and wisdom; counselor; strength and courage; makes us conquerors; provides fruits and gifts of Himself; a taste of the honey comb; makes us holy through our belief and faith in the Roots of the Tree; represents our future redemption in a new body; He is a seal; He is a first fruits; He is a down payment; and so much more.

Closing

The more I read about this the more that it seems unfathomable that God the Father would do this for me. It is not that it is unfathomable that God created the world, this had to occur somehow. It is not unfathomable that God has worked through many individuals to bring light to the world, this brings joy and peace. It is not unfathomable that Jesus would sacrifice His life for others, soldiers, police officers, and firefighters do this every day.

With God, the final payment has been made, but He is still giving, but it is out of love, and it is to us. When we truly grasp all that has been given, we will fall to our knees with awe. Think, if we can't fully grasp the Holy Spirit and He is yet just a down payment, how much more can there be? How great can it get?

(Just look at how it is incorporated for future in Heaven) The first part talking about the blessings is something that should help us understand what comes with this belief and faith in Him. We see in v4-14 just what some of it is in which some of it is after our time here on earth. What is amazing is that all of it sounds incredible and that we are not worthy of it, yet we will receive it. Even greater is that we are redeemed for the actions of Jesus on the Cross, we are sealed by the Holy Spirit, we have the Holy Spirit as the down payment and the first fruit, we get a glimpse of what we have in the future.

Joy is something that we can all relate to. Joy is something that we feel in many different situations be it as a parent, grandparent, or moments of being with a loved one. There are many times in our lives that we have felt this joy in what we have accomplished. This joy can be just for a moment or something that could last for a period of time. But there is another level to joy that is somehow unexplainable. It is a joy that overtakes the moment that you are in and you find yourself seeking in the presence for what is providing this joy. Just recently I was have a conversation with a member of the church and he was telling me about a moment that lasted only about 30 seconds, but in that 30 seconds the joy was so overwhelming it was unexplainable. He said that as he reflected on it even in the moment he realized that He was in His presence. How beautiful is this to experience that level of joy, that moment where His presence is so near you can feel it within your soul?

, "He has also put His seal on us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment."

(CSB), "And don't grieve God's Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption."

(I need to look at the seal of the Holy Spirit in as our guide and protecting us and the seal of Jesus in that we are His and He has sealed all our sins so that they no longer visible to anyone else. If we allow those to be opened for the enemy to re-attack us then that is us opening the seal, not Jesus.)

Upfront, I am adding this from the notes in my paper journal. I am going to capture what I had written, but it is going to my August 19, 2018 Sermon and I believe even at a larger scale to something larger. I believe that it goes with what was shown to me when I was working on a previous message that had me looking at the fruits and the gifts of the Spirit from April 15, 2018 Honoring His Name. (Another passage that goes to the great piece is ). The other point is that this was shown to me through a fast that I was walking through. How great is God? Greater than I give Him credit for.

The other point is that this was shown to me through a fast that I was walking through. How great is God? Greater than I give Him credit for.

What I continue to learn is that though I do not see myself as special, He does, and His grace does not just start and stop with me. I am but just one of the stars in the sky that represent the offspring of Abraham. Each of those stars, each of the individuals that seek God in faith and belief receive the same inheritance of the down payment, same first fruits, the same seal, the same Jesus on the Cross, the same spiritual blessings in Heaven, and the same Father, God in Heaven.

Each of you today as believers are one of those stars, but it does not stop there. Though unfathomable, it is real, all we have to do is reach for it in faith, and once we have done this, seek Him daily to allow the Holy Spirit to work in us so we grow in Him. There is so much that is there for us, we just have to be willing to let go of our understanding and seek His understanding.

(Possibly put the joy paragraph here)

I believe that the pray that Paul says in speaks volumes (what a Great Prayer to put over people), "I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit, of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what is the wealth of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power towards us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength."

For whatever reason God, you had me looking at this firstfruit piece. Something about it was sticking out to me. But when I came to as a cross reference t jumped out to me.

With God, through Jesus, the final payment has been made, but He is still giving, but it is out of love, and it is to us. When we truly grasp all that has been given, we will fall to our knees with awe. Think, if we can't fully grasp the Holy Spirit and He is yet just a down payment, how much more can there be? How great can it get?

Normally, firstfruits are the first thing to be offered to You (God the Father). But in this case with becoming a believer the Holy Spirit is a gift from You to us.

Maybe you are sitting here and telling yourself that all of this sounds too good to be true. Can I tell you that it does seem unreal, but our God is the one of the impossible! If you have not given your life to Christ or you are in that moment of despair and you cannot see a way out, can I tell you that this is where many struggle. This is where many get hung up, because it takes this leap of faith, a step of faith, this movement of the mind, heart, and soul together towards something that is not physical in our eyes. Many struggle with this because in our flesh it does not make sense that one can die and rise three days later. This takes faith in something that we cannot see. It is through this faith though, that we see so much more. It is through this faith that you will start to see the impossible become possible. It is in this faith and the receiving of the seals, first fruits, and down payments that we can see beyond the flesh and see The Truth that lays beyond the blimp in time that we are in right now.

Understandably, part of what Paul was saying in Romans was there was still more to come. That is why jumped out to me. When I look at the down payment, this at most 20% on large purchases. On smaller ones it may be 50%. In any case we know that there is more to come. With Paul is telling us the Holy Spirit is that of a down payment from God to us, meaning there is so much coming.

If you are one that has not accepted Jesus into your life, this is your moment, this is your time to take that step of faith.

Part of this is seen in the rest of . (CSB, "....we also groan within ourselves eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies."

If you are one that is in a moment of despair and you have lost sight of Him, this is your moment, this is your time to take the next step in faith.

( I think this can be up above in replacement for some other words already written) This is where many struggle. This is where many get hung up, because it takes this leap of faith, a step of faith, this movement of the mind, heart, and soul together towards something that is not physical. This is to recognize Jesus is who He said He was, that He is the Son of God. Many struggle with this because in our flesh it does not make sense that one can die and rise three days later. This takes faith in something that we cannot see. It is through this faith though, that we see so much more.

Three things to this that jumps out of the part b. The first is still tied to the down payment, The Holy Spirit. We know that we are unable to know all the words that need to be spoken and that the Spirit helps us with this with groaning. (. "In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with unspoken groaning." ) This groaning comes in many forms and for me it comes in a form of speaking in tongues (love language) to God.

If you are one that is growing in Him, but you want more, you want to understand in depth this first fruit, this down payment, this is your moment, this is your next step in faith.

Looking back at I see that the groans are to achieve the rest of the payment, which I will really say is a gift because there is nothing God owes me, even prior to the gift of Jesus. The truth is I owe more than I will ever be able to pay. But this gift is shown in two pieces. One is the adoption. As known this adoption is that of full inheritance, which in those days this custom was huge. It meant more than just physical, it was an image, a lineage that was received. That means for us this adoption is a change of families, a change of lineage if you would say. In our case, this is a change between heaven and hell. Which is tied to the other, the redemption of our bodies.

Who is willing to take that next step of faith, who is willing to stand today and say I give it all to Jesus, and that I accept the gifts of love that I am not worthy of? Stand with me today, let us stand in unity as we praise our God and tell the enemy we are no longer his, but that we are sealed by the God above.

We know our bodies are dead from sin (, , ) and we know when we go to heaven we will receive a new body. Now with redemption it is usually a freeing of something or paying of something off. We know that Jesus is our redeemer, and He paid it at The Cross and with death for 3 days. With this again there is more to me, as we are receiving so much more than we can imagine. (Dictionary of Theological Terms, Alan Cairns). We have done nothing to receive any of this yet look at all of this we are getting. We have firstfruits in The Holy Spirit, The Holy Spirit speaks for us, we have a new body coming, we have a new lineage in Jesus Christ, we are freed from death, possession (, " The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.") meaning belonging to God, and just what we can glean from the Word, a new World that we cannot fathom.

I know that when I have made final payments on items I am usually looking to the next thing, meaning I have never stopped paying. With God, the final payment has been made, but He is still giving, but it is out of love, and it is to us. When we truly grasp all that has been given, we will fall to our knees with awe. Think, if we can't fully grasp the Holy Spirit and He is yet just a down payment, how much more can there be? How great can it get?

How Paul wraps up the rest of shows that there is things to come (not good things), but through all of it nothing can separate us from God's love. It will take perseverance to get through all or any of it, but in doing so we will find so much more. , "...we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." How great is He.

Thank you Father, times of difficulty will be there. Times of good will be there. But stay the course and times of imaginable greatness are still to come. Amen

Followup from July 7, 2018.

When looking at the message to put together from the day before (July 6) there is two things. (1) When mowing yesterday God showed me that the fruits and gifts of the Spirit. This is all part of the firstfruits, the first 10%. There is so much in this first 10% and we do not really exploit for good this first 10% in our lives. The point is that we are unable, do to ourselves, to fully comprehend this 10%. Now take a step back and just see that there is another 90% that is coming with our days with God. How great is that. (How much do we use our brain? On average the person only uses 10% of their brain at a time.)

(2) When talking the importance of lineage you can see its important in Paul is trying to make a point that anyone can be a believer and to reach the people he talks about the importance of his lineage going back to his tribe Benjamin.

Another example (possibly) Jesus speaking 15:5, "I am the vine, you are the branches. the one who remains in me and I in Him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me."

, "Now if the firstfruits are holy, so is the whole batch. And if the root is holy, so are the branches."

This ties two things together for me. First, they firstfruits is the gift, the down payment, the 10%, of the Holy Spirit seen in my notes from July 06. The second is seen above in 15:5 with Jesus telling about the vine and the branches. the vine is our roots and we are His branches. If we accept Jesus into our life, and we use the Holy Spirit to help and guide us, we will see God working through us in a Holy way. This is what we should be working towards. And we should never stop using the gift of the Holy Spirit, and we should never stop speaking the nutrients from the vine, for this our live line. ( and 11:18b, "...you do not sustain the root, but the root sustains you."

(A Hymn of Praise)

Oh, the depth of His riches

both of the wisdom

and of the knowledge of God.!

How unsearchable His judgments

and untraceable His ways!

For who has known the mind of the Lord?

Or who has been His counselor?

And who has ever given to God,

that he should be repaid?

For from Him and through Him

and to Him are all things.

To Him be the glory forever, Amen.

To me this wraps it all up. We have done nothing to be repaid, but yet He gives us the greatest gift, eternaly life through and with Him. Thank you Lord, You are truly amazing. Amen.

July 27, 2018

, "Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ."

, "In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirits when you heard the word of truth,t the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed. 14 The Holy Spirit is the down paymentu of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory"

From the article Perseverance of the Spirit ,"Genuine Christians also continue in the faith because they are sealed with the Holy Spirit as a down payment ()..... You were sealed by him for the day of redemption” (). "

, " He exercised this power in Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right handaa in the heavens.."

There is a lot going on in this one chapter and I see it tying back to the vision, revelation, understanding that it talking place for me going back to . The next piece that jumps out to me is two parts or two new additions. The first is in v3, "who (God) has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ." The second is the word sealed which is starting to be seen in a few places and for me this is tying back to firstfruits, down payment, and the rest of the pieces that are falling into place for me.

The first part talking about the blessings is something that should help us understand what comes with this belief and faith in Him. We see in v4-14 just what some of it is in which some of it is after our time here on earth. What is amazing is that all of it sounds incredible and that we are not worthy of it, yet we will receive it. Even greater is that we are redeemed for the actions of Jesus on the Cross, we are sealed by the Holy Spirit, we have the Holy Spirit as the down payment and the first fruit, we get a glimpse of what we have in the future.

For me, it is unfathomable that He would do this for me. It is unfathomable that God would see me as His son, that Jesus would die for my sins, not His, that in the mix of all of it, through a faith and believe that I have He would forgive me, that He would seal me, that He would give me a down payment and firstfruit for something that I do not deserve and will never deserve. It is unfathomable that God would see something in me and that He would, in my weakness, give me strength, courage, knowledge, and wisdom to teach His sons and daughters. It is unfathomable, that God did any of this for me, but yet he did. What I continue to learn is that though I do not see my self as special, He does, and His grace does not just start and stop with me. I am but just one of the stars in the sky that represent the offspring of Abraham. Each of those stars, each of the individuals that seek God in faith and belief receive the same inheritance of the down payment, same firstfruits, the same seal, the same Jesus on the Cross, the same spiritual blessings in Heaven, and the same Father, God in Heaven. Though unfathomable, it is real, all we have to do is reach for it in faith, and once we have done this, seek Him daily to allow the Holy Spirit to work in us so we grow in Him. There is so much that is there for us, we just have to be willing to let go of our understanding and seek His understanding.

I believe that the pray that Paul has in v17-19 speaks volumes (what a Great Prayer to put over people), "I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father,G would give you the SpiritH,v of wisdom and revelationw in the knowledge of him. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hopex of his calling,y what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his powerz toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength."

Thank you Lord, Amen

July 18, 2018

, "Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment" is tied back to the visions and understandings that you gave me back on July 6 with and all the scriptures tied to it. It has to do with the firstfruits and the down payment that is in the Holy Spirit that is provided by You to us. Words can not even explain this.

I also am amazed and happy in how you continue to show me Your Ways. This knowledge was shown to me again last night in talking with Jim. He was sharing with me about his 30 seconds of overpowering joy and when he stood still it was evident to him that 30 seconds was just a glimpse of what it is like to be in Your presence. With that I was sharing my experience with You on July 6. Lord, You are truly amazing, and I know that word does not even equal 10% of what you truly are. Thank you.

, "From now on, then, we do not know anyone from a worldly perspective.D Even if we have known Christ from a worldly perspective,E yet now we no longer know him in this way."

Powerful!!!!!!

The first past of this verse ,"From now on, then, we do not know anyone from a worldly perspective..." talks about how we (Paul in this case, but how all of us should be)should see others. In the words that Paul is using he is saying not in a worldy perspective. This means to me that when we look at someone we do not see with out earthly eyes. We are seeing them with the eyes that God wants us to see them as, which means we are seeing with the eyes of the Holy Spirit. If we truly do get to this level of Spiritual strength we will see people for their heart and not that of anything else.

In this we will see what they truly stand for, it could be a heart of gold that is filled with the firstfruits and down payment of the Holy Spirit. Even in those individuals we will see that we are to love, but we will also recognize them as the 99 of the 100. IN others that have a heart that is not of gold we will see the struggles that they are facing, the hate that they may have, the disappointments that they see at each corner, the fears that control their lives, and so much more. But amongst all of that we will see them with the eyes of God and what we will see is a lost brother or sister that is the one that we are to go after.

This is where the rest of this verse shows this power, "....Even if we have known Christ from a worldly perspective....." There are many that know who Jesus is, to them he may be a prophet, a dead person, or many other things. These individuals know Jesus from a worldy perspective and they see Him as that of any other person that has their name in the history books. It is sad to state that there are many that believe in Jesus Christ and I would say that their eyes see with about the same perspective, for they do not want to go deeper into what the Lord has for them.

What Paul is saying in the last part of this verse, ".....yet now we no longer know him in this way" is that there is another level to the belief that we have in Him (Jesus Christ). You can believe in Him, you can have salvation in Him, but if you truly want to live by His ways you have to be willing to see like Him. When we do this we no longer see Jesus as worldy, but we see Him truly as the King of the Jews, the Lord of Lords, the Son of God, the deliverer of Salvation, the deliverer of healing, and many other things. Paul is saying that when we see this and understand this we start to see with His eyes, Gods eyes, the Holy Spirits eyes and we are then heartbroken for those around us. There will be some that we see are seeing the same and their will be joy in this. But I believe that as we start to see more clearly as we are designed and gifted to see, we will have a heart that melts for those that are in our paths. We will want to persuade all people (v11, " Therefore, since we know the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade people" and v20-21, ".....We plead on Christ’s behalf:as “Be reconciled to God.” 21 He made the one who did not know sinat to be sinG for us,au so that in him we might become the righteousness of God") to know truly who the Lord is. Not only knowing, but knowing through a life saving experience and relationship.

I have prayed a dangerous pray several times in my life, but I can see today that I have not prayed it enough. I have prayed to have just a glimpse of what God sees. If I am truly seeking this then v 16 will come to fruition for me. In this I will see the 100 and I will know who the 1 is that I am to chase after that day, that moment. It does not mean that I would not have a light to share with the 99, it jsut means that I would be better equiped to do what God has called me and everyone else to do, and that is to love. talks about this love and that is what we all should be getting to.

July 24, 2018

, " The purpose was that the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles by Christ Jesus, so that we could receive the promised Spirit through faith."

Paul is taking the time here to continue to bring home the point that we do not receive the Grace of God through works, but through faith. What stands out to me here is two pieces. First, is the blessing of Abraham is brought back up and this is to show that it was for everyone that will believe by faith in Him. Paul is trying to bring it out that this faith is something that each person has to choose, and that it is not based on what family you were born (flesh) into, but by choosing to be born (Spirit) into a new family that of which is led by the Father. He is referencing how so many are stuck in the law of the flesh and they are ignoring the Law of the Spirit. They are blinded by what they are able to see and touch physically and that is hindering them from receiving the full sight that is needed to live by grace and accomplish the works that each of us are called for.

The second piece that stands out to me is, "we could receive the promised Spirit through faith." I know that all of this is tied back to Jesus going to the Cross for us which is mentioned in the previous verses, but even greater in this is tied back to July 6, 2018 and the revelation for me in and the corresponding verses (references are in the CSB Bible). I am not taking away the fact that God has given us a place to live, food to eat, breath in our lungs, strength to walk, and so many other things that we take for granted each day. Each of those individually is enough to love God with all we have to offer. Those are the simplistic things to thank God for. Those, if you think about it, are the physical things that we are able to recognize that there is a God. We are not worthy of any of that, but God goes beyond this and He does, in my mind, two things and one great thing to come that we need to recognize.

This is where many struggle. This is where many get hung up, because it takes this leap of faith, a step of faith, this movement of the mind, heart, and soul together towards something that is not physical. This is to recognize Jesus is who He said He was, that He is the Son of God. Many struggle with this because in our flesh it does not make sense that one can die and rise three days later. This takes faith in something that we can not see. It is through this faith though, that we see so much more. It is through this first of three great gifts that we are not worthy of that we go from flesh to Spirit in our walk here on earth and that we cause an additional rip in the devils plans.

This leads to the second great gift from God that we are not worthy of. First it was Jesus, His Son, sent to earth for us (for me), to suffer as man, but not sin, then die on the Cross (v 13 the tree) again for me, to go to hell for three days and then rise again to show the devil that he will not have victory. The second is that God, in His abundance of love determined that was not a big enough gift to show us His love. He than gives us a down payment, the first fruit, the Counselor to guide us, the light that leads us, the Holy Spirit. I have mentioned this before, this is mind blowing. This is not something that you can instantly put your mind around. We struggle with recognizing how much this is to us and how much this guides our lives. We struggle and consistently state that it is difficult to have faith in something that you cannot see.

I stated earlier there is so much that is physical to see, but we are blind to this. But, through faith, through the Cross, through the first fruit, through the down payment that we are not worthy of we can see beyond the flesh and see the truth that lays beyond this blimp in time that we are in right now. This leads to the third piece that is coming and that is when Jesus returns. I know that I am not worthy of just the physical things I have in the flesh, and then you add these three things, the Cross, The Holy Spirit, and the Victory; How could I even want to ignore the Father in Heaven? How could I even want to live in the flesh?

Through the step of faith, through the step of seeking Him, through the step of asking Jesus into your life, you receive so much more. It will not be fully understood, but through His Grace and the leading of the Holy Spirit I am thankful that my eyes, heart, and mind is opened a little each day to understand just a muster seed worth of God. I stepped in faith, and now I live by Grace. Thank you Lord.

There is so much going on here, and I pray that it is continued to be shown to me in the ways that one, you want me to live it out, and two in the ways that you want me to share it. Amen.

Notes: from pg 1871

Genuine Christians also continue in the faith because they are sealed with the Holy Spirit as a down payment () of the blessings promised by God, including eternal life. Paul had this in mind whet he said: “And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by Him for the day of redemption” (). God the Spirit (me speaking, the second seal) assures us of salvation at the beginning of our spiritual life and keeps us in the faith to the end of our earthly life (, , , , ).

Study notes:

, , “But as it is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep....For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits;...”

23 But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits

CSB Notes, “Christ’s genuine, well-attested resurrection is the guarantee of our future resurrection. Firstfruits refers to the guarantee that Christ’s resurrection is the first-of-a-kind resurrection that promises others will follow in the end time (cp. , where “firstfruits” can be translated “guarantee,” “first installment”).

Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.”

Akin, D. L. (2017). The Bible and Sexuality. In E. A. Blum & T. Wax (Eds.), CSB Study Bible: Notes (p. 1832). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

Akin, D. L. (2017). The Bible and Se

CSB Notes, “This is a Trinitarian text. God the Father confirms believers as his own. He initiates the anointing of believers in his Son, Christ. He also put his seal on us with the Spirit, guaranteeing our heavenly inheritance (; ).

Akin, D. L. (2017). The Bible and Sexuality. In E. A. Blum & T. Wax (Eds.), CSB Study Bible: Notes (p. 1832). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

Easley, K. H. (2017). 2 Corinthians. In E. A. Blum & T. Wax (Eds.), CSB Study Bible: Notes (p. 1841). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

CBS Notes, “Life in the resurrection is impossible without the proper preparation. This verse emphasizes God’s sovereignty. On the Spirit as a down payment, see 1:22 and for the other NT instances of “down payment,” always connected with the Spirit. The beginning of salvation is receiving God’s person (the Spirit); the goal of salvation is enjoying God’s person fully and forever ().”

Easley, K. H. (2017). 2 Corinthians. In E. A. Blum & T. Wax (Eds.), CSB Study Bible: Notes (p. 1841). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.”

Easley, K. H. (2017). 2 Corinthians. In E. A. Blum & T. Wax (Eds.), CSB Study Bible: Notes (p. 1844). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

CSB Notes;

8:22–23 Paul describes the groaning of creation, the groaning of believers, and the groaning of the Holy Spirit (v. 26). Travail gives birth to a new creation. Christians have only the firstfruits—the pledge of more to come in our salvation. We groan because of our fallen nature. Our new resurrection bodies will conform us to Jesus’s glorified body.

8:24–25 Our salvation is secure, but it is as yet unseen and thus a matter of hope. We wait in faith and patience.

8:26–27 In our weakness we have the help of the Spirit. Jesus is our intercessor in heaven (), and the Spirit is our intercessor on earth within our hearts. We are limited and ignorant, but the Spirit uses unspoken groanings to communicate our needs. This is not “speaking in tongues or languages” (Gk glossolalia). It is instead wordless. Our heavenly Father knows what is happening in our lives and within the deep recesses of our personalities (; ; ). The Spirit’s requests are always according to the will of God and are always answered.

CSB Study Bible: Notes Chapter 8

8:24–25 Our salvation is secure, but it is as yet unseen and thus a matter of hope. We wait in faith and patience.

8:26–27 In our weakness we have the help of the Spirit. Jesus is our intercessor in heaven (Heb 7:25), and the Spirit is our intercessor on earth within our hearts. We are limited and ignorant, but the Spirit uses unspoken groanings to communicate our needs. This is not “speaking in tongues or languages” (Gk glossolalia). It is instead wordless. Our heavenly Father knows what is happening in our lives and within the deep recesses of our personalities (1Sm 16:7; Pr 15:11; Jr 17:10). The Spirit’s requests are always according to the will of God and are always answered.

Patterson, P. (2017). Salvation in the Old Testament. In E. A. Blum & T. Wax (Eds.), CSB Study Bible: Notes (p. 1794). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

CSB Notes, “Sealed in him with the promised Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit was promised by the prophets and by Jesus (; ; ). The Spirit is described as both a seal showing ownership and a pledge pointing to future redemption. Though believers have not yet experienced redemption in full, God will bring about final redemption (life in his immediate presence) for all who have received the Spirit (). On the sealing of the Holy Spirit, see 4:30; .

Wallace, D. B. (2017). Perseverance of the Saints. In E. A. Blum & T. Wax (Eds.), CSB Study Bible: Notes (p. 1872). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

(CSB) “He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of his glorious body, by the power that enables him to subject everything to himself. “

(CSB) “Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him as he is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure. “

(CSB), “Now if the firstfruits are holy, so is the whole batch. And if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 Now if some of the branches were broken off, and you, though a wild olive branch, were grafted in among them and have come to share in the rich root of the cultivated olive tree, 18 do not boast that you are better than those branches. But if you do boast—you do not sustain the root, but the root sustains you. 19 Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 True enough; they were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but beware,,t 21 because if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. 22 Therefore, consider God’s kindness and severity: severity toward those who have fallen but God’s kindness toward you—if you remain in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. 23 And even they, if they do not remain in unbelief, will be grafted in, because God has the power to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut off from your native wild olive tree and against nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these—the natural branches—be grafted into their own olive tree?”

17 Now if some of the branches were broken off, and you, though a wild olive branch, were grafted in among them and have come to share in the rich root of the cultivated olive tree, 18 do not boast that you are better than those branches. But if you do boast—you do not sustain the root, but the root sustains you. 19 Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 True enough; they were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but beware,,t 21 because if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. 22 Therefore, consider God’s kindness and severity: severity toward those who have fallen but God’s kindness toward you—if you remain in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. 23 And even they, if they do not remain in unbelief, will be grafted in, because God has the power to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut off from your native wild olive tree and against nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these—the natural branches—be grafted into their own olive tree?”

Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

(CSB), “And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption.”