Today on Real Life Radio, the Scripture says in verse 14 that God has given us the Holy Spirit as a guarantee. He's put the Holy Spirit in your heart as a down payment. It is God's first installment in your life, promising that He's going to get you to heaven intact, complete. This is Real Life. Welcome to Real Life Radio with Pastor Jack Hibs.
I'm David J. Thanking you for joining us today as we listen, learn, and are challenged by God's Word, the Bible. Hey, I'm very excited to promote this new book by Dr. Tim LaHaye. Not only a mentor of mine, but a precious friend, he has written a book: How to Study Bible Prophecy for Yourself.
Remember, Dr. Tim LaHaye is the one that brought you the remarkable Left Behind series. I bet with all of your knowledge of Bible prophecy, there's still a hole somewhere, and this book is going to help you as he walks you through how to study Bible prophecy for yourself. How to study Bible prophecy for yourself. Get it for a gift of any amount at jackhibbs.
dot com. On today's edition of Real Life Radio, Pastor Jack continues his series called "The Book of Ephesians" and a message titled "Are You Sealed by the Holy Spirit, Part Two." Ephesians is a letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus, showing every believer who they really are in Christ. And here, Paul reminds us that the moment we come to Jesus, we not only belong to Him, but His love is woven into our hearts. You see, when we trusted Christ, the Holy Spirit sealed us as His own. There's no guessing, no striving, and no wondering if we've done enough.
It's a done deal, stamped and settled once and for all.
So today, Pastor Jack teaches that the Holy Spirit is God's promise to us. We simply need to trust and believe that the Holy Spirit is our help, our guide, our comfort and strength, and the one who convicts us, transforms us, and empowers us to share God's love with others.
Now, with his message called "Are You Sealed by the Holy Spirit?" Part two. Here's Pastor and Bible teacher Jack Hibbs. Sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise. What does this mean? Why don't you turn to Luke twenty-four?
Hold your finger right here in Ephesians and go a little bit to the left to Luke twenty-four. Luke twenty-four forty-six. Then he said to them, Jesus. Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day. He's talking to the Emmaus Road disciples, and that repentance, verse forty-seven, and remission of sins should be preached in His name.
To all nations, beginning at Jerusalem, and you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you. But tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are indewed, or baptized with power. From on high, he's talking about the Holy Spirit being the promise. Jesus said earlier on in John's Gospel, "I will send you the promise." So, what is the promise?
Listen. Let the Bible be the commentary on the Bible. You can open up a lot of commentaries, and they're going to tell you what the promise is. Jesus tells you who the promise and what the promise is. It is the Holy Spirit.
So in verse thirteen, it says that you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. He's not only speaking about the Holy Spirit and His work, what He does. Jesus said He'll come, but the very promise that is made to us, it is the Holy Spirit who will bring to pass the promises of God in our life. Isn't that a credible thing? It's not you.
Somebody makes us a promise, and then that promise is possibly in jeopardy. We really want it. I promise you, I'll do it. Oh, good. You know what he promised.
Oh, I'm so excited.
Well, what happens if there's a little bit of wavering? You know, but you promised. We'll so easily, quickly take the words of men. And just have absolute peace. You know what?
You gave me His Word, and I'm just going to rest in that. And well, God's given us His Word, and what do we do? We read the promises. Oh Lord, are you really going to do it? Oh God, has He ever broken a promise?
And yet we run around like a chicken with our heads cut off. We're so funny. But somebody will say, "I promise, I'll be there at five." It's five ten, five twenty. Jesus says, "I'll be there," and He's there every time. I'll do this.
I'll fulfill that because He has said so, and the Holy Spirit will see to it. Promise. This is a word to make to mean to make announcements. The Holy Spirit of announcement, the Holy Spirit of guarantee, of pledge, of assurance. The Holy Spirit of assurance, and it's announcing not only this.
Listen, the seal is a tangible thing. He stamps the Holy Spirit's ownership on our heart, and then the Holy Spirit turns around and makes a proclamation, a promise. And that's the meaning of the verse that says the spirit of God bears witness with our spirit that we are the sons of God. What is He saying to us? He's speaking words of insurance to us.
Did I say insurance? Assurance. Maybe insurance too, right? Fire insurance. Thou shalt not burn.
You know. Promise. It's given us promise, given us a pledge, and by the way, this is really this is very precious because it speaks of a wedding promise. We're going to get more into this because the words are aligned this way, but it goes. With this kind of thinking, and Paul is using these words.
If if I were engaged to a woman, that engagement first began with the asking, and then the ring is taken, and and and you know, will you marry me? Yes, there goes the ring, and. You know why do we even do that? That ring is a an announcement. It's a promise that you're spoken for, you're taken.
And listen, when love is involved, that that bride to be is very glad to get that ring. Because there's love there. Oh, I've got the ring. Oh, yes, rings on there, and you know they drive around the window down, and it's they catch it on the curtains, and they rip sweaters with it, and it's out there, and well, they're proud. You know, I'm spoken for, and that's really precious.
I think that's beautiful, and and and that's a I think that's the kind of pride that God loves. I'm spoken for. I'm taken. And it's an announcement. Hey guys, back off!
Now that was the bridegroom speaking, the groom to be. You put that ring on there, and it's basically, hey, butt out! This is my babe. And you know, that's a great thing. She's spoken for.
The word can mean, in the context of marriage, it means. That I have pledged to her my wealth, but that's what the word means. My poverty. I have pledged to her my possessions, and I have pledged to her my love, and I have pledged to her my protection. I have pledged her my security.
The thing is, it speaks of listen, gals and guys. It speaks of ownership. He owns me, and people go, "Oh man, I can't believe you said that!" And oh, what a what a chauvinistic statement! Listen, if you think like that, you got to get your brain cleaned. You know, we've been so polluted by the world.
If somebody loves you, if a young man loves you, if a man loves you the way you're supposed to be loved. The greatest thing in the world is for you to be under His protection, security, wealth, possessions, and ownership. That's what the word meant. I'm His, and we've gotten so twisted with our culture because men aren't men, and women are aren't women anymore. And there's this stupid vine for power and.
All this weird stuff because I think it's because men aren't being men. I think if men would be men, women would be women. But because men are not being men, women are now doing jockey ad commercials. It's true. It's weird.
I think if men would be men the way God wants want men to be, I think the women would go, "Hey, that's a man." And the world's twisted. World's got it all messed up. I tell you, I have no problem with that. I I just don't have any problem with that. And you went, "Well, it's because you're a man." No, I mean, no.
No, you know what? Because as God has created the the marriage union, there's this amazing, strange thing that none of us will understand, and that is, in that love experience between a husband and a wife, God has established the headship of the husband. But there's this beautiful thing in the Lord, where He is so dependent and so needing and longing and yearning for her love and her comfort and her peace that she only she can give. And in a very wonderful way, not a weird way, but in a very wonderful way, there's this thing where. The wife takes the place of the comforts and security that the mother used to provide, but oh, so much more because it's of God, and it's a beautiful thing.
And this promise has been given. Aren't you glad God is, Jesus is engaged to us? The Bible teaches us: the bride of Christ, the church. 2 Corinthians 1:20 tells us, though concerning promises, 2 Corinthians 1:20 says, for all the promises of God are in Him. They're yes.
Isn't that great? God, I found this promise in your Bible, and I'd really like to apply it to my life, and I really want to use it, and I would really like to have it for my own. And well, I'm just going to claim it. No, it's not for you. It's for the guy next to you, but it's not for you.
No, they're all yes. I will never leave you or forsake you. Oh, I wish that was mine. It is yours. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no.
What a great promise! Wish it was mine. It is yours. All of His promises to us are yes. It says, and in Him, Amen.
It's good. You're listening to Real Life with Pastor Jack Hibbs. To learn more about this ministry or to catch up on some previous episodes, go to jackhibbs.com. That's jackhibbs.com. And now let's get back to today's message.
Once again, here's Pastor Jack. That verse goes on to say in Second Corinthians one twenty-two concerning the Holy Spirit and the anointing that God's put upon us. He says, "Who has also sealed us and given us the Holy Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee." And that's where we're going right now. Verse fourteen, it says, "Who is the guarantee? Who is the Holy Spirit?
Is the guarantee? Guarantee. What does this word mean?
Some of your old King James Bibles got the right word. I think it's earnest. That's not a guy. That's a earnest is a down payment. It's a.
It too can be a pledge. When a When you go somewhere, you're going to buy something. Maybe you're at a, you know, like a. What do you call these things on Saturday mornings at the garage sale? And you see something, and you go, you know what?
I got a couple more places to stop at, but I really like this. You're asking a hundred bucks for it. Can you hold it for me? The guy says, No way. I'm going to hold it for you.
You crazy? I could sell it in five minutes.
Well, I tell you what. I'll be back. Here's twenty-five dollars. As earnest money, down payment money, I'll give you twenty-five bucks. Don't sell it.
I'll be back in an hour. It's called a down payment. You give a down payment because you're serious about buying it. You're serious about taking it home. The Scripture says in verse fourteen that God has given us the Holy Spirit as a guarantee.
He's put the Holy Spirit in your heart as a down payment. It is God's first installment in your life, promising that He's going to get you to heaven intact, complete. How do you know? Because you are wrapped with the Holy Spirit and sealed with the mark of our God in heaven, and the Holy Spirit is the buyer. And he will take you to the king, to the master.
He's promised.
Well, I don't feel like it. Tough. He's promised.
I don't know.
Well, he does. He knows. The word guarantee or earnest or down payment means a. Security, a pledge. Charles Spurgeon wrote a really neat little devotional book.
Something about God's checkbook of promises, and there's one for every day of the the year, and it's all God's promises. And Spurgeon says, "You just you just write from God's from God's account." Now, think about that. You that may bless you or not depends on how you you know look at accounts. But if it's your account or my account, it's like, well, you are not going to get too far in these promises. But it's God's checkbook, and Spurgeon says, "Take God's checkbook of promises and write." And so, whatever your situation is, what's going on in your life?
Whatever is going on in your life, you need to grab God's checkbook. He's talking about the Bible, and you need to write a promise out. Write it out physically. Write the thing out. What is it?
Is it your business? Is it your marriage? Is it your relationship? Is it a situation? Is it your health?
Write out the checkbook, which is, hey, God will complete that which He's begun in you. Write it out. And I really think that God is saying to us, "Hold it up to me, present it to me. Come on, God says, 'You know, try me. You have a need.
God wants to know. You know, a lot of our needs in our lives. You know what God's trying to do? We have a need in our life. God is trying to get us to apply the need.
I mean, to apply the word to the need. That's why we have the need. God allows the need to come up, so He wants us to see if we're going to take the word. We get the word." Hold it up to him, God. You said, God.
You said that you would come and help me in this situation. You said that you would never, you know, we don't have a dime left, God. And you said that the righteous would never be forced to begging bread. God, we need your sustenance. We need your supply.
We need your help, God. You said that if if we follow you and our heart is is right with you and seeking you, that you give us the desires of our heart, Lord. Do we dare be so bold? Are we spending time? Do we know him enough?
Are we just walking with him and joined this thing that he's given us, eternal life, and we're just experiencing God? And and we say, God, you said you get you'll give us the desires of our hearts. Listen, isn't that amazing thing to promise somebody? Can you imagine, Junior? I'll give you the desires of your heart.
Delight yourself in me, and I'll give you the desires of your heart. Can you imagine, Junior coming up? Hey, Dad. I'm going to delight myself in you. You know what that means, Dad?
The things that interest you. I want those things to interest me. I want to do those things that that are interesting to you. That that means something to you. I want to delight myself in you, Lord.
I want to crawl inside your mind, Dad, and and know what you're thinking, and and. And and then act or be accordingly. And we've got the Bible. We know how God thinks. We know what He says.
We know what He's feeling. And to know that is to say, Lord, can you work that out in my life? Can you make me a blessing, you know, to you? He wants to do it. And when that begins to happen, you don't.
God's not sitting up there worrying about. Oh no, you know, He's kind of delighting Himself in me now. He's going to ask for like, you know, a new Porsche or something. He doesn't, you know. Oh no.
You know, you won't want to ask for a Porsche. You'll ask for a suburban, or something godly, you know. You'll you'll ask because God will be prompting your heart. And to be pleasing to Him, the very desires of God in heaven will become your desires, and you'll respond that way. It's amazing thing.
But He's given us these precious promises and these guarantees of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Romans eleven thirty three says, "Oh, the depth of his riches, both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and his ways! They're past finding out." So we've got this checkbook of promises we can write. Romans eleven thirty three, Philippians four nineteen.
You know this one: My God shall supply all of your need. According to his riches and glory, by Jesus Christ, isn't that amazing? You have a need. There's a promise, Philippians 4:19. Write it down.
Take it to the Lord. Hold it up. Say, Jesus, you made me this promise. Isn't it wonderful? You guys, have we made God any promises?
Some of you may be new believers, and you're going to learn. You make Him no promises. I've been a Christian 18 years. 18 and a half years. It's taken me 18 years to realize I'm no longer making him any promises.
Every time I made him a promise, I broke it within a couple hours or a couple days. Didn't mean to. And as I looked through the Bible, nowhere does it demand or command of me to make him a promise. What it does demand and command of me is to believe his promises that he's given me. Every one of them, isn't that a trip?
He's he loves us. Whenever I go away, I always get my kids a thimble or a spoon. You know those things? They're like three ninety nine. Don't tell them that it's.
They think it's like really top stuff. But you know, and wherever I go, I get these things, and you're scrambling around and. And they get excited over that stuff. What'd you get? And we're trying to get this collection going so that you know, if the Lord doesn't come back, and I'm dead and gone, and Lisa and I are in heaven, and you know, relaxing on the retirement program with the Lord, and just letting them live their lives down here, and letting God reward them for all the grief.
No, I'm kidding, but. You know they look at the things and all, you know, Dad got this and there and that thing and, you know, and and so, you know, tonight I got I got here like ten minutes before the service, coming from Reno, and getting ready to you know getting on the airplane and it's I don't have anything. You know, and I think somebody's gonna make a lot of money if you go to LAX and have little trinkets from all over the world right there.
So when you come from wherever you've come from, you can say, "I hope you enjoy it. I got this in Rome," you know. And it's like L.A. But the thing is, you know, and then they all excited, and and you give it to them. It's the thimble, you know.
They put in the, you know, and well, you know what? They're kids. It's oh neat, and they never think about it again. But it mean you know. I think it means more to me than it does to them.
I like doing it, and I like I like fulfilling the promise, and I like them having it. God. Wants to fulfill the promise, and he really enjoys us having it, the way a dad does. And it's a really neat thing. And though we may just go, "Hmm, that's neat," put it on the shelf.
The fact is, it is true, and it's his promise, and it's his guarantee, it's his pledge, it's what he's given us. Pastor and Bible teacher Jack Hibs here on Real Life Radio with his message called "Are You Sealed by the Holy Spirit, Part Two." Thanks for being with us today. You know this message is part of Pastor Jack's series called "The Book of Ephesians," a series through Paul's letter to the Ephesians, discovering the riches, the walk, and the warfare of every believer. And we'll continue on the next edition of Real Life Radio. Hey, I'm very excited to promote this new book by Dr.
Tim LaHaye. Not only a mentor of mine, but a precious friend, he has written a book: How to Study Bible Prophecy for Yourself. Remember, Dr. Tim LaHaye is the one that brought you the remarkable Left Behind series. I bet with all of your knowledge of Bible prophecy, there's still a hole somewhere, and this book is going to help you as he walks you through how to study Bible prophecy for yourself.
How to study Bible. Prophecy for yourself. Get it for a gift of any amount at jackhibs.com. Hey, thank you again so much for listening. And if you'd like to hear or see more of what we do here, you can always go to jackhibbs.
dot com for all the latest on what's going on with this ministry. And please, if you're ever in the Southern California area, come see us at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills. We'd love to see you there in person. It has been so good to be with you today, and I pray you find yourself in the grace and. Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.
See you on the next episode. This program is made possible by the generous contributions of you, our listeners. Visit us at jackhibbs. dot com. That's jackhibbs.
dot com. Until next time, Pastor Jack Hibbs and all of us here at Real Life Radio wish for you solid and steady growth in Christ and in His Word. We'll see you next time here on Real Life Radio.
