To: Hebraic-Foundations@yahoogroups.com
From: "Pastor Buddy Martin" <Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org>
Date: Sun, 03 Aug 2003 19:55:26 -0500
Subject: Bible Study HF095 - God's Divine Seal of Assurance
Hebraics,
I will need to go beyond our normal range of study, which is the Bible and pre 325 A.D. Christianity, so that I can show the emphasis of the new birth experience against what religions of the world provide. A few comments need to be made about Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and new age.
As a prelude I'll share statements taken from the 'founding' writings of Judaism and Islam. The first is the death testimony of Rabbi Jochanan ben Saccai as recorded in Talmud. The second is by Muhammed as recorded in the Koran. (Mohammed if you prefer.)
Rabbi Saccai lived before and after the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D. He was called 'the light of Israel, the right pillar of the Temple, and its mighty hammer.' Rabbi Saccai helped give shape to Talmudic Judaism. Here is his death bed testimony:
"When dying, his disciples came to see him. He burst into tears. Ask, “Why?” “If I were now to be brought before an earthly king, who lives to-day and dies to-morrow, whose wrath and whose bonds are not everlasting, and whose sentence of death, even, is not that to everlasting death, who can be assuaged by arguments, or perhaps bought off by money I should tremble and weep; how much more reason have I for it, when about to be led before the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be he, who liveth and abideth for ever, whose chains are chains for evermore, and whose sentence of death killeth for ever, whom I cannot assuage with words, nor bribe by money! And not only so, but there are before me two ways, one to paradise and the other to hell, and I know not which of the two ways I shall have to go whether to paradise or to hell: how, then, shall I not shed tears?”
The second statement comes from the Koran and shows Muhammed's own insecurity. "Muhammad said: 'By Allah, though I am the Apostle of Allah, yet I do not know what Allah will do to me.'" (hadith 5:266) In Islam the only guaranteed way to enter heaven is by martyrdom. (Jihad)
Now compare these statements to the testimony of the Apostle Paul; "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain...But I am hard pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.” (Phil1:21-24)
Let's take a look at how simple heart faith in Jesus Christ validates itself in the deepest part of all His believers. This is Bible Study HF095 - God's Divine Seal of Assurance.
The Lord said to Pilate, "You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin." (John 19:11)
Did you know that the Talmud contributes the death of Jesus to the Jewish authorities and gives no credit at all to Roman officials? This helps explain what Jesus meant by their 'greater sin.' Their greater sin was the sin of rejecting the Light. Jesus explained it this way; "This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil." (John 3:19)
The Bible clearly sets forth that the Jewish religious leaders 'knew' who Jesus was. And the sad side of this story is that these same rejecters of the Christ carried their rejection of Christ over into their new religion, Rabbinic (Talmudic) Judaism.
And what of Muhammed? It is much the same. He chose to rewrite the Scriptures and disannul completely Jesus Christ being the Son of God, or of His death on the cross. According to Islam, Judas died on the cross. This is why Jesus could appear three days later. And so Jesus is simply another of the five great prophets, but inferior to Muhammed himself.
Can we carry this further? How about the Hindu religion? It is the same. They preach 'another' Jesus. He is one of the many reincarnations of God, called an Avatar.
And finally, what about the more recent attempt in Judaism to reclaim Jesus to their history, that is, to consider Him as a great Rabbi and Teacher, or possibly even a prophet? We can rejoice in that they are moving in the right direction, but this in itself will not provide salvation for them. Jesus told the Jewish peoples, "Unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." (John 8:24)
Is any of this beside the point? No, the point must be made that unless Jesus is preached faithfully according to the Scriptures, there is no salvation. Jesus was not a Hindu avatar, a Jewish Rabbi, or a prophet of Islam. He was the Lord God Almighty incarnate in humanity. And in Jesus the fullness of God dwelt in bodily form. This is what men are to believe. We must be able to say with Thomas, "My Lord and my God."
So, it doesn't matter how many crosses a rock star may hang around his neck, this has nothing to do with Jesus of the gospels. The cross is not some amulet to wear to give good luck. The only cross that saves is the preaching of the cross. Paul said this message is "foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (1Co1:18)
What then is the point? The point is that there is only one Jesus Christ. He Himself is in the message of the cross. And when Jesus Christ is preached, and received, and accepted as the atonement of our sins, and as Redeemer and Savior, for the believing one there is a seal placed upon their heart. This seal is the seal of divine assurance.
This is why there is no such thing as a person not knowing if they are saved or not. This is the wonder of our redemption in Christ. Jesus told the religious leaders, "You do not believe because you are not of My sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." (John 10:26,27)
Paul adds to this in saying, "For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." And again, "The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God."
John the beloved adds to the record by saying, "The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself ... and the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life..."
Now we understand why Rabbi Jochanan ben Saccai faced death with tears and dread, and why Mohammed did not know what Allah would do with him. And we also understand why true believers have no dread of death or of eternity. It is because the 'seal' of the heart carries with it the divine essence. God's children all carry in themselves Father consciousness, and heaven consciousness.
But I need to press this further. We hear a lot today about replacement theology. Be that what it may, there is a replacement theology in some groups today that undermines the true work of salvation. I am speaking of emotion-driven groups. It is very easy for folk in these kinds of groups to mistake their own emotions for salvation. This is why they live such up and down lives.
God's divine seal of assurance is not a thing of our emotions. It goes much much deeper. It is a thing of the heart. Paul said that with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. What he is saying is that the confession is an automatic response to what has happened in the person's heart. We speak what is in our hearts.
And this is why the simple message of faith in Jesus Christ, and in the finished work of the cross must be preached. If we are preaching anything else, there can be no work of salvation. The apostle quoted Isaiah, in saying, "Lord, who has believed our report [message]?" He then says, "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." (Cf. Rom10)
Christ Himself actually speaks to the hearts of men and women through the preaching of the cross. This is what makes preaching so powerful. Paul says it plain enough when he said to the Corinthians, "For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." He then explained why this was the only message he preached; "So that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God." (Cf. 1Co2)
I began preaching the gospel at age 24. I will be 63 in a few days. To this day I marvel at this greatest of all heavenly miracles. I've preached in brush arbors, under tents, on the streets, in mountain villages, in churches, in nursing homes, in prisons, and any other place the Lord would permit, and I have watched time after time the power of the simple message of Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
But most of all I've seen the result of that message entering the hearts of those who believed. The testimony of those who have received their heavenly birth is nothing like that of Muhammed nor of Rabbi Saccai. I've stood by the bedside of these believing ones when it came time for departing this life. Was there fear? None whatsoever. Why not? Because they carried in their hearts God's divine seal of assurance.
The study is open.
Blessings,
Buddy
Lawrence E. (Buddy) Martin, HF Host
email: Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org
Web: http://www.christianchallenge.org/
"See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled." (Heb12:15)