Prisoners Set Free
The Son of God Sets the Prisoners of Sin Free
“Now I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and the sea. They drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ.” 1 Corinthians 10:1-4 CSB
Exodus 17:6 CSB “…thou shalt smite the rock and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.” A true miracle, water in the desert. They were being saved by God, just as Jesus saved us. John 4:14 CSB “Jesus said, ‘everyone who drinks of this water will get thirsty again. But whoever drinks from the water that I give will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.”
They passed through the sea to freedom and the followed the cloud that led them. This is a type or representation of Christ; it was not a manifestation of him like the time angels appeared to Abraham. The people were emersed under the authority of Moses and it is a sign of divine leadership. Christ is our divine leader, and he, not the rock, is our supplier. This represents affirmation the pre-existence of Christ. Remember that Christ in John 8:58 says, “Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.”
For Christians salvation is about being saved; set free from Sin. Non-believers remain prisoners of their sin. That meaning is built upon the death and resurrection of Christ. In the Old Testament prophesies focused on One who was to come as the bringer of Salvation. In the New Testament salvation is regarded almost exclusively as relief from the power and dominion of sin. Christ Jesus is the author of that solution. In the verse above Christ is described as the Rock of Our Salvation. It was spiritual in that it was supernaturally provided through the Spirit of God.
Psalm 37:40 CSB “The Lord helps and delivers them; he will deliver them from the wicked and will save them because they take refuge in him." Christ has not yet come.
Matthew 1:21 CSB “She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people.” He is almost here.
Hebrews 5:9 CSB “After he was perfected, he became the source of eternal salvation for all that obey him.” He becomes our salvation.
Our Salvation and Our Assurance of It
Many believers have struggled with their salvation and assurance; is it theirs forever? If one can lose their salvation, then their hope is unstable, non-existent. How do we know we are secure? Scripture provides the answer when you investigate.
Scripture commands Christians to examine themselves closely to ensure they are truly in the faith, to make sure they aren’t deceived into thinking they are when they are not. This is critical. Begin with Paul who says in 2 Corinthians 13:5 CSB “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Examine yourselves. Or do you yourselves not recognize Jesus is in you? - unless you fail the test.”
Your life and the fruits of the spirit are proof that you are saved. The fruits of the Spirit are easy to recognize; Again, Paul speaking to the Galatians 5:22-23 CSB “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. The law is not against these.” This is direct and easy to understand. There is no secret code. There are eight indicators of your becoming and remaining a changed being; saved.
Once you became a Christian you and the way you live started changing. You and others noticed it. Being human, we don’t bring all of that forward every day. But we strive and the Holy Spirit helps us. In 2 Peter 1:10 CSB “Therefore, brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election, because if you do these things you will never stumble.” How glorious is that? In just a couple of paragraphs you have been shown how to do your own examination! It shouldn’t take but a moment to know from day to day how you are doing.
Any reference to falling means you are failing in your living as a Christian. It does not mean you are losing your Salvation. You just need to get back on the narrow path. “Though a righteous person falls seven times, he will get up, but the wicked will stumble into ruin.” Proverbs 24:14 CSB There is also this critical thing to understand about the Holy Spirit. Consider these statements by the Apostle Paul as he speaks of the gift of the Holy Spirit through Christ.
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding. He made known to us the mystery of his will, according to the good pleasure that he proposed in Christ as a plan for the right time - to bring everything together in Christ, both things in heaven and things on earth in him. In him we have received an inheritance, because we are predestined according to the plan of the one who works out everything in agreement with the purpose of his will, so that we who had already put our hope in Christ might bring praise to his glory. In him you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed. The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his Glory.” Ephesians 1:11-13 CSB
Glory, Glory, Glory.
It cannot be much clearer that the Rock of Our Salvation is Christ.
There is so much here for us to unpack; adoption, forgiveness of sins and the sealing of the Holy Spirit. This guarantees the benefits of the clinging to the rock of our salvation. We could spend an hour at a minimum of gathering together our understanding of this … saved and sealed! Just as you would secure an important document or a chest of treasure. It is official.
Do not listen to the Accuser, Satan. He is a created being, a fallen angel who yielded to arrogance, his pride, and turned against God his Creator, and he wants you dead in your sins. He will try everything to make you feel insecure. Feelings do not make you secure, but they can interfere. Facts make you secure. We know that a ladder will hold us, and we know that water makes plants grow, regardless of how we might feel about that. Remember this is the same creature that tempted Adam and Eve. Again, he wants us dead and apart from God in our sin and that is where we can find ourselves ignoring the promises of God who wants us with him. We must accept the draw that the Holy Spirit uses on us to give in. Yield and accept Christ if you have not already. Be saved and receive your redemption via Jesus Christ.
This why we are told to “not grieve the Holy Spirit, we are sealed unto the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30 CSB This is the source of the claim, “Once Saved, Always Saved.” Our living, the fruits of being sealed by the Spirit are proof of our standing with God. Rest assured my brothers and sisters in Christ, embrace this: we are purchased at a price (the death of Jesus and His resurrection), signed for with the shed blood of Christ and sealed by the Holy Spirit.
Contrary to popular belief in many churches today, professing your faith is nothing compared to living your faith. Do not get me wrong, saying that you believe in Christ is essential, we are told to make a public confession, but demons believe in Him also. In scripture we find them addressing Jesus. Yes, say the words, ”I believe in Jesus” to anyone that will listen. What really counts though is are you visibly identifiable as a Christian because of the fruits of the faith exhibited in you? Not just by what you say; are you walking the talk? You are what you do. Your faith in your salvation should prompt you to act like you believe it is real.
If someone arrested you for being a Christian, could they convict you?
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“We are not called to proclaim philosophy and metaphysics, but the simple gospel. Man’s fall, his need of a new birth, forgiveness, through atonement, salvation as the result of faith, these are the battle-ax and weapons of war.” Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Sealed with authority provided by God through His Son’s sacrifice for our Sins.
SEALED AND IT IS OFFICIAL: YOU CAN HAVE ASSURANCE OF YOUR SALVATION
You can see from what I presented above we have assurance of our salvation and eternal life if we are believers, it is a sealed thing, done, complete. 1 John 5:13 CSB “I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” Since God has given us his Son and faith to belief the resulting salvation, what we receive is from Him. It is not attainable by our efforts! Faith is not of our own creation. Ephesians 2:8-9 CSB “For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift - not from works, that no one can boast.” God gives us any faith we have.
If you are not a believer and feel some tug or itch that draws you near, then you now know where that comes from. The Holy Spirit is working on you. And, like our site title says, God is Pursuing you. He pursues all of us all the time. Take heed. “God is not a man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said and will not do it? Or has he spoken, and he will not fulfill it?” Numbers 23:19 CSB
He wants all of us in his family. He wants you where you are and how you are now! The faith God gives us he will not take back. That is a fact as God cannot lie. He imparts to his own, faith, and it will never be taken back. Should I say it again? Won’t you believe? If you reject this; what are you leaving on the table? the thing you leave lying there is eternal forgiveness of sin; salvation from the guilt of sin
Let me leave you with this; John 10:28-30 CSB “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”
As a believer you have all the assurance you need of salvation in these few verses. If you are not a believer, you can get all this and so much more right now!
Just take a moment and hit the button on the header “Get Saved.”
FREE OF SIN
“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not entangled again with the years of bondage. For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness and in the end everlasting life.”
Edited and taken from the Baptist Hymnal, page 719 edited - 1991
2 Corinthians 3:17; Galatians 5:1, 13; John 8:32,36; 1 Corinthians 7:22; Romans 6:18,22 KJV
