SET TO YOUR SEAL:

RECEIVE THE APPROVAL OF GOD

By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.

"He who has received His Testimony has set to his SEAL this that God is True.” (John 3:33). In the writings of men of God like John Wesley, we find the usage of the term ‘set to his seal’. Exactly what is meant by this? Is this a plateau unreachable? How can we arrive at this spiritual pinnacle?

The Prophet, John the Baptist, is not known as a great theologian but nevertheless he gave us some of the greatest truths delivered to man by God. He knew his place and what his mission was. He also knew Who Jesus of Nazareth was and WHY He had come into this sinful world!

He stated: “A man can receive nothing except it being given him from Heaven. Ye yourselves bear me record that I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before Him. He must increase, but I must decrease.

“He that cometh from Above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: He that cometh from Heaven is above all. And what He hath seen and heard, that He testifieth; and no man receiveth His testimony.” (John 3:27-32)

JOHN announced that Jesus of Nazareth was the LAMB of GOD sent down from Heaven “to take away the sins of the world” (John 1:29) and that He would “baptize with the Holy Ghost and fire” (Luke 3: 16). And He gave us this great Nugget of Truth:

JESUS was God’s Son, but very few would believe His Testimony, however, “He that hath received His testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. For He Whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into His hand.” (John 3: 33-35)

John the Baptist concludes: “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3: 36)

BELIEVING JESUS’ TESTIMONY!

Here the Prophet lays out clearly what one must do to become God’s child and receive Eternal Life:

You must believe His Testimony; that He is God’s Son, the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth; that He was True God from Eternity and True Man through His Virgin Birth; that He was incarnated, God in human flesh: co-equal with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit!

By believing Jesus Christ’s Testimony you believe that God is True: If you reject the Virgin Birth of Christ you call “God a Liar”, because you reject His Word. If you say that Jesus of Nazareth was only a good man, a prophet, a lesser god, you also call God a liar, because you reject His Holy Word!

ST. JOHN stated: “If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in Himself: He that believeth not God hath made him a Liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son.

“And this is the RECORD; that God hath given to us eternal life, and this LIFE is in His Son. He that hath the SON hath life, and he that hath not the SON of God hath not LIFE.” (1 John 5: 9-12)

This Scripture proves that it is God’s will to bless us. Everything we receive comes from God through His grace and goodness, and by faith in Jesus Christ’s finished work on Golgotha alone!

It also proves that any person or religious body that REJECTS Jesus Christ as the world's only Saviour and calls Him only a prophet has the censure of God upon them. A human being cannot call Almighty God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 'A LIAR' and expect our Heavenly Father's blessing! They will have their part in the LAKE OF FIRE, together with the Antichrist, False Prophet and the Devil!

God's Word declares: “And the Devil that deceived them was cast into the Lake of Fire and brimstone, where the Beast and the False Prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever.” (Rev.20: 10)

The fanatical Islamic terrorists who plunder, kidnap, rape and behead Christians, moderate Muslims and other minorities will be tormented forever and ever, together with their lying prophets. There will be no beautiful virgins such as have been promised to so-called martyrs awaiting them after death!

                          RECEIVING THE APPROVAL OF GOD!

Receiving the approval of God is the highest award that mortal man can receive from God. When we accepted His invitation to receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, He placed His SEAL of ownership on us and we are secure in Him.

“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

“But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

“For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” (Rom.5: 5-10)

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Eph. 2: 8, 9). “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this SEAL; The Lord knoweth them that are His. And let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” (2 Tim.2: 19)

WE ARE SEALED BY GOD!

When we seal our faith in Christ by believing the Word of God regarding His Son, He SEALS us for His Kingdom. JESUS said: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: And I give unto them Eternal Life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my father’s hand. I and My Father are one.” (John 10: 27-30).

And when we surrender fully to Him, He baptizes us with the Holy Ghost and Fire and seals us: “That we should be to the praise of His glory who first trusted in Christ. In Whom also ye trusted after ye had heard the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your salvation:

“In Whom also after that ye believed, YE WERE SEALED with that Holy Spirit of Promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory.” (Eph.1:13, 14)

The Bible warns us: “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are SEALED unto the Day of Redemption.” (Eph.4: 30); “For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

“Now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also SEALED us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.” (2 Cor.2: 20-22).

My dear friend, have you set to your seal that God is True? Have you surrendered your heart and life to Him? Are you trusting in the shed blood of Jesus Christ to make you a child of God through faith in His redemptive work for you on the Cross? Have you come to the full understanding that you cannot save yourself by your human efforts to please Him and that only what Jesus did for us all on Calvary is what counts?

The Bible sets the record straight: “For by GRACE are ye saved through FAITH; and that not of yourselves: it is a Gift of God, not of Works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath foreordained that we should walk in them.” (Eph.2: 8-10)

                                   

                   WE HAVE NOTHING TO BOAST ABOUT!

The Word of God states: “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” (Is. 64: 6). The first prerequisite to please God is HUMILITY by realizing that in our lost condition, there is no merit or goodness in us.

In our weakness and hopelessness, Jesus became our Substitute and paid the awful price of our salvation. Through His meritorious death, our Lord met the demands of Divine Justice, by carrying our sins to the cross. So magnanimous was His redeeming grace that He not only freed us from eternal damnation, but we have been adopted as His children! (Rom.5: 6-11)

The Bible states: “According as He hath CHOSEN us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: Having predestinated us unto the ADOPTION of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His Grace wherein He hath made us ACCEPTED in the Beloved.” (Eph.1: 4-6)

The second prerequisite is REPENTANCE which mean that we deliberately confess our sins to God and cry out for His mercy and by His grace alone we receive His forgiveness, and determine to serve Him in sincerity and truth!

Repentance means to turn around, change the direction of our lives. It is a change of attitude toward God and our fellow man and a confession of our sinfulness and a desire to be forgiven and change our life. It means, that we turn from darkness to light, from Satan to God and from our own works to the Saviour Jesus Christ!

The third prerequisite is RECEIVING by faith the free gift of Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord! The Bible says: “He came unto His own and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” (John 1: 11, 12)

                                  PASSED FROM DEATH UNTO LIFE!

Jesus said: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My Word and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” (John 5: 24)

St. John declared: “If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the WITNESS of God which He hath testified of His Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made Him a LIAR; because he believeth NOT the record that God gave of His Son.

“And this is the record that God hath given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath NOT the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the son of God; that ye may KNOW that ye have Eternal Life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1 John 5: 9-13)

My dear friend, give your heart and life to Christ. He died for you by shedding His pure and perfect blood to free you from satanic bondage and bring you into the family of God! May the Lord richly bless you, in Jesus' name! Amen.