Part 3 – We are ‘Sealed’ Securely in Union with Christ Forever

This Article is part of a multi-part Study Series called Those ‘Little Foxes’ Still Loose in the Church Today.

Seeing “Christ, according to Paul’s ‘Revelation’ of the Mystery [God’s once secret plan]” (Rom 16:25). This “Mystery, which is Christ In You(Col 1:25-27), makes Him known to us in His ALL-sufficiency.

This revelation of Christ in us as our All-sufficient ALL should eliminate the Redundant Prayers that we hear promoted by those who preach the inapplicable promises for Israel and undoctrinal, tradition-based points of view. These are contrary to the truth for this age of God’s pure grace.’

Having seen and had revelation of Paul’s “Mystery,” such Redundant Prayers for God’s ‘blessing’ (below) concerning those in the assembly of believers, are now Invalid Prayers. Such prayers are redundant (uncalled for)? The listed items below contradict the now revealed truth of Paul’s “gospel of the grace of God” (Act 20:24).

These prayers listed below are redundant and wholly Unbiblical or Undispensational prayers. These petitions do not apply to us in this age of God’s pure grace in which Christ is our loving ALL-Sufficient All. Each prayer ‘ask for’ or ‘involves either that which is irrelevant or, that which has already been taken care of as the verse references noted will confirm.

  1. ‘Lord, bless him, or bless her’ (Eph 1:3), undispensational
  2. ‘Bless OUR church, and our meeting’ (Eph 1:3) unscriptural, undispensational
  3. ‘Send your Spirit’ to ‘fill this service’ (Gal 4:6, Rom 8:8-10), undispensational
  4. Give him or her your peace (see Col 3:15), undispensational,
  5. Lord, give him wisdom (1Cor 1:30), undispensational
  6. Give him power (Eph 3:20, 2Cor 4:7), undispensational
  7. We rebuke & bind you, devil....’ (Rom 8:35-37), unscriptural, undispensational
  8. ‘Bless our tithes’unscriptural ,undispensational, (2Cor 9:7-8, see; http://artlicursi.com/search/node/Tithing%20or%20Giving%3F
  9. ‘Grant us (or them) traveling mercies …’ unscriptural, undispensational

To base our prayers upon Israel’s verses that often include the word if ye” would make our relationship with Christ conditional, unsure, and unreliable! Such Bible verses can then be seen as those “little foxes” so prevalent in the church today. An example of an undispensational prayer is seen when Christians claim verses such as 2 Chronicle 7:14, whereby they ignorantly try to apply the Lord’s words addressing Israel as if they also apply to us and the USA. Just read and believe the words.

 

14  If my people [Israel], which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land [the land of Israel]. 2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV)

If words mean anything, and they do, then the above verse clearly applies to Israel and its lands only. This misuse of Scripture typifies the great error in hermeneutic (Bible interpretation) that has permeated the church since the time of Paul, when the Jerusalem Messianic believers tried to impose Israel’s laws upon Paul’s Gentile believers (cf. Galatians). Sadly, Bible Schools, seminaries, local churches, and their Pastors and teachers ignore the unique ministry of Paul to the Gentile “body of Christ and the Pauline truth that we need to know and stand upon as the elements of “the faith” as Paul teaches us.

Some legalistic believers actually go so far as to say or imply that God’s blessing upon believers is dependent upon whether the believer tithes or regularly attends services at the building, or takes their baptism, or meets any of a myriad of manmade religious demands. Some then say, its only when we ‘commit ourselves totally to Him’ that God will love and bless us, and then ‘only if’ we... do this or that. All such requirements negate or nullify Paul’s pure grace “gospel of the grace of God.”

Grace is and must remain TOTAL or it is not grace.

6 And if [salvation and acceptance by God is] by grace, then is it No More of Works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. Romans 11:6 (KJV)

Paul not only says we are ‘saved buy grace through faith in Christ alone’ (Eph. 2:8-9), but also that we are kept in our daily living by the very same means of faith in the Pauline truths for today

6 As [in the very same way] ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye [conduct your daily walk] in [union with] him: Colossians 2:6 (KJV)

Considering the above verse. didn’t we begin our new life in union with Him, by trusting Him? Yes, then “so walk ye [conduct your walk] in [union with] him.” His Spirit is ever one with our spirit (cf. Cor1. 6:17), so the way we break union with Him is when we of our own choice break away from Him in our souls’ thoughts and willto do our own thing. Yet Jesus said apart from Him we can do nothing of value in God’s eyes.

As believers who have trusted in Christ as our Savior, we are “sealed” securely unto eternity in heaven.

“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye 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, Ephesians 1:13 (KJV).

So, we have ‘Unconditional Acceptance’ forever, under God’s Program of pure grace that is in Christ.’ Our acceptance is not at all based upon our ‘religious performance,’ as under “the Law” or ‘the many manmade religious precepts that likely be filled with those “little foxes,” which do not reflect God’s pure grace program for today as Paul presents it.

If we take Paul’s Galatians epistle as Paul’s charter of Christian liberty in Christ, the truth Paul puts forth contradict the idea that any man can be made ‘spiritual’ by the externalities of fleshly observance of external religious practices, ritual and rites. Yet the vast majority of Christendom continues to foster the idea that God honors these absurd religious ritualistic performances, while the truth insists upon the necessity of a growing ‘spiritual, inner relationship with the Lord.

Now, having found that we already have the All-sufficiency of Christ Eternal Life Within Us, and knowing every other believer also has within them the ‘total sufficiency in Christ as All,’ we might ask;

How and What should we pray for ourselves and other believers?

‘Should we pray that God will ‘bless’ us and other Christians for physical healing, peace, rest, etc.’?

By example of the erroneous religious thought prevalent today, many would grab Scripture verses that apply only to Israel, such as seen in Isaiah 53, and try to apply them as if they were for today’s age of the grace of God. Most ignore the fact of the total sufficiency of Christ’s cross-work and His unconditional love for us.

Noting the verse below, ask yourself honestly, what is the one focus of these verses?

Answer: The focus of Isa. 53:5-6 is Israel’s SIN and Israel one day being healed of their Sin problem by the Cross of Christ that was yet to come?

5 But he [Jesus]was wounded for our [Israel’s] transgressions [of the Law], he was bruised for our iniquities [sins]: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed [of the Sin problem].
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him [Jesus] the iniquity [sins] of us all. Isaiah 53:5-6 (KJV)

Jesus bore our sins and the sins of the whole world in His human physical body at the Cross!

Yet, many times, we hear Christians pray for such blessings upon one another in their sufferings or in general. I realize this willingness to pray for God’s blessing on one another of “the body of Christ” seems noble and caring. But, should we be praying that God will ‘bless’ us or another Christian in specific ways such as to have peace, rest, ‘traveling mercies,’ and a myriad of other so-called ‘blessings’ such as we commonly hear prayed?

The answer is No! Such prayers are redundant. Redundant is an adjective meaning; ‘not needed or no longer needed or useful; superfluous.’ Synonyms for redundant would be: unnecessary, not required, inessential, unessential, needless, unneeded, uncalled for; surplus, superfluous. If He is ALL and we can never be separated from the love of God… what can He or we add. We do not know what God know nor his plan for another person’s life, do we really know what the Lord wants to do in their lives?’ Of course not! Now we should note that nowhere in Paul’s epistles does he instruct us to pray blessings upon each other.

Linda and I have come to the place whereby would rather pray by ‘holding one another and others up to the Lord by name, for His will to be done. We can still supplicate as seen in Philippians 4:6-7, but then … we leave it with Him’; then we are able to bask in His peace of having unburdened ourselves. Notice below that Paul does not say you will get what you want.... but he does we have a way to come to “the peace of God” in our “hearts and minds.”

6 Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 (KJV)

Our Lord is always at work in all of our lives and souls according to His plan, not ours. Paul tells us we have already been “blessed with ALL spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” Okay, since we already have ALL then how much more can be added? We have Christ and His “word of truth” rightly divided, and therefore we have need of nothing more.

In the light of this, Paul repeatedly instructs believers to ‘give thanks’ for and in “All things” as being for our eternal, spiritual, benefit (cf. Rom. 8:28-29) and the eternal benefit of others. Note How that these “ALL things” include the negative situations that we all suffer in our lives for the good. They can only “for the good” if we value what God values in accord with His eternal purpose that He purposed in Christ.” Eph. 3:11 His plan for us is to “be conformed to the image of His Son” (Rom. 8:29b), so the “all things” of v28 are working toward this end in our lives. We should be careful to NOT pray away what God has permitted into our lives for His eternal purpose.

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:28-29 (KJV)

Paul says we are heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ, thus we are fully blessed and having His love and nothing to fear. Thus, we are equipped to cope with all things that we suffer in life so long as our values are as His... desiring as Jesus did, that His will be done in “all things.”

“And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, [so] that we may be also glorified [fully blossomed] together.” (Romans 8:17 (KJV)

Paul goes onto say we are blessed “with ALL spiritual blessings… in [union with] Christ” and NOTHING can separate us from the love of God.”

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath [already] blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in [in union with] Christ: Ephesians 1:3 (KJV)

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39 (KJV)