Saved and Sealed

by Barry C Bumpus April 2011 

In January I decided to trust what you did for me Jesus

I chose to believe that you died for me as payment for all my sins.

I willingly placed my faith in what the scriptures said,

that you were crucified and buried and then rose from the dead.

For me. In my stead.

In February my friend said the Bible was a lie.

In March I read a book that questioned whether you were real.

In April I began to doubt and in May I struggled.

June tugged at me, July and August burned me to the core.

September saw me losing my grip and as

Winter returned I rejected your gospel.

I died in December and awoke to see you, Jesus.

I asked, “What am I doing here? I have rejected your gift.”

And you said:

When you chose to trust in my faith, you were sealed,

Can the seed, deny it's fruit ?

Can the rain refuse to be wet or the fragrance of a flower

be an orphan?

When you chose me and believed, you were crucified with me

And yet you live. But it's not you that lives, it's me that lives in you, 

and you live by my faith

and I abideth faithful, I cannot deny myself.

You are my body, I cannot harm myself. Only your reward is at risk.

My gift of eternal life is yours.

You did not die in December. The year began and never ended.

What's your pleasure? Meat and potatoes or baby food?

If one doesn't believe they have a Final Authority (aka, God's wisdom) that extends past (and outside) the wisdom of the world, one has to then pick and choose who will be their final authority:  themselves, relatives, friends or someone with extensive 'seminary' learning.   The trouble is, ALL these so-called 'authorities' have feet of clay and are simply regurgitating seminary and/or traditions-of-men drivel crafted by none other than Satan, himself.  

“Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: … In whom the god of this world [Satan] hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” [Ephesians 4:18; 2 Corinthians 4:4 KJB]

Should not our Final Authority therefore be the pure and perfectly preserved words of God of which we along with Job should esteem more than our necessary food [Job 23:12 KJB]?

Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. [Matthew 22:29 KJB]

Let us not err, but walk in the Spirit so as to not fulfill the lusts of the flesh… 

That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; [Colossians 1:10 KJB]