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NASB | Ephesians 4:30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [but seek to please Him], by whom you were sealed and marked [branded as God's own] for the day of redemption [the final deliverance from the consequences of sin]. [Eph 1:13, 14; Phil 3:20, 21] |
Bible Question:
concerning Ephesians 4:30 and Ephesians 5:5 It seems to me that these two verses directly contradict one another. 4:30 states "And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy spirit by the way you live. Remember, he is the one who has identified you as His own, guaranteeing you will be saved on the day of redemption." Then, 5:5 states "You can be sure that no immoral, impure or greedy person will inherit the kingdom of Christ and of God." So which is it? Once we become saved are we assured of being in heaven, or do our works after we become saved affect our ability to get into heaven? I was told when I was baptised that when I was forgiven I was forgiven for all of my sins, past present and future. But this scripture troubles me. I couldn't possibly live sin free. I'm a sinner by birth. So is salvation guaranteed and what Paul was saying here just for the Ephesians, or what? |
Bible Answer: Hi Starstuff, "Being saved" means not only that you have been identified as Christ's, but that you have been given a new nature. "If an man be in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God. . ." While before we were immoral, impure, and greedy people, now we are the holy people of God, and while we still perform these sinful acts, this is no longer who we are. The person who has been born of God hates sin, and hates the sin that is in themself. We look forward to the day of the redemption of our bodies, when this sin will be put off forever. If you are living immorally, in impurity and greed (or in any sinfulness), without remorse or struggle against it, "examine yourself to see if you be in the faith." The person who is living sinfully, and is ok with it is one in whom I would question whether there has been rebirth. But the one who is born-again, who says that they never commit sin has just sinned in telling a lie. I hope this helps. Please let me know if you are still confused on this point. Love in Christ, Mark |