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Re: I've always had it... [message #2554 is a reply to message #1547]

Thu, 06 June 2013 01:53

marc
Messages: 20
Registered: July 2012

Junior Member

Thank you kenh.

zone, I am still learning. I have always lived with my eye on the goal. I have experienced many miracles and signs in my life. So when I said I've always known, I have always known, or rather, I have always believed, had faith, conviction, etc because of my desires and my actions based on those desires. But you are correct. Technically, to have one's calling and election is to have the Holy Spirit of Promise, which I finally fully realized after hours of prayer and wrestling with the Spirit before my last post. I guess there's knowing without knowing and then there is knowing. It's so much easier to explain after the fact. The Spirit confirmed to me after hours of prayer and being obedient to what I finally needed to learn and experience for a number of months. Like Nephi, I believed these things and had complete faith that the Lord would answer. And He finally did.

From Bruce R. McConkie:

One of the functions assigned and delegated to the Holy spirit is to seal, and the following expressions are identical in thought content:

To be sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise;
To be justified by the Spirit;
To be approved by the Lord; and
To be ratified by the Holy Ghost.

Accordingly, any act which is sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise is one which is justified by the Spirit, one which is approved by the Lord, one which is ratified by the Holy Ghost....

As revealed to Joseph Smith, the Lord's law in this respect is: "All covenants, contracts, bonds, obligations, oaths, vows, performances, connections, associations, or expectations, that are not made and entered into and sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, of him who is anointed, both as well for time and for all eternity, and that too most holy, by revelation and commandment through the medium of mine anointed, whom I have appointed on the earth to hold this power (and I have appointed unto my servant Joseph to hold this power in the last days, and there is never but one on the earth at a time on whom this power and the keys of this priesthood are conferred), are of no efficacy, virtue, or force in and after the resurrection from the dead; for all contracts that are not made unto this end have an end when men are dead." (D. & C. 132:7.)

By way of illustration, this means that baptism, partaking of the sacrament, administering to the sick, marriage, and every covenant that man ever makes with the Lord--plus all other "contracts, bonds, obligations, oaths, vows, performances, associations, or expectations"--must be performed in righteousness by and for people who are worthy to receive whatever blessing is involved, otherwise whatever is done has no binding and sealing effect in eternity.

Since "the Comforter knoweth all things" (D. & C. 42:17), it follows that it is not possible "to lie to the Holy Ghost" and thereby gain an unearned or undeserved blessing, as Ananias and Sapphira found out to their sorrow. (Acts 5:1-11.) And so this provision that all things must be sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise, if they are to have "efficacy, virtue, or force in and after the resurrection from the dead" (D. & C. 132:7), is the Lord's system for dealing with absolute impartiality with all men, and for giving all men exactly what they merit, neither adding to nor diminishing from.

When the Holy Spirit of Promise places his ratifying seal upon a baptism, or a marriage, or any covenant, except that of having one's calling and election made sure, the seal is a conditional approval or ratification; it is binding in eternity only in the event of subsequent obedience to the terms and conditions of whatever covenant is involved.

But when the ratifying seal of approval is placed upon someone whose calling and election is thereby made sure--because there are no more conditions to be met by the obedient person--this act of being sealed up unto eternal life is of such transcendent import that of itself it is called being sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise, which means that in this crowning sense, being so sealed is the same as having one's calling and election made sure. Thus, to be sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise is to be sealed up unto eternal life; and to be sealed up unto eternal life is to be sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise. And of this usage of terms, a usage which is wholly misunderstood unless the whole concept of the sealing power of the Spirit is understood, the scriptures and other prophetic utterances bear repeated witness. (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:335-336)

When I was reborn last year or in other words, born of the Spirit, (even though I was baptized about thirty-five years ago at age eight), it was such a tremendous experience. I was finally sanctified and truly felt to sing the song of redeeming love. It was overwhelming. But as we read above, to be justified by the Spirit also is indeed very humbling. I am excited, though humbled by whatever comes next. And I wait patiently.

[Updated on: Thu, 06 June 2013 02:29]

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[Message index]

		I've always had it... By: marc on Sat, 08 December 2012 18:34
		Re: I've always had it... By: JulesGP on Sat, 08 December 2012 20:41
		Re: I've always had it... By: marc on Sat, 08 December 2012 21:44
		Re: I've always had it... By: bishop on Sun, 09 December 2012 14:47
		Re: I've always had it... By: Ashleyd on Mon, 10 December 2012 07:23
		Re: I've always had it... By: marc on Mon, 10 December 2012 07:29
		Re: I've always had it... By: Ashleyd on Mon, 10 December 2012 07:34
		Re: I've always had it... By: rdwhitaker on Wed, 26 December 2012 22:09
		Re: I've always had it... By: TruthSeeker on Fri, 28 December 2012 23:57
		Re: I've always had it... By: marc on Sat, 29 December 2012 12:06
		Re: I've always had it... By: JulesGP on Sat, 29 December 2012 16:18
		Re: I've always had it... By: TruthSeeker on Sat, 29 December 2012 18:45
		Re: I've always had it... By: marc on Sat, 29 December 2012 19:07
		Re: I've always had it... By: kenh on Tue, 04 June 2013 23:21
		Re: I've always had it... By: marc on Sat, 01 June 2013 10:36
		Re: I've always had it... By: JulesGP on Sat, 01 June 2013 22:12
		Re: I've always had it... By: zone on Sun, 02 June 2013 22:45
		Re: I've always had it... By: marc on Thu, 06 June 2013 01:53

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