50 Days of Wisdom

There is a particular portion of Scripture that is the summation and foundation, in some ways, of all that we understand about Reformed theology. You could say that Calvinism could basically be birthed out of this portion of Scripture. All of the components that we've come to understand as biblical with regard to salvation, foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification, and glorification are all mentioned here. And, of course, they're not obscure, oblique, and hard to understand. It's a very clear word of Scripture. And in this particular section of Romans 8, we are looking at this ministry of the Holy Spirit, where He guarantees our future glory. Listen to Romans 8:26-30, "In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren. And these whom He predestined He also called, and these whom He called He also justified, and these whom He justified He also glorified." Now, previously in this chapter are the other things that the Holy Spirit does. He frees us from death and judgment. He enables us to keep and fulfill the law. He changes our nature and enables us to behave in a righteous way. And He adopts us as sons into the family of God. And then when we come to verse 17, we began to hear about being glorified. And from verse 17 to verse 30, the whole section is about how the Holy Spirit secures us for eternal glory. This is the greatest of all blessings because we are blessed with a salvation that cannot be revoked and cannot fail. What could be a greater blessing than that? According to Ephesians 1:13, the Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit of promise. He is given to us as a pledge of our inheritance. The Holy Spirit is the down payment, the guarantee, the engagement ring, and God's first installment toward our future glory. In fact, the gift of the Holy Spirit is a gift of protection. Peter said, "We are kept by the power of God unto glory, to receive our inheritance." The power of God that keeps us is not impersonal. The power of God that keeps us is none other than the Holy Spirit. And that's why this is the greatest of all blessings regarding our salvation. Having said that, listen to this from a well-known leader in the Pentecostal movement. He says, "The greatest deception that has been devised by Satan is the false doctrine of once saved, always saved." That's a very serious accusation. The greatest deception devised by Satan is that salvation is permanent? Is that a satanic deception? No. But that's at the foundation of their theology. And it's a profound lie to say that the doctrine of the security of the believer is a satanic deception, that Christian believers can lose their salvation. Why? Because the Holy Spirit secures their salvation to glory, and this chapter shows the absolute, inviolable, incontrovertible, non-contradictable proof that your salvation is forever. When I think about people who sit in those kinds of environments, looking for the next external phenomena to bolster their fears and their doubts, it's a sad experience for me. People in that situation live in needless fear that they're going to defect and lose their salvation. And so they have to ask the question, "How do I keep myself saved?" And if it's up to them to hang on and keep themselves saved, it's not going to happen. Why? Because only the ministry of the Holy Spirit can secure Christian believers through grace and get them all the way to glory. Repent and believe! GTY.org (90-426) – Conforming to the Glory of Christ

Today's Wisdom

Day: 1031

September 16, 2026

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Grace and peace,

My name is Mark Paul from Wauchula, Florida, and like the Apostle Peter said in 2 Peter 1:14, "I know that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent." Consequently, my goal is to leave a legacy that will continue to advance the kingdom of God long after I have departed. In other words, bear fruit for eternity. And by simply reading and sharing my free eBooks, you too become contributors to the advancement of His kingdom. Thank you for partaking in this endeavor, and I look forward to greeting you on heaven's shore.

The Truth in Love,

Mark Paul - Servant of God

Now grant, O Lord, that when the souls who read these books cast their eyes upon these lines, their minds may be illuminated and their consciences convinced and awakened, that they may see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and be converted so that You may heal them. Amen!