Redeemed and Sealed

Redeemed and Sealed

Chapter 1: A Moment of Salvation

Jacob Bryant was a man of simple means but profound conviction. Born and raised in a small rural town, his life was unremarkable to the world but extraordinary to God. One cold autumn evening, sitting in the back pew of a creaky old church, Jacob heard the preacher expound on Acts 16:31: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

The words pierced his heart. As the words settled in his heart, Jacob quietly stepped outside the church and gazed up at the starry sky. In that moment, he believed fully on the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior. A peace beyond understanding washed over him, and he knew he had been born again, reconciled to God through faith in Jesus Christ.

As Jacob reflected on his newfound salvation, the preacher described the forty promises of salvation that had become his reality: he was foreknown by God, justified by faith, adopted as a child of God, and sealed by the Holy Spirit. Each truth filled Jacob with awe and ignited a fire in his soul. He vowed to live as a faithful witness, spreading the gospel of the King James Bible to a dark and desperate world.

Chapter 2: The Forty Promises

In the days that followed, Jacob devoted himself to studying the Bible, committing to memory the promises that were now his through Christ. We are reconciled to God through the blood of Jesus, he told Abigail, the missionary who would later become his wife. Redeemed, forgiven, and made nigh by His grace.

Together, they marveled at the completeness of their salvation. The Bible says we are justified by faith, sanctified positionally, and even glorified, Abigail noted, reading from Romans and Hebrews. And it’s all God’s work, not ours. To Him be the glory.

Jacob nodded. He that hath begun a good work in us will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. That’s Philippians 1:6. These promises are eternal. They can’t be reversed.

Chapter 3: Rumblings of Tribulation

The world began to change in ways Jacob had long warned about. Governments grew more oppressive, moral decay became widespread, and natural disasters struck with increasing frequency. Jacob poured over the scriptures, connecting current events to prophecies in Daniel and Revelation.

One evening, as Abigail prepared dinner, Jacob sat at the kitchen table reading aloud from Matthew 24: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

Abigail paused, her face solemn. Do you think it’s near?

I don’t think, Jacob replied. I know. The signs are all around us.

The next morning, they began preparing for what Jacob called the darkest time in human history. They stocked supplies, memorized scripture, and prayed fervently for strength to endure whatever lay ahead.

Chapter 4: The Great Falling Away

Persecution against Christians intensified. Churches were shuttered, and believers were arrested for preaching the gospel. Jacob and Abigail continued their ministry in secret, meeting with small groups in basements and fields under cover of darkness.

The Bible became a forbidden book, yet Jacob risked everything to preserve and distribute it. He copied verses by hand and smuggled them to fellow believers. God’s word shall not return void, he told Abigail one night as they worked by candlelight.

Their resolve was tested when government agents raided their home, confiscating their Bibles and supplies. Jacob and Abigail were arrested but released after intense questioning. We ought to obey God rather than men, Jacob had boldly told the authorities, quoting Acts 5:29.

Chapter 5: The Mark of the Beast

The day came when a global leader emerged, promising peace and unity but demanding absolute allegiance. Jacob knew from Revelation 13 that this man was the Antichrist. All were required to take a mark to buy or sell, but Jacob and Abigail refused, choosing instead to trust God for their daily bread.

The couple went into hiding, living off the land and relying on fellow believers for support. Jacob preached to anyone who would listen, warning them of the eternal consequences of taking the mark.

And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, he recited from Revelation 14:9-10.

Chapter 6: The Great Tribulation

The world descended into chaos. Famine, war, and natural disasters plagued the earth. Jacob and Abigail witnessed horrors they could scarcely describe, yet their faith remained unshaken. They comforted fellow believers with the promises of scripture, reminding them that Jesus would soon return to establish His kingdom.

One night, as they gathered with a small group of Christians in a hidden cave, Jacob spoke his final sermon. Brethren, we are not appointed to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, he declared, quoting 1 Thessalonians 5:9. Hold fast to your faith, for He that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

As the group prayed, a peace came over them.

Epilogue

Jacob and Abigail’s story ended in the midst of the Great Tribulation, but their faith inspired countless others to endure. Their legacy lived on in the lives they touched and the scriptures they preserved. And though the tribulation was the worst time in human history, it was not the end.

For the faithful, it was the dawn of a new beginning—the return of the King of Kings.