July 25 – Belonging to Him, We are His

 “Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.” 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (NASB)

We can be sure that our God is involved in what happens in our lives as Christians. It is Christ’s saving work of grace that gives believers stability and places them on a firm foundation in Him. Romans 16:25 also speaks to us about who has established us. “Now to Him who is able to establish you…” We all pay special attention to ‘our things’ large or small and they become important treasures. Our verse reminds us that God thinks of us as belonging to Him. For that reason He is actively involved in our lives to maintain that relationship, helping us to stand firm in Christ. He has given us His Holy Spirit to live within us and also to be our guarantee that we belong to Him. Paul in defending his authenticity gives a clear reference to the work of the three members of the Trinity. The authenticity of Paul’s spiritual life and that of every genuine believer is verified by these four divine works (“establishes us,” “anointed us,” “sealed us,” “gave us the Spirit”) accomplished in their lives. Let's be thankful for the pledge of ownership Jesus has given to us in the Holy Spirit.

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May 24 – Blessed Redundancy. Promises Guaranteed

“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,  who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”  Ephesians 1:13-14  (ESV)

There was a time when letters and packages of value were sealed with wax and an official stamp was pressed into the hot wax. The seal was a promise of authenticity.  These verses reveal to us the promise given, and great blessing God has provided is sealed by God’s Holy Spirit.  When by faith we believe we receive the gift of salvation offered us by Jesus Christ and we become Children of God.  We are permanently adopted as sons and daughters by our heavenly Father.  In this action, we the Holy Spirit of God becomes our promise of eternal life.  The Holy Spirit is given to us as a helper and a guarantor of our inheritance.  It is as if we already have it yet we will fully acquire and possesses it when our life on earth comes to its appointed end.  Then we will be present with Jesus in Heaven.  We remind ourselves frequently that every promise God has made will be kept and every blessing and gift promised to us will be ours in full.  We can trust this because the Holy Spirit has secured it for us and guaranteed that it is, and it will be.     

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May 20 – Being Known as His

“Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, men who have gone astray from the truth saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and they upset the faith of some. Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are His,” 2 Timothy 2:17-19 (NASB)

Don't be like Hymenaeus and Philetus, who Paul called out. Our passage today is from three verses of 2 Timothy chapter 2 bringing us a truth and promise from God.  Every person putting his or her faith in Jesus Christ as Savior has this assurance⸺that God knows about it. He is aware of our faith. God welcomes each of us into His family. He knows us personally and we can know that we belong to him because of that knowledge.  Hymenaeus, named in 1 Timothy 1:20 and again here had first with Alexander and then with Philetus later spread false teaching about the resurrection and created a crisis among believers in Ephesus. Paul calls them out and reassures Timothy, and us, that God is intimately acquainted with each of us. That is what our verse means when it says, “The Lord knows those who are His.”  Our heavenly Father has a personal connection with each of us who by faith believe. This gives us a special assurance, doesn't it? We have a special confidence and encouragement today that God knows each of us and He knows just were we are and what we need. A cause to  rejoice.

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March 7 – The Seal of the Spirit

 “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” - Ephesians 1:13–14 (ESV) 

God never promises the absence of distress or a journey without challenges to meet and obstacles to overcome. What He promises is His presence as the Holy Spirit. The presence of God’s Spirit assures us that we have Him and in Him, is God our paraclete*, alongside as our guide and comforter. We also have the guarantee that our inheritance is reserved for us and kept for us; we cannot and will not lose it. There is no one who can barge into our lives and overwhelm us with anything that will cause us to separate from God.  Like a ship or boat, small or massive, The Holy Spirit invisibly, yet indispensably, is the rudder for the ship of our soul. He keeps us from crashing on the rocks, keeps us afloat and going the right direction. The Holy Spirit is also our pilot. We are not alone on our journey. We’re sealed in Christ. Once upon a time, red wax with an identifying stamp in the wax was used seal the ownership of a letter or document. Sealing declared ownership and secured contents. It is the Holy Spirit as God’s seal that protects us. His word of promise is our seal.

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* The Holy Spirit as Paraclete:  The term Paraclete (παράκλητος, paraklētos) appears four times in John’s Gospel in reference to the Holy Spirit in John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7 and once in 1 John 2:1 in reference to Jesus. English bibles translate the Greek word as Helper, Advocate, Comforter, Counselor. 

October 20 – Grieving for Grief

“Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30 (NASB)

When we came to believe in Christ Jesus as our Savior and by faith and grace we were adopted into God’s family, God’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit came to dwell in our heart. We have God with us at all times because He lives in us this way. It is very easy to grieve Him. Sin is as easy as it is wicked and when we sin by thought or action, by commission or omission, God’s Spirit cannot bear it – we have grieved the Holy Spirit. He grieves with sorrow for us because He knows the distress and grief these wrongdoings will cause us in our soul. Our promise: it is by the Holy Spirit we are sealed for the day of redemption. Such grace and love from God are given to us without measure. C. H. Spurgeon preached, “Again, if we neglect prayer; if our closet door is cobwebbed; if we forget to read the Scriptures; if the leaves of our Bible are almost stuck together by neglect; if we never seek to do any good in the world; if we live merely for ourselves and not for Christ, then the Holy Spirit will be grieved.”*

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*Spurgeon, C. H., Sermon No. 278  (1998). 365 Days with Spurgeon (Volume 1) (p. 289). Leominster, UK: Day One Publications. 

October 11 – Sealed Up Tight

“In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14   (NASB)

Yesterday we considered the power of redemption, our redemption and forgiveness from trespassing God’s law.  Now, today we are in Him still with yet another powerful truth and promise. By listening to the gospel of Christ Jesus which is our salvation, and having believed what we heard through obedience to the truth we are sealed in Him by the Holy Spirit of promise.  The Holy Spirit is in us as a surety, a guarantee that we do have and will  have our inheritance. All because of the redemption of God. Here is another promise that is praise worthy and we are filled with thanksgiving, by redeeming us and saving us and sealing us we are certain that we are God’s own possession.  This results in our prime objective as Christians, the praise of His glory. God’s spiritual blessings for believers are based not only on the sovereign election of the Father and the redemptive work of the Son but also on the seal of the Holy Spirit. We note with thanksgiving that the “you also” refers to the inclusion of Gentiles in contrast to the Jews. Promises for all believing people then and all believing people now.

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May 24 – Blessed Redundancy. Promises Guaranteed

“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,  who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”  Ephesians 1:13-14  (ESV)

These verses reveal to us the promise given, and great blessing God has provided in giving us the Holy Spirit.  When we believe through faith and accept the gift of salvation offered us by Jesus Christ, we become Children of God.  We are adopted as sons and daughters by our heavenly Father.  In this action, we receive the Holy Spirit of God who is our promise of eternal life.  The Holy Spirit is given to us as a helper and a guarantor of our inheritance.  It is as if we already have it yet we will fully acquire and possesses it when our life on earth comes to its appointed end.  Then we will be present with Jesus in Heaven.  We remind ourselves frequently that every promise God has made will be kept and every blessing and gift promised to us will be ours in full.  We can trust this because the Holy Spirit has secured it for us and guaranteed that it is, and it will be.     

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October 24 – Established. Sealed. Guaranteed.

“And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” 2 Corinthians 1:22-22 (ESV)

Every promise from our Lord God brings us joy if we have believed in Jesus as our Savior.  Today's promise is especially precious because what God says in this verse is that He is the one who establishes us in Christ.  It is not our effort that has earned for us this place in God's family.  We are in Christ Jesus because God the Father has fulfilled His promise to all who have in faith believing turned to Him.  We read here too that God goes beyond “establishing” us.  Once we are established in Christ, God seals us in there, we are secure if we have truly believed.  Even one more promise is given.  God gives us His Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee of the seal.  What God  guarantees requires only His word to keep the promise.  We are His.  We belong to God.  We are in Christ, sealed there with the Holy Spirit in residence guaranteeing this promise.  Nothing and no one can break the seal and change our standing.  What a promise to go with today.  Rejoice!

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May 20 – Being Known as His

“Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,”” 2 Timothy 2:19a (NIV)

The truths that we have in the Bible are expressed in varying ways.  Today's verse brings us a precious truth and promise.  Each and every person who puts his or her faith in Jesus Christ as Savior has this assurance that God knows about it – He is aware of our faith. God welcomes each of us into His family. He knows each of us personally and we can know that we belong to him because of that knowledge.  God is not a distant “man upstairs” but he is intimately acquainted with each of us. That is what our verse means when it says, “The Lord knows those who are His.”  Our heavenly Father has a personal connection with each of us who believe. This gives us a special assurance, doesn't it? We have a special confidence and encouragement today that God knows each of us and He knows just were we are and what we need. Today, let's rejoice in this promise.