SEALED!

As I was reading my devotions for Tuesday, the passage about being “sealed with the promised Holy Spirit” stuck out for me:

 Ephesians 1:13-14 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. (ESV)

 But, what does it mean to be “sealed” with the Holy Spirit? My ESV Study Bible has the following note:

 Sealed can mean either that the Holy Spirit protects and preserves Christians until they reach their inheritance … or that he “certifies” the authenticity of their acceptance by God as being genuine—they bear the “royal seal” … (Crossway Bibles, 2008)

 No matter which interpretation you choose, I’m thankful to be sealed with the Holy Spirit! I’m thankful for the protection and preservation of the Holy Spirit … where would I be without those? I do not think we really grasp the magnitude of our wrestling against the  “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12 ESV) As our protector, I believe that the Holy Spirit often fends off the enemy without our even knowing about it. And, then, there’s the preservation factor … keeping us from paths of destruction and encouraging us on the right paths. I suspect we’ve all sensed the Holy Spirit telling us “don’t go there” when we’ve faced temptation. I also think we all know we’re much better off when we listen to the Holy Spirit’s prompting.

 

I’m also thankful that I bear the ‘royal seal’ of God. Just off the cuff, I can think of a few things that a wax seal accomplished. First, it was a mark of authenticity. Not just anyone had access to the royal seal that imprinted the wax. The seal marked the document as official. A wax seal would also give evidence if a document had been tampered with. I could go on, but I hope you get the idea that the indwelling Holy Spirit is God’s permanent mark on a Christian. In many ways, it’s like God’s stamp of ownership. You’re His child … it’s official, and you can’t be tampered with. Sure, Satan will try, but He can’t pluck you out of the Father’s hand (John 10:28-29). 

Friend, if you are a child of God, please take courage … you have been “sealed for the day of redemption” by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30)!

 

In His grip, 

Pastor Decker

LIVING IN A BROKEN WORLD

The brokenness of this world is often painfully clear. In the span of three days, I received two calls from Tuscola Central Dispatch about fatal traffic accidents. I was only able to respond to one of those calls, but I know two families had their world turned upside-down this week. Perhaps you have heard about those accidents in the news, or read about them on-line or in a newspaper.

Another aspect of this world’s brokenness is the seeming flourishing of the wicked. Sometimes it seems like they get away with anything. As a Chaplain who has been there when arrest warrants are served and people taken to jail, I can assure you that they don’t get away with everything. But, sometimes, those who have committed crimes do get away with it, whether it is by their deceptiveness, the tactics of defense attorneys, or judges and juries that don’t convict. But, this is nothing new.

In Psalm 73, Asaph’s struggle with the plight of the wicked is made evident. Yet, despite what he sees with his eyes, he remembers what God has revealed about their end:

Psalm 73:16-17 But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end. (ESV)
Psalm 73:27 For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. (ESV)

In spite of the brokenness of this world, Asaph had a perspective that gave him strength and the ability to press on:

Psalm 73:26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (ESV)
Psalm 73:28 But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works. (ESV)

As Asaph knew, drawing near to God makes all the difference in the world. God’s Word, the Bible, helps us to make sense of this broken world. It tells us why it is broken in Genesis 3. Praise God, it also tells us that we are not without hope! One day, things will be set right. One day God’s justice will be poured out on all unrighteousness (Revelation 20:11-15), and those who have found salvation in Jesus Christ will enjoy a world that is not broken, because sin and it’s devastating effects will be removed (Revelation 21-22).  So, if you are wrestling like Asaph with this broken world, please remember the end of God’s Story and draw comfort from the text of Psalm 73. 

In His grip, 

Pastor Decker