Ministry of Love

The intention of this blog is to share Biblical messages at least on a weekly basis. Any response is appreciated. I do not expect everyone to agree with my interpretation of Biblical passages. I will try to respond with love and thoughtfulness.

Thursday, December 03, 2009

Musings:12/03/09, Spiritually Sealed? by John.

Ephesians 1:13,1400

"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory."

I remember my mother explained to me why a pint jar of home-canned green beans spoiled. The top of that jar swelled and looked like it might pop open any minute. She told me that when she canned, she must not have sealed it before some bacteria got into the jar, or maybe she just didn't get the top tight enough. I've thought a lot about how things are sealed since then, and I wondered a lot about professionally canned food because I've seen cans swollen and looking as if they could explode. In our community food pantry we periodically must remove cans because they swell and leak. Of course, that doesn't happen if we keep the food moving out quickly. We certainly want food we give people help, not hurt them!

I read about how the canning business was wonderfully changed when a man in the Campbell Soup Company started sealing the soup cans before they were cooked. That insured no living bacteria would be in that can. I'm sure that has to be done under tremendous pressure, or the cans would explode. Pressure-cooking sterolizes, but to maintain the sterility requires a good seal.

I've thought, wouldn't it be wonderful if no bacteria could get into canned stuff anyway? Food would last forever, I guess. Then it occurred to me that there is one seal that keeps all pollution out. It's God's Holy Spirit. The difference in our "Seal" and all others is He is living! He's the eternal Spirit of God, and He constantly protects us from polluting satanic powers. No matter where we are, or what's going on around us, He keeps that seal perfect! It will carry us all the way into the very presence of our Wonderful Counselor, the Almighty God!

All of that passage of Scripture is valuable to daily life and hope, but I think too often when we read it we don't even think about the Spirit as our Seal taking us into the heavenly realms in Christ. It's beyond great to be "included in Christ." But it is equally wonderful to be kept by His Spirit!

I see a difference in being sealed and in being filled with the Spirit. We do sin, and while we sin, I'm sure we are not filled with the Spirit, but we are still sealed by Him. On occasion, we may be aware that God's Spirit is empowering us in a special way: We know we are filled with the Spirit when that happens. Those mountain top experiences are nearly always followed by valley experiences, but on the mountain, or in the valley, we are still sealed to the very day of redemption!

Paul was beaten and left for dead. He was shipwrecked and barely escaped with his life. He was jailed once, imprisoned at least once, maybe three times, and in it all, he could say, "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Ephesians 4:13. Many people think that gives Christians the power to move mountains whether he has the faith to do it or not, but that interpretation does not fit the context. Paul wrote to Ephesians about his being in need of physical things, and being surfeited with physical things. He simply told them he was content in the Lord no matter what his earthly situation was. All of us, whether we have great faith, or not, should be able to say the same thing because God's Seal, the Holy Spirit, is with us every moment of time as the saying goes, "24/7!" I hope you are sealed with God's Spirit. If you are not, you can be. Make Jesus your Lord and He will become your Savior, too. He will even provide the faith you need when you ask Him to increase your faith.

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