THE SEAL OF THE SPIRIT

“In [Christ] 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)

Have people ever told you they loved you, but their actions betrayed their words?  When I was in seventh grade, I thought a boy loved me.  The notes he passed to me in math class said so.  In reply, my notes were always "sealed with a kiss."  But one day my boyfriend saw me being silly with my friends, got embarrassed, and dumped me!  When I grew up I met Skip Heitzig.  He also told me he loved me, but he showed me how much by sealing his love with a ring.  That ring became my guarantee that Skip would do what he said.  It represented the promise that one day Skip would take me as his bride.

Jesus loved you so much that when He made you His own, He put His "seal of approval" on your life.  That seal is the Holy Spirit, who is your guarantee that God will do what He has promised you.  He is completely trustworthy.  Paul said that when you believed, "you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit."  The Holy Spirit's indwelling in your life is your engagement ring.  God intends to marry you, His bride, at the marriage supper of the Lamb.  God's love letter, the Bible, is better than any romance novel, and He made certain it was "sealed with a kiss."

-- Lenya Heitzig and Penny Pierce Rose in “Pathway to God's Treasure: Ephesians”

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