Annie
Scriptures: Ephesians 1:13-14 Ephesians 2:1-10 Galatians 2:20 Ephesians 3:8-12; 14-19
I want you to think about a time centuries ago when the fastest mode of transport was a swift horse; when the only way to communicate long distance was by hand written scrolls or parchment; when the rider on the swift horse was entrusted with the most important communications from their master, maybe even from the King himself. This courier would put the precious document in a satchel and he would ride as fast as his horse would go to deliver it. But, when he arrived at his destination, what proof was there that this was a genuine communication from the King and not a forgery?
Before the document was given to the courier, the King would have pressed his unique signet ring into the sealing wax dripped onto the document. That unbroken seal was the proof of the identity of the sender, and that the contents hadn’t been tampered with. This was the assurance, the authentication, that the document was genuine.
What has this got to do with us today? In Ephesians 1:13-14. We are told, we are sealed, with a seal that can never be broken. This seal is the evidence, the authentication, of Whose we are and that the Life that we carry within us has not and never can be tampered with.
This is our assurance, the guarantee of our inheritance, our right to be called a child of the Most High God. A seal that is invisible to us, but not to the principalities and powers in heavenly places. This seal is as visible and tangible to them as the solidified wax with the imprint of the King’s signet ring was to anyone in ages past. This is why they will do whatever they can, using the only weapons they have, to make us believe that this seal does not exist, or that it is a forgery.
These weapons are fear, doubt, condemnation, guilt, shame and a mendacious knack of dragging up memories from our past. As Paul reminds the Ephesians, we have all walked in disobedience, tainted by the influences and so-called pleasures of this world. Also, that this influence is categorically spiritual, it is the spirit of the prince of the power of the air who led us down paths that seemed so innocent. Even if we are not murderers, our past ways of life are on a par, in God’s eyes, with the most heinous behaviour. But thanks be to God, we have been given the most amazing, wonderful, unique gift of God. We have been given the faith, not from ourselves, to accept the gift of the Grace of God by which we have been saved. And it is this two fold gift that the devil would do his utmost to have us believe is not valid, is not ours. One of the craftiest weapons he uses is to convince us that our faith is not big enough or strong enough to believe that we are saved solely by God’s grace. He sees that seal upon our lives, he knows it is intact, unbroken, and from God Himself and that the Life we have indwelling us has not been tampered with.
The Pure, Spotless Lamb who took away our sins granted us the right to be called children of God, by conquering death. This Life within us has been sealed with Holy Spirit of promise and the gift of God is the faith to believe this amazing Grace. Everything comes from God, of ourselves we do not have the strength to combat the weapons of the prince of the powers of the air.
In Ephesians 3:8-12, Paul makes it clear that the intention of God is that the secret wisdom that God makes known to us by Holy Spirit is not ours to keep in secret, but we, the Church with a capital “C”, are to make it known to the principalities and powers in heavenly places.
They can see this Seal of Holy Spirit upon us but they do not understand it. These powers have no concept of the mystery or secret that God has revealed to His children through the coming, the life, the death and the resurrection of the Son He sent to redeem us. The Love that fills us and gives us hope, assurance and strength for each day dwells within us, sealed and protected.
Unless we are rooted and grounded in this Love, we will never be able to truly understand the Love of Christ which passes all of man’s knowledge. The promise of Holy Spirit, the Seal that is so obvious to all the powers that would want to destroy us, is a reality that we need to grasp with every atom of our being. We are sealed, protected and forever wrapped within this Love, despite what the enemy throws at us.
Prayer: Abba Father, help us to remember what Paul wrote to the Romans: 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
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