“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you 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.” Ephesians 1:13-14
We live in unstable times. We only need to turn on the evening news to be reminded just how volatile this world has become. The economy, job market, government and foreign affairs seem out of control. Health, family, and education can seem more like burdens than gifts in these times. Life can just feel so unpredictable…so unstable.
I have a refreshing truth for you today. Did you know that God’s desire is that you feel completely secure in His love for you? When everything else feels like a race to nowhere, there is Christ. In Him is true rest for your weary soul. He is the only unshakable foundation for true and lasting security. In fact, at its core, sin is merely an effort to feel secure in anything other than God. Sin’s root is unbelief…unbelief that God is good, and that Christ is enough.
The Gospel of Christ makes two demands. First it says, “Turn from sinning or you will die,” and then it promises, “Find eternal security in My love and you will live.” These are not contradictory. Both of these Gospel messages beckon us to seek our security in God alone.
In Ephesians 1:13-14 God makes a powerful statement about our eternal security in Christ. The words, “sealed” and “guaranteed” are used to describe the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives. God sends the Holy Spirit as a seal to validate us as His sons and daughters. He is a seal that both locks in our faith, and keeps out destructive forces. The Holy Spirit is a seal of safety, enabling us to feel secure in both His love for us and in power in us.
The Holy Spirit is also a guarantee of our inheritance in Christ. As believers, we haven’t been guaranteed an easy, pain-free life. We will struggle and stumble. Our hearts will break and our souls will bleed. But the Holy Spirit is our guarantee that God will one day make it all worth it. None of our suffering will be in vain, because we belong to God. He uses every hardship to accomplish His eternal work in our lives.
Dear Lord, while these uncertain times we live in feel shaky and full of unknowns, I'm grateful that I can rest in the security that comes from a relationship with you. Help me to hold tight to that security and not to see comfort from any outside sources, remembering that you alone provide true safety, support, and peace. In Jesus' name, amen.
Topics: Love
