Tag Archives: Redemption

SEALED

2 Aug

Ancient wax seal

(Christ) . . . “in whom ye also, having heard the word of the truth, the gospel of your salvation,– in whom, having also believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is an earnest of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God’s own possession, unto the praise of his glory. ‘Ephesians 1:13-14 (ASV)

Over the last several years I have learned how to can.  Canning is generally quite simple, but with a few very critical components – time, pressure, temperature and most importantly, seal. Without a solid seal on the lid, the precious food inside will spoil.

Back in early times, when royalty sent a letter or a message, they wanted to be sure that the receiver was assured that the message had come from them. To do so they folded the paper and melted bitumen onto the end of the paper, then used a signet ring to press their specific emblem onto the paper, sealing it closed.  This was later replaced by a heavy wax and even later, envelopes with a wax seal over the closure point.  The seal kept the precious message for the eyes of the receiver only.  Once the seal was broken, it could not be resealed.

God‘s people used Bitumen as far back as Genesis when wanting to seal something of great importance.  Noah used bitumen (also called pitch) when waterproofing the Ark (Gen 6:14).  It was used to line the basket in which Moses was placed as a baby, to keep it afloat (Exodus 2:3). It was used to bind the bricks when building the Tower of Babel (well, that’s another story).

Sealing was used to place a mark of ownership and to establish where something came from and the authority with which it was sent.  Sealing was a means of protection from an outside element, such as water, wind or storm.  Sealing also was used to set something apart, or someone apart, protecting them from a peril of the time.

God has placed the Seal of the Holy Spirit upon all believers.  This seal brings us wisdom, foreknowledge, protection from the evil one, and proof of our right to eternal life with Christ.  The Seal is clearly on our foreheads, the same Seal that God placed on His son (John 6:27), is visible in the spiritual realm, marking our place (Revelation 9:4; Revelation 7:3).

This Seal is only the earnest of our inheritance, only the first sign, a small portion of what is to come, when we become children of God (2 Corinthians 1:22).  It is a deposit, a security, a pledge, the first installment of the wonderful gift; the inheritance of eternal life (John 3:15-16), a mansion fashioned to every individual (John 14:2-3), redemption from this world of pain and suffering to a Heavenly place where there will no longer be tears or anguish (Revelation 21:4).  We become God’s prized possession, sealed by the price of the life of His dear son, Jesus Christ.  Sealed by the blood of the perfect sacrifice (Hebrews 10:12-14).  Sealed by a bond that cannot be broken.

Lord, help me to always give you the glory and praise for the seal you have placed on my life.  Let me remember the sacrifice Your precious Son gave that I might receive this precious gift.  Help me to remember that even as I leave this earth, Your seal is forever visible by those in Heavenly places and the hand of evil can never remove it.  Praise Your Holy Name.

**A Journey through Ephesians – Chapter 1, Part 8

Written by Linda J. Humes

9-6-14

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Redemption

2 Aug

Soda Bottles

“in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,” Ephesians 1:7-8 (ASV)

As a kid growing up, Saturdays held the wonderful adventure of soda-pop bottle seeking. Sodas came in stout glass bottles and when the empties were returned to the store you received 2 shiny pennies each! My brother and I would search the sides of the roads and trash cans for bottles. With a little imagination and an hour of seeking, we redeemed enough bottle deposits for 2 sodas and 2 candy bars. A perfect way to start the weekend.

In those days redemption was a whole different word to me. We weren’t a church going family, not even at Easter or Christmas. I didn’t understand about generational sin, Heaven or Hell. I did know there was a God, but I don’t remember how I knew. I spoke to the big God often and knew He was there to watch over me. I didn’t fully understand redemption until I began my Christian walk at the age of 38.

When I began to study the Bible I couldn’t get enough. I would dig and research and sit up late hours into the night. The story of Jesus and all that He did touched me to the very depths of my soul. I began to understand redemption clearly, but I could not understand why God would send His Son down to be with men, and I surely didn’t understand why He would send Him down to die for the cleansing of their sins, past, present and future – including mine. It was so hard to understand that God could love us that much, especially in our dirty and broken states. It was/is so humbling.

My God, who measured the waters in the hollow of his hand (Isaiah 40:12), who chose us before the foundations of the earth, who made a way for us to stand before Him holy and without blemish (Ephesians 1:4), who foreordained us unto adoption as his children through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:5). Our God, loved us so much that He made of His son, Jesus, the perfect sacrifice, eliminating the need for the continual sacrifice of animals (Hebrews 10:10, 17-18). Oh my.

Jesus’ sacrifice gave us the gift of forgiveness from God the Father. Forgiveness, according to His grace, divine unmerited favor, which He made to “Abound” toward us, and yet freely given with “Wisdom and Prudence” (Ephesians 1:8). That tells me that when He first planned our lives, He knew what we would face, what we would do, how we would react, the mistakes we would make and the humility or pride we would face them with – but still He gave us His forgiveness, through grace, with wisdom so that we would learn from our choices and grow in grace, with prudence, to teach us discretion. Plus, He gave it in abundance, not just enough for a day, but enough for a lifetime. He loves us so much that He gave us an out for every poor choice, if we will only call on Him.

Now it becomes our duty, our obligation, to honor that gift and do all we can to walk upright in it. We must receive His grace to be able to give it, abounding/abundantly, to all we encounter. Freely we have received, freely we are called to give (Matthew 10:8), walking this path with forgiveness in our hearts and peace in our soul. Lord, please show us the way.

*A Journey Through Ephesians –  Chapter 1, Part 4

Written by Linda J. Humes

7-27-14

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