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The Ephesian Connection
In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise.
Today when a dispute arises over a piece of property, the true owner can verify his rights through a title deed. Similarly, when a question arises concerning a particular business contract, a man’s signature on the document testifies that what is written on it expresses his intent. In biblical times, a man’s seal declared his ownership and was considered equivalent to his signature.
Since the beginning there has been an unseen struggle over the souls of men. But God has sealed His children with the Holy Spirit. In doing so, He has declared His ownership both to us and to the whole spiritual realm, including Satan and the angels. Too often though, we describe ourselves with such words as Baptist, Catholic, Protestant, Charismatic, Fundamentalist, nondenominational, etc. We seek to express our identities in such descriptive words so that we can tell who belongs where. But God looks for His seal. And when He sees it, He knows those who are His.
No matter how much shaking comes upon the Church, no matter how many Christians succumb to deception, and no matter how many we see faltering in their faith, the foundation of God on earth has been sealed with this ultimate truth: He knows those who are His. In Timothy’s day, deception and ungodliness had spread in the Church like an infection. Nonetheless, Paul’s counsel to him was heartening.
But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, men who have gone astray from the truth saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and thus they upset the faith of some. Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord abstain from wickedness.”
When one turns from the truth and goes into error, perhaps even deceiving others, God is not taken by surprise. He fully knows the hearts of everyone. But when such things happen, we can be encouraged that He is still ruling and His purpose is not being thwarted. In the midst of shaking, we can know that we will not be set aside and discarded because the Scriptures assure us that we have been sealed by God. He clearly sees His seal imprinted on our hearts. The true condition of the Church may confuse some as deception abounds and false prophets proliferate. But there is no confusion in heaven. His insight is perfect; He knows those who are His.
But there is another side to this equation.
Let everyone who names the name of the Lord abstain from wickedness.
God’s part is to recognize His seal, whereas our part is to abstain from wickedness and to live for Him. Here is truth in tension. On one hand, we see God’s divine knowledge and on the other hand, we see our responsibility to obey Him. Some Christians focus more on God’s sovereignty; others focus more on human responsibility. But the Scriptures teach both emphases. Some might say that if God already knows those who are His, we might as well live any way we want. “After all, what difference does it make? God already knows what will happen.” For these people, the second part of the above verse is very appropriate. Others might say, “Well, with all the deception going on in the earth and the shaking in some churches, does God really have a handle on it all?” Because their faith is shaken by present events, these folks need to be reminded of the first half of the verse. The Lord knows those who are His, including them.
No matter what happens that suggests that God’s plans are in jeopardy, we can stand firmly on the foundation of God’s sovereign rule in our lives. If we are His, He is not going to be deceived about it. There has been a seal applied to our lives that He never loses sight of. At issue for us is not whether we have been sealed, but whether we are reflecting His ownership of us.
Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if a man cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.
One can be sealed by the Holy Spirit and become a vessel for honor and useful to our Master. On the other hand, one can also be sealed and become a vessel for dishonor, failing to be useful to Him. Once we see our position in Christ, we must then live in such a way so as to reflect it. While the seal on our lives is obvious to Him, how obvious is it to those around us? Are we clearly identified as His? One practical implication concerns how we relate to a local church. Do we identify more with the labels of men or with the seal and ownership of God? Are we known more by the emphasis of the Christian group(s) or organizations to which we belong or by our relationship with Him? While He may have connected us to a particular fellowship of believers, the group itself is not what identifies us. It simply indicates the sphere in which the Master has placed us.
We are to be His children participating in His strategy as we function in a particular part of His vineyard. In other words, we are to be a testimony of His ownership in that specific part of His Church. We must not be swayed by those who confuse their identity with a certain denomination or organization.
God’s strategy for His Church is greater than man’s plan to gather and to organize believers. Our efforts at labeling one another only brings premature corporate identification as to what is His and what is not. And such an approach divides God’s heritage. If we establish a group of Christians with our seals on them, they will identify with us. We may then appear successful because of the impressive number who use our label. But God’s heart will be grieved. To take the seal of man and place it over the seal of God only brings confusion. Another sect is then added to the already cluttered spiritual landscape. The world does not need more Christians saying that they are “God’s true people,” or “the most spiritual in His house.”
Lord help us to understand what it means to be sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise. Help us to see ourselves as one part of Your house. Use us to draw people unto You, not to ourselves. Oh Lord, cause our labors to contribute to more than just excellence in our ministries and spheres of influence. Give us grace to further the growth of Your inheritance.
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