Nougat 8

Please receive today’s Holy Nougat

“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 ‭NIV‬‬

Branded!

Marked as God’s appointed and chosen wherever we are. I’m sure there are some mixed feelings to this. For, on the main, we are assuming that being marked by God grants favor with authority figures in unexpected situations. And it does – and we have concrete examples.

We think concretely of Cain, Adam’s firstborn. He murdered Abel, his brother; and because God’s seal was on him, his vagabond life was a protected one. And there’s King Saul … publicly mourned by David his nemesis; who declared, “Touch NOT the Lord’s anointed, and do God’s servant no harm!” There’s Esther, favored above local girls, and rising to Queen of Persia while her people were exiled. God’s mark is truly a protective seal.

Luke 12:48 reminds us that God doesn’t desire a one-sided relationship with us. And being marked with God’s seal also carries its own responsibilities. Although Esther was crowned Queen, the Jews were faced with annihilation because they had God’s mark. Daniel benefitted from both blessing and intentional abuse as a marked man of God. The disciples turned apostles also faced different levels of persecution because of that brand. So let’s not act naively and get all surprised when we find that we are sometimes targets Because of our Faith.

God’s Spirit however, gives us grace to overcome. It is God’s Spirit Who sustains us AND keeps us from faltering or falling during seasons of trials (Jude 1:24). And, by God’s Spirit, we find the words to utter in such situations (Luke 12:11). Being marked by God’s Spirit means

We Are NOT Alone

especially when the going gets rough. For certain sure, bearing God’s brand is the best thing that could happen to us.

And … there’s more

God doesn’t make promises that God doesn’t intend to keep. Hence, Romans 6:8, and 2 Timothy 2:1 both promise that if we die WITH Christ, we will be raised with Him also. And we have the guarantee today that God’s Spirit HAS ALREADY secured our place and our inheritance in glory.

So when we hear of God’s Spirit, let’s not get skeptical or skittish. Yes, we recognize that speaking in tongues usually tells those who hear us that God’s Spirit dwells within and is actively engaged in our lives. And for many of us, that’s very important. Rest assured that there’s far more God desires to work in, with and through us when God’s Spirit seals us.

Food for thought?

Chew slowly.

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May all we seek be found in Christ