Day 12

Topic: Baptism of the Holy Spirit

Title:The seal of the King

 

Truth Verses Ephesians 1:13, 14 & 2 Cor 1:22... you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.

Having believed, you were marked in him (Christ) with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit...(He) set his seal of

ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

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Truth Story: In medieval days the Royal Mail was delivered by messengers on horseback. In our age of

immediate text, mobile and email communication this slower form of post is now referred to as ‘snail mail’.

Movies like The Three Musketeers, Ivanhoe and Robin Hood capture the loyalty and courage of these

servant-messengers.  Once the King had completed his letter to a foreign dignitary, he would then seal the

envelope with a heated wax seal. While somewhat molten, he would then take his personally embossed

stamp, with his unique graven mark and impress it onto the wax. This seal confirmed that the sender was

genuine and also that the letter hadn’t been tampered with in any way en route. He would then dispatch it

via his personal Pony Express-like messengers.

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Truth Unpacked: In helping to us understand the Holy Spirit, the Scriptures give us several key images; each one expressing something of the divine nature of which we are a partaker.

 

The Holy Spirit is likened to:

 

• A Seal - An embossed stamp verifying the sender (explained above) Eph 1:13

 

• A Dove - speaking of gentleness, peace, tenderness, innocence, purity & patience Matt 3:16

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• Fire - speaking of holiness, purging, purifying and enlivening with zeal Matt 3:11

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• Wind - speaking of the breath of God, invisible, yet the effects of His work can be seen  Jn3:8                                                                                                           

• Water - speaking of the life giving flow which refreshes, satisfies, washes and cleanses  Jn7:38                                                                                             

• Oil - speaking of consecration, illumination, soothing, healing, mollifying, softening, lubricating and healing Jn2:27 & Acts 10:38                                                          

• Wine – speaking of intoxicating, healing and making joyful      Acts 2:13 & Eph 5:18a

 

Prayer: Lord, thank you for stamping your love and grace on my life and for your seal, confirming me as your child.  Lord, please continue to ‘mark me’ with your nature that my life would be a messenger, to carry the good news of the Gospel of Jesus, to people needing the hope and purpose that you give.