TODAY'S VERSE:

Ephesians 4:30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

In Prep School we are continuing to learn about Eternal Security (confidence in our eternity with God). This verse says that God the Holy Spirit “seals” us. What does that mean? Well, in essence, He makes us “officially” His for all of eternity. The kids in prep school gave examples of how to seal a door forever using hammer, nails, super glue, and cement! The sealing ministry of the Holy Spirit is way stronger than all of that… times infinity!

The Holy Spirit will be with us forever and He wants us to know that! He wants us to live by using His power and the thinking of Christ. Grieving the Spirit means a person is not doing that; he is not doing what he is supposed to do in the spiritual life. God the Holy Spirit wants us to use His power to live the lifestyle God has planned for us. He is the proof that we are to spend eternity with God! He “seals” the deal! There is no way that seal will be broken or taken away from us! It was given by GOD! God does not take back His gifts!

Ephesians 1:13-14 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, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

As believers, we are united with Christ; we are God’s own possession! God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing! We have a priceless, eternal inheritance, which we received as believers because of our union with Jesus Christ! And as believers, we are holy and blameless because of who we are in Christ! God places His seal on all of these blessings by sending the Holy Spirit to live inside of us. The fact that He lives inside of us IS the seal or guaranty of our eternal security. (Read Ephesians 1:3-14)

Ephesians 4:31-32 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.  Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
 
Bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and slander are destructive; they don’t encourage others! Being kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving encourages others! Think of the way God treats us!  It actually boggles the mind! He is continually encouraging us. He does all the work to grow us in the spiritual life! God the Holy Spirit will be helping us to grow so that we can become more loving and forgiving. He is our guarantee of it! He will produce His fruit in us: love, joy, peace patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. When, through His power, we are using the fruit He gives us, we will be living the lifestyle the Holy Spirit wants us to live; we will not be grieving Him! We will be glorifying God!
 
1 John 4:19 We love, because He first loved us.