A Walk that is Worthy Part 2
“The Gift…Signed, Sealed, and Delivered”
Text: Eph 1:11-14
Intro:
This morning I would like to bring you a message entitled “The Gift, Signed Sealed and Delivered”. It is the second message in a series entitled “A Walk that is Worthy” In our text this morning we read of a progression that is absolutely vital to our understanding of God’s investment into our lives.
Today I would like to take you through this passage of scripture and via the word of God to help you get a better grasp of the position you are in, if you bear the name Christian today. Once again the whole thrust of our study in Ephesians is an argument or a challenge to us as to why we should walk worthy of the calling that is placed upon us. For us to understand this we must know something of that calling.
-The bible says that this thing we call salvation is a gift of God. Eph 2:8,9 “For we are saved by Grace, not of works, it is the gift of God.” God has given us a gift that should cause us to radically respond to Him.
-Lets look at this gift that has been signed, sealed and delivered to us.
1) SIGNED: A signature that has been placed upon us. vv 11,12
A signature speaks of Ownership
There is a science out there called graphology. This the science of analyzing signatures to determine personality traits. Supposedly there is a lot that can be said about signatures.
Illus:
With the Anthrax letters that were sent to Tom Brokaw and Tom Daschel last fall they determined some things from the handwriting. Glenda Ross, a Certified Graphologist said the drew some of the following conclusions:
"A depressed, tired individual …with an ability to create with their hands for example: an artist, carpenter, or a mechanic…the writing is written under great tension and I feel the writer is on the brink of an emotional breakdown. You could not reason with the writer – the writer is physical and would hit/strike out. The writer can only be reached by touch such as placing a calming hand on their arm – in other words the writer is too violent to listen.
As far as intelligence goes… they do not have a well-rounded intelligence. The numeral 1 on the Tom Brokaw envelope is the only indication on the envelope that it could be written by someone from another country…the T in the word Senator has a slight bending upwards meaning this is a person who feels they are doing good and helping others. Which is a glaring contradiction of all the other traits the writer has shown. The T in the Senator is usually found in people with religious tendencies."
You did not know a signature could determine so much.
A signature speaks of ownership. Now lets break out some terms here.
The NIV says that we were “chosen”
The Greek word is kleôrooô (klay-ro’-o) ;
to allot, that is, (figuratively) to assign (a privilege):—obtain an inheritance.
Another word that is used in “predestined”
“To limit in advance or to predertmine”
Now for most of us we grit against the words election and predestination, for we believe that salvation is a free choice.
Yet when we come to these passages of scriptures we hold our breath and try to somehow get through them.
The the centuries old debate between Calvinism and Arminianism will not be settled here this morning.
Let me give you a quick synopsis according to scripture of where the whole predestination isssues lays.
1)Man is a sinner Romans 3:23
2)God has chosen an elect group of people…but I believe that that group is classified according to scripture as anyone who calls upon the name of Jesus Christ to be saved. Romans 10:13
3)Christ died for every person not just for a special pre chosen group John 3:16 2 Peter 3:9
4)God’s saving grace toward the elect can be resisted
Hebrews 8:7-12
5)That once a person is saved, he can chose to walk away from his salvation. (Apostasy)
Heb 12:15; Luke 8:13; 1 Cor 8:11
Now I know we could have extended debate on the ins outs of what I just shared. For those who have studied much into this, we just tiptoed through the tulip
patch. Now lets get back to our text,,,and God’s signature.
I like how “The Message” says this in verses 11 &12
“It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.”
It is in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. When we are saved He places his signature upon us. In revelation says that he has given to the overcomer a name that only He knows.
Illus:
When I was in kindergarten we lived in the small North Dakota community of Napoleon. We lived right across the highway from the city police officer. One day we were playing at their house under a tarp that had been fixed to the side of their house. Someone had found some permanent markers, and we all began to draw on the side of the house. Being a proud kindergartner, I began to write what I practiced everyday at school…my name. Now the rest of the boys were a little wiser refraining from any self-incriminating artwork. Unfortunately, I was busted shortly after my friends dad came home and took down the tarp. Written in bold blue permanent marker, as big and proud as only a kindergartner knows how.…MY FULL NAME. My signature fingered me as owner.
When Christ puts his name on us…he identifies himself as owner. As we are going to see… this has a far reaching affect in our life.
First this gift has been signed…next we see in our text that this gift has been Sealed.
2)Sealed:An agreement has been guaranteed v 13
In the last point we spoke of ownership… By placing His signature upon us, Christ is claiming ownership.
What we see in the next portion of our text is that:
Ownership demands investment. According to our text God has made that investment in our lives.
The investment he made was His Holy Spirit. Look at our text again with me.
Eph 1:13,14
"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory."
We have been sealed by the Holy Spirit. This is the promise of God. In fact Jesus introduced this promise to His disciples in the Upper Room, on the night that He was betrayed.
John 14:15-17a
John 14:16
John 16:13-15
Ownership demands investment.
All of this scripture points to the investment that God made in our lives…first in Jesus Christ, and now through the Holy Spirit.
Scripture says that we have been marked with a seal.
This seal can be looked at a number of ways.
1) The Spirit Marks us
In first century people placed their seal upon documents. It was simply a piece of wax that was put over the seam of a package or document to seal seam. Then the author of the document would take their signet(Same word we get signature from) ring and press it into the wax…denoting ownership.
Illus: I have been out working cattle with some of you when you have gone through your heard and marked them for one reason or another. You have just taken a grease pen and walked through and placed your distinguishing mark upon them. You set them apart from the rest of the herd for a specific purpose.
The Holy Spirit is God’s mark upon us.
Setting us apart from this world.
He is sealing us or marking us for a purpose.
2) The Spirit Protects us
I mentioned earlier the signet ring pressed into the wax that had been placed over a seam in a package. That bit of wax was the tell tale sign as to whether or not the package had been tampered with. Much like the plastic that is over vitamin bottles you buy today….Tamper Proof. Because to get the seam open one had to break the seal with the special stamp from the signet ring.
I think we would be remiss if we did not say that this passage of scripture leads us towards the thought that the Holy Spirit brings security to the believer.
Is it unconditional security…no. But nature of the job description of the Holy Spirit is that of bringing security to the believer
John 14:26,27
John 16:5-11 also speaks of the active role the Holy spirit plays in bringing security to the believer.
Ownership demands investment. God’s investment in our lives is his Holy Spirit. God places a much importance upon this investment.
Eph 4:30
In fact the KJV says that the Holy Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance. Which means that He is the down payment of that which is to come.
· A Signature Speaks to Ownership
· Ownership Demands Investment.
· Investment Demands Results.
3)Delivered: God has come through on his Response v 14
Investment Demands Results.
When you invest in something you expect results.
That is why people are a little frustrated with the stock market…it is not returning the results they expected from the resources they invested.
God has invested part of himself in us according to our text…v 14
This investment is going to bring about results in our lives. Lets look at some of these results.
Romans 8:15,16; Romans 8:11; Gal 4:6-7
Investment demands results… Gods investment in us is bringing about results in our lives today.
We also know that God’s investment in us by His Holy Spirit is going to also bring Him back one day to fulfill His promise of an eternal hope.
Conclusion
A walk that is worthy… What is the motivation for us to live such a live . Well we see it spelled out in our text today…a gift has been given…signed, sealed
and delivered. Have you accepted that gift? Does God have his signature upon you…can people see that signature?
What does the signature of God that you are displaying say about God?
Do you feel like you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit?
Are you looking forward to the promises that God has given us concerning our future?
