Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

Let’s look at the renewing nature of the Holy Spirit.

Today’s scripture, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (NLT) says…
[21] It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, [22] and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.

Consider…
According to Merriam-Webster, an official seal is an official mark that is stamped on paper or on a small piece of wax to show that something (such as a document) is genuine and has been officially approved.

In addition to Merriam-Webster’s definition, I found the following legal terminology…
The phrase “witness my hand and official seal” is a formal legal expression used by a notary public, public official, or an authorized individual to validate the authenticity of a document or agreement. When someone signs a document and adds the phrase “witness my hand and official seal,” it means that the individual is formally certifying the document’s authenticity, attesting to the identity of the signer, and verifying that the necessary legal or official formalities have been followed.

I really like that legal phrasing because…

• The Holy Spirit formally certifies we belong to God
• God attests that the Holy Spirit represents Him
• And Ephesians 4:30 (NLT) tells us…do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

You see, we belong to God when He says so, not us.

This is underscored by Jesus’ admonishment in Matthew 7:21-23 (NLT)…
[21] “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. [22] On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ [23] But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

This tells me that it doesn’t matter how many religious things you do, the only way that you can go to Heaven is by having the Holy Spirit’s seal of relationship. 🤯

Romans 8:14-16 (NLT) affirms…
[14] For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. [15] So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” [16] For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.

Notice the passage begins with, ‘all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.’

This reminds me of something that Dr. Tony Evans says, many people are willing to accept Jesus as their Savior, but not as Lord!

Oxford Languages defines Lord as someone or something having power, authority, or influence; a master or ruler.

That means, Jesus must have Power, Authority and Influence over of lives.

Indeed, Jesus must Master and Ruler of our lives.

That’s what we declare when we proclaim Romans 10:9-10 (NLT)…
[9] If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. [10] For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.

Us declaring Jesus is Lord must be a personal proclamation of who He is in our lives. This is important to understand because only when Jesus is Master and Ruler of your life will the Holy Spirit become official relationship seal of your place in Heaven.

The passage saying, ‘all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God’, also tells us we must have a formal Father/Child relationship with God. That’s also important because it means if we want to live in His house, we must follow His rules.

This formal familia relationship is emphasized in Ephesians 1:5 (NLT)…
[5] God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

And Galatians 4:5-6 (NLT) reiterates…
[5] God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. [6] And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”

The seal of the Holy Spirit says we have accepted the responsibility and rites of being God the Father’s children.

Lastly, the Holy Spirit showed me, a seal is a visible testament of an official relationship. Therefore, God’s Official Seal of our relationship with Him must be visible on the way we live.

That makes me think of Ephesians 5:1-2 (NLT)…
[1] Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. [2] Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

And 1 John 4:10-13 (NLT), which says…
[10] This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. [11] Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. [12] No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. [13] And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us.

That’s it, as a child of God we must love like Him, and that’s how others will see the Holy Spirit’s official relationship seal.

Our Heavenly Father’s adoption seal on us must be visible by His love through us.

Today’s song is…
I Belong To You

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)