Marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit

18 July 2012

Opening Prayer/Worship

Hymn: Guide me, O thou great Jehovah

Theme: Be filled with the Holy Spirit

Topic: Marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit

Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,⁴just as he chose us in Christ^* before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love.⁵He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will,⁶to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.⁷In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace⁸that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight⁹he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ,¹⁰as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.¹¹In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance,^* having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will,¹²so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory.¹³In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit;¹⁴this^* is the pledge of our inheritance towards redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.

Introduction

At the beginning of our current theme, we discussed several works of the Holy Spirit. In today’s study our focus will be on the seal of the Holy Spirit on believers of Christ. In some parts of the world, to buy something, the buyer can make a deposit to the seller who then puts the item away, marking it as sold. The buyer takes full possession of the item as soon as complete payment is made. One way of talking about salvation is to say that the same goes for humanity. Through the fall of Adam and Eve, we all became estranged to God; enslaved to sin, and prone to fear of death and attacks of the enemy. But through the death and resurrection of Christ, the yoke of sin was broken, the debt we owed was paid and God marked all believers of Christ with the seal of the Holy Spirit. This has several implications and we will be discussing as many of them as we can. One of the important aspects of having the seal of the Holy Spirit is the guarantee that we are God’s own people – here and hereafter.

Questions/Discussion

1.   Why did God mark us with the seal of the Holy Spirit?

Ephesians 1:13-14, 4:17-32

In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; ¹⁴this^* is the pledge of our inheritance towards redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory. ¹⁷ Now this I affirm and insist on in the Lord: you must no longer live as the Gentiles live, in the futility of their minds.¹⁸They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of their ignorance and hardness of heart.¹⁹They have lost all sensitivity and have abandoned themselves to licentiousness, greedy to practise every kind of impurity.²⁰That is not the way you learned Christ!²¹For surely you have heard about him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus.²²You were taught to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts,²³and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,²⁴and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. ²⁵ So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbours, for we are members of one another.²⁶Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,²⁷and do not make room for the devil.²⁸Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labour and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy.²⁹Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up,^* as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear.³⁰And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption.³¹Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice,³²and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.^*

2.   How do we know we are marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit?

Ephesians 1:17-23, 2:11-22

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him,¹⁸so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints,¹⁹and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.²⁰God^* put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,²¹far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.²²And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church,²³which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

¹¹ So then, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth,^* called ‘the uncircumcision’ by those who are called ‘the circumcision’—a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands—¹²remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.¹³But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.¹⁴For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us.¹⁵He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, so that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace,¹⁶and might reconcile both groups to God in one body^* through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it.^*17So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near;¹⁸for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father.¹⁹So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God,²⁰built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.^*21In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord;²²in whom you also are built together spiritually^* into a dwelling-place for God.

Colossians 1:9-14

For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s^* will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,¹⁰so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God.¹¹May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully¹²giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled^* you^* to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.¹³He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son,¹⁴in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.^*

3.   What are the implications of bearing the seal of the Holy Spirit?

Romans 8:9-11, 26-27

But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit,^* since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.¹⁰But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit^* is life because of righteousness.¹¹If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ^* from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through^* his Spirit that dwells in you.²⁶ Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes^* with sighs too deep for words.²⁷And God,^* who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit^* intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.^*

2 Corinthians 5:5-10

He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. ⁶ So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord—⁷for we walk by faith, not by sight.⁸Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.⁹So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.¹⁰For all of us must appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil.

2 Thessalonians 2:13-17

But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters^* beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits^* for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth.¹⁴For this purpose he called you through our proclamation of the good news,^* so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.¹⁵So then, brothers and sisters,^* stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter. ¹⁶ Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope,¹⁷comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.

Jude 17-25

But you, beloved, must remember the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;¹⁸for they said to you, ‘In the last time there will be scoffers, indulging their own ungodly lusts.’¹⁹It is these worldly people, devoid of the Spirit, who are causing divisions.²⁰But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit;²¹keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to^* eternal life.²²And have mercy on some who are wavering;²³save others by snatching them out of the fire; and have mercy on still others with fear, hating even the tunic defiled by their bodies. ^*24 Now to him who is able to keep you from falling, and to make you stand without blemish in the presence of his glory with rejoicing,²⁵to the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time and now and for ever. Amen.

Intercession/Worship

Conclusion

We believers of Christ bear the seal of the Holy Spirit. Let us live and love as He guides us knowing that He is true and will surely guide us to eternal life with the Lord.

Closing Prayer

Lord we thank You for marking us with the seal of the Holy Spirit. We ask You to keep leading us all the days of our lives for without You we are lost. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Perfect power in weakness

11 July 2012

Opening Prayer/Worship

Song:

His Name is higher, above other names

His Name is Jesus, His Name is Lord (3X)

We lift You higher, above other names

Your name is Jesus, Your Name is Lord (3X)

Theme: Be filled with the Holy Spirit

Topic: Perfect power in weakness

Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:2-10

I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows.³And I know that such a person—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows—⁴was caught up into Paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat.⁵On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses.⁶But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me or heard from me,⁷even considering the exceptional character of the revelations. Therefore, to keep^* me from being too elated, a thorn was given to me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated.^*8Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me,⁹but he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power^* is made perfect in weakness.’ So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.¹⁰Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.

Introduction

One fascinating and awesome feature of being a Christian is that it is God Himself who called and chose us as His own. We did not choose Him, for the Scripture says that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. All we had to do was answer the call and say yes to Jesus. Yes to His call, work and life- to be His ambassadors here on earth. Knowing Him and making Him known to everyone around us. Whatever we do for Him, others or for ourselves is by His power dwelling in us. Without Christ, we can do nothing. In our weakness, God’s awesome power becomes even more evident, that everyone will know that He is the sole source of our strength. As Christians, we should always remember that it is the Holy Spirit in our lives that empowers us to live for Christ and to be His witness in the world. Even when circumstances seem tough, unbearable and against us, we must never forget that God is for us. And if God be for us, who can be against us? Nothing and no one can prevail against us.

Questions/Discussion

1.  What are some of the things that make us appear to be weak?

Matthew 26:36-45

Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’³⁷He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and agitated.³⁸Then he said to them, ‘I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me.’³⁹And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.’⁴⁰Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, ‘So, could you not stay awake with me one hour?⁴¹Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial;^* the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’⁴²Again he went away for the second time and prayed, ‘My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.’⁴³Again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.⁴⁴So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words.⁴⁵Then he came to the disciples and said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

2 Corinthians 12:7-8 (KJV)

⁷And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. ⁸For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

2.  How will you explain God’s sufficient grace and perfect power in our lives even in the face of apparent weaknesses?

Mark 6:1-13

He left that place and came to his home town, and his disciples followed him.²On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, ‘Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands!³Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary^* and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?’ And they took offence^* at him.⁴Then Jesus said to them, ‘Prophets are not without honour, except in their home town, and among their own kin, and in their own house.’⁵And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them.⁶And he was amazed at their unbelief. Then he went about among the villages teaching.⁷He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.⁸He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts;⁹but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics.¹⁰He said to them, ‘Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place.¹¹If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.’¹²So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent.¹³They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

2 Corinthians 4:1-12, 16-18, 12:9-10

Therefore, since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart.²We have renounced the shameful things that one hides; we refuse to practise cunning or to falsify God’s word; but by the open statement of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God.³And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.⁴In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.⁵For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake.⁶For it is the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

⁷ But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.⁸We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;⁹persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;¹⁰always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies.¹¹For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh.¹²So death is at work in us, but life in you.

So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day.¹⁷For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure,¹⁸because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.⁹but he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power^* is made perfect in weakness.’ So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.¹⁰Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.

3.  How does God make His power perfect in our lives despite our weaknesses?

John 15:1-8

‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower.²He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes^* to make it bear more fruit.³You have already been cleansed^* by the word that I have spoken to you.⁴Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.⁵I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.⁶Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.⁷If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.⁸My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become^* my disciples.

Romans 8:12-39 

So then, brothers and sisters,^* we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—¹³for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.¹⁴For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.¹⁵For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba!^* Father!’¹⁶it is that very Spirit bearing witness^* with our spirit that we are children of God,¹⁷and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

¹⁸ I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us.¹⁹For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God;²⁰for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope²¹that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.²²We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now;²³and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.²⁴For in^* hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes^* for what is seen?²⁵But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

²⁶ Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes^* with sighs too deep for words.²⁷And God,^* who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit^* intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.^*

²⁸ We know that all things work together for good^* for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.²⁹For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family.^*30And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.

³¹ What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?³²He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else?³³Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.³⁴Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us.^*35Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or

famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?³⁶As it is written,
‘For your sake we are being killed all day long;
we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.’

³⁷No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.³⁸For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,³⁹nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Intercession/Worship

Conclusion

We are the children of God- called and chosen by Him to be His own. May we live our lives confident that the Holy Spirit is with us- guiding, teaching, loving and protecting us at all times.

Closing Prayer

Lord we are so grateful for Your Power working in us through the presence of the Holy Spirit. We yield our hearts to You Lord, asking You to fill us with Your Spirit now and always. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.