Gettysburg Seventh-day Adventist Church

Scripture: And when you heard the word of truth (the gospel of your salvation) – when you believed in Christ – you were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit, (Ephesians 1:13 NET)

Observation: sealed—as God’s confirmed children, by the Holy Spirit as the seal (Ac 19:1–6; Ro 8:16, 23; 1Jn 3:24). see on 2Co 1:22; A seal impressed on a document gives undoubted validity to the contract in it (Jn 3:33; 6:27; compare 2Co 3:3). So the sense of “the love of God shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghost” (Ro 5:5), and the sense of adoption given through the Spirit at regeneration (Ro 8:15, 16), assure believers of God’s good will to them. The Spirit, like a seal, impresses on the soul at regeneration the image of our Father. The “sealing” by the Holy Spirit is spoken of as past once for all. The witnessing to our hearts that we are the children of God, and heirs (Eph 1:11), is the Spirit’s present testimony, the “earnest of the (coming) inheritance” (Ro 8:16–18). [Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Eph 1:13). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.]

Application: Many years ago, when I was the pastor of a Hispanic congregation, I was asked to officiate at the marriage ceremony for a couple from Mexico.  As we were talking about the service itself, they asked me if I would have the role ceremony.  I told them I didn't know what they were referring to, so they proceeded to explain to me that in the area where they lived it was a custom for the pastor or priest to place a rope around the couple who were getting married as a symbol of the sacred bond of marriage into which they were entering.  Once I understood their desire and the significance of that ceremony I readily agreed to make it a part of their wedding and it became a vivid memory to this day.

There are many such ceremonies to symbolize the union upon which the couple is entering.  For our wedding we chose the unity candle but with a variation.  At that time it was popular to blow out the two candles which represented each the groom and the bride after lighting the unity candle thus symbolizing that the two were becoming one.  My wife and I decided that we would leave the two candles light because while we were becoming one we were not losing our individuality.  Other couples have used two pitches of colorful sand, or pitchers of water to represent the symbolism of two merging to become one. 

The question remains, what makes us one?  Is it the common believes we have?  Or is it the goals, the values, the plans we have established together?  Is it the commitment we are making on that day?  I would expect that all of these would certainly play a part in helping us become one.  But I believe that the only one who can truly make us one is the One who made us who we are in the first place.  God, our Creator, who makes the miracle or creation possible, is also the one who makes the miracle of two becoming one possible.  Our text reminds us that we are sealed by the Holy Spirit when we believe in Jesus Christ.  It is that individual belief and commitment to Him which makes it possible for us as individuals to become one.  That's why the wedding ceremony is not just a requirement which makes the marriage legal by the law of the land but a sacred service which seals the couple's commitment to God and to each other in the eternal bond, sanctioned and blessed by God.  this is one of the reason I object to some of the things that couples are doing such getting married under water, while sky diving, or at the Wall-Mart where they met, or dressed as clowns, pirates, or some cartoon character.  While their desire may be to make their wedding fun and memorable they are ignoring the presence of God and the sacredness of this ceremony.

As you plan for your wedding, plan for God's presence and arrange the service accordingly.  And for those already married, make it a point to remember together that you are sealed together by the same God who created you and who brought you together and who now desires for you to remain together for a lifetime.

A Prayer You May Say: Father God, thank You for creating us and for making us through the seal of the Holy Spirit.  Strengthen our bonds daily that we may honor you for the rest of our lives through our marriage.

Used by permission of Adventist Family Ministries, North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.