Since my husband is a handyman (not by profession), he does most of the work in our homes himself. Watching him install a shower caused me to be curious about the word “seal”. The drain in that shower had to have an adequate seal to keep it from leaking. It became obvious to me that creating a good seal was not only important, but also takes a lot of work and patience.
As a noun, a seal can be an aquatic animal, a devise used for stamping a document to authenticate it, something that gives credibility to something else (a seal of approval), or a substance used to join two things together so as to prevent them from coming apart or prevent something else from passing between them.
As a verb, a seal can mean to make tight to secure against leakage (as in sealing windows or a shower drain), close securely (as in sealing an envelope or sealing homemade jams), prevent something from escaping by closing an opening, isolate an area to prevent entry and exit (as in sealing off a crime scene), apply a coating to a surface to make it impervious (such as sealing a finish with a varnish), fry a piece of meat briefly to keep juices intact or secure something to exclude the possibility of reversal or loss (as in sealing a business deal).
The definitions of seal have an application when applied to the Christian life. God the Father placed His seal of approval on His Son; God set His seal of ownership on His children and we are marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit (John 6:27, 2 Corinthians 1:21 and Ephesians 1:13). Jesus never broke the seal during His lifetime. His integrity remained intact. He never allowed anything to come between Him and His Father’s will.
For the rest of us, it is a constant struggle to keep worldly temptations from distracting us. The apostle Paul reminded us to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit, but as my husband often says, “we leak.” The presence of the Holy Spirit is real to us. We have already been “authenticated,” but while we are still here on a fallen planet, we must be diligent in remembering that we have to work hard at preventing anything from entering our lives that will dishonor the Spirit who lives within us.
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you (Ephesians 4:30-32).
One Focus Ministries 