How can we “stand firm” in Christ?
Jan 17, 2012
The Vase for Grace - the grace of God from 2 Corinthian, part three
By Mike Gaudet
How can we “stand firm” in Christ?
We assume that we bear the responsibility to establish a solid spiritual foundation.
The reality is . . . God assumes this responsibility.
“Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”
2 Corinthians 1:20-22
Spiritual security is rooted in what God does, not what we do . . . ”Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ.”
God has taken three steps to put us on solid spiritual ground. We stand firm as we place the weight of our eternal welfare on what He has done:
- He “anointed us.”
- He “set his seal of ownership on us.”
- He “put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”
God anoints us because He wants us to know Him.
In ancient Judaism, kings and priests went through an anointing ceremony. Once the oil of anointing had been applied, the king or priest was considered to be “de-secularized” and set apart for sacred service.
Whereas anointing used to allow only special people to serve God, anointing now benefits all people “from the least of them to the greatest.” The New Covenant stipulates that, “No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.” Hebrews 8:11
On this side of the cross, God’s anointing allows us to know Him. It is the means by which God reveals Himself to each and every man or woman who seeks to know Him. “As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit — just as it has taught you, remain in him.” 1 John 2:27
God seals us because He wants us to belong to Him.
A seal was used to identify personal belongings. Sometimes the seal was set in a ring with an image or a name on it. The impression the seal made marked a person or object as being under the protection of the owner of the ring.
The New Covenant God declares, “I will be their God, and they will be my people.” Hebrews 8:10 God’s motivation in possessing us is to give to us, not to take from us. His decision to place a seal of ownership on us directly reflects His desire to extend grace and mercy to His people . . . eternally!
God gives His Spirit to us to give us a taste of what it will be like to live with Him.
In the material world, a down payment is a partial payment of a larger future bestowal. It is the means by which someone guarantees to one day “pay in full.” In the spiritual realm God’s Spirit serves a similar purpose. The Spirit of God wets our appetite for what is waiting for us in heaven.
On this side of eternity, we experience a diluted essence of the undiluted joy that will characterize eternal existence with God. God’s Spirit enables us to endure the incomplete satisfaction that this life affords by testifying to “what is to come.”
God has “anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”
How can you “stand firm” in Christ?
Reflect on what God has done to enable you to “stand firm.” This will build a solid spiritual foundation upon which enduring faith is built.