April 26 – Established and Sealed

Hope for Today: A Daily Devotion from Reasons for Hope*Jesus

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“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts.” 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 [See also Ephesians 1:14.]

A sensible joy of faith and great delight in prayer are not the only evidence of the earnest and sealing of the Spirit. The former is sometimes lacking, when we have reason to believe we are sealed by these marks:

• when we receive Christ in all His offices and have a sincere desire to do the will of God in all things;
• when we love the ordinances of Christ, and regard the children of God with brotherly affection and seek to do them good;
• when we hate sin and watch and pray against it; and,
• when we are poor in spirit, vile in our own eyes, and are led into further acquaintance with Christ Himself and with His gospel, by the Spirit.

These are constant marks, even for the weakest. With them, none need doubt. Without them, hope is false and altogether vain. But, however much we may have obtained, there is much more in Christ to be received.

• His grace will sink us in the depths of humility and raise us to the heights of holiness.
• His grace will crush our fears, destroy our doubts, and fill us with confidence.
• O, Jesus, give us more grace, more grace! He gives grace to the humble.

Devotion by Karl Heinrich von Bogatzky (1690—1774)