The Seal of the Covenant and the Seal of the Spirit

Genesis 16 & 17 The Seal of the Covenant and The Seal of the Spirit Introduction: In the last chapter we saw that Abram had a shining moment. God reaffirmed his promise to Abram, and the scripture says that “(Abram) believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness”. From this verse we considered the doctrine of justification by faith, showing that this has always been God’s way of justifying men and women and claiming them for his kingdom. It is not by adhering to the law, or by a set of morals and principles that we have a righteous standing before God; It is only through believing, by faith/trust, in the work of redemption, and sacrifice that Jesus accomplished through the cross that we have a right standing before God. Although Abram is used in chapter 15 as a good example of the man God is pleased with, the man of faith; here in chapter 16 Abram has a lapse in his faith. Abram has been in the land (the land of Canaan that God called him to) for ten years, and he still has no child. Thoughts probably began to come into Abram and Sarai’s heads, like, “God never said that my heir was going to come through my wife Sarai. Maybe God meant that I will have a child by another woman?”. In those days it was the common practice that if you did not have a male heir or if your wife was barren that you would take one of the servant girls/woman and through them you would produce a male heir. That child would be considered a legitimate heir, and inheritor of all that the father had. So at the suggestion of Sarai, this is exactly what Abram did. He took Sarai’s maidservant Hagar and through her he had a son named Ishmael. What we have here in chapter 16 is a major blunder on the part of Abram and Sarai. Instead of waiting on God, or seeking his wisdom and council on the matter, they took things into their own hands. The scripture later refers to what Abram and Sarai did here as a work of the flesh. A work of the flesh is something that is totally human, it is of this world, it is the way the world by nature operates. It has earthly/ human origin and it produces earthly/human results, in a negative sense. The work of the flesh is something that is not recognized by God because it is not only not his work but it actually seeks to work against the work of God, whether we realize it or not. In scripture the work of the Spirit (the Holy Spirit) is always contrasted with the work of the flesh. Galatians 5:17 “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” As we go onto see in the life of Abram and Sarai this work of the flesh - bringing about an heir by their own strategy is totally rejected by God. Ishmael is not even recognized; for when we come to Genesis 22 God says to Abram, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah”. The work of the flesh also has it’s repercussions. The scripture says, “God is not mocked whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap.” God has sewn this principle into the DNA of the universe - to every action there is a positive or a negative reaction. The work of the flesh brings about dead results, things that in the end, hurt us rather than heal us, that hinder us rather than help us. God originally appeared to Abram and said to him, here’s what I’m going to do for you, “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Notice God doesn’t say, alright Abram lets do a bit of co-laboring here, I’ll do the whole land thing, and you just figure out how to have a son. No, all Abram has to do is listen and obey, and he will be able to see and experience all that God is going to do for him. Now Chapter 17 records for us the rebuke of the LORD to Abram and Sarai, notice that it doesn’t come until 14 yrs after their blunder. God appears to Abram and says, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” Some have interpreted this as, “I am God Almighty, I don’t need your help in bringing about my promises to you, you simply believe me and obey me.” God’s covenant with Abram is: to be his God and Abram and his descendants to be God’s people - restoration of God’s kingdom on earth. “And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. 8 And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.” 1. The Seal of Circumcision. a. God now gives Abraham (for here God changed his name) instruction concerning the sealing of the covenant. i. The seal is to be circumcision - the cutting off of the foreskin of the penis. ii. Circumcision is not the covenant but only a seal of the covenant. iii. A seal is: 1. a thing regarded as a confirmation or guarantee of something or to conclude, establish, or secure (something) definitively, excluding the possibility of reversal or loss. 2. was used to brand cattle and slaves to show ownership, it showed that they belonged to a certain individual. 3. a device or substance that is used to join two things together so as to prevent them from coming apart or to prevent anything from passing between them. a. Example: the wedding ring is a seal of your marriage, a sign to you, your spouse and to others of an established covenant. iv. The seal of circumcision was an outward symbol of an inward truth. In circumcision the foreskin was removed, it spoke of a cutting off of evil and sin. Circumcision symbolizes the covenant relation to God, which demands holiness. Abraham’s descendants were to be a holy people, a people who were set apart, a people who were different. 1. Exodus 19:5-6 “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.” b. All of God’s chosen people (meaning the males) were to be circumcised. If an individual was not circumcised he was to be ostracized. Every uncircumcised male was excluded from the benefits of belonging to the covenant. Circumcision distinguished those who believed in the importance of the divine promises to Abraham from those who did not. c. Circumcision was the symbol, sign,or seal of this separation. d. In the Old testament God used physical circumcision as a seal, and also a test of the nations faith and obedience to his command. But the nation of Israel although keeping the outward practice of circumcision failed to fulfill the holiness that circumcision represented. 2. If circumcision was the seal of the Abrahamic covenant does that mean that Christians are to be circumcised? a. In the New Testament, under the New Covenant Paul tells us that physical circumcision doesn’t benefit us at all, and it is not needed for entry into God’s covenant people - the Church. i. In Romans 2:29 he says, “But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter.” ii. 1 Corinthians 7:19 “For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God.” iii. Colossians 2:10 “In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, iv. Galatians 5:6 “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.” v. Galatians 6:15 “For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation” vi. The main thrust of Paul’s argument is this: Circumcision, which symbolized holiness to God, by the cutting off of sin and unrighteousness was a sign that pointed to the new birth that has been brought about through the work of Jesus Christ. vii. vii. Paul’s conclusion: if you’ve arrived at your final destination you no longer need a the road signs. Since circumcision was simply a sign pointing to what Christ himself would accomplish it is no longer necessary. Circumcision is not required under the New Covenant. 3. The Seal of the Holy Spirit. a. But the New Testament speaks of another seal. The seal of the New Covenant which is the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. i. Just as the seal of circumcision was used as a seal as in a guarantee of the Abrahamic covenant, so also the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of God’s New Covenant with his Church. 1. Ephesians 1:13-14 “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. 2. The scripture teaches that upon salvation which is by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ, that the Holy Spirit comes into our lives, sealing us as a guarantee until we arrive in glory. ii. What does this sealing mean? 1. A seal has three main functions and scripture seems to be referring to each of these functions. a. A seal authenticates. i. All government documents are known to be authentic by their seal. You think of your passport, it has the seal of the united states of America, proving it’s authenticity, authenticating the fact that you are an American citizen. Paul says that this is what the Holy spirit does with us, he is the proof of authenticity. ii. The Holy Spirit proves the authenticity of our salvation by signs and marks. iii. Think of 1 John and the many proofs John gives of authentic salvation. 1. Practice righteousness 2. Walk in the light - transparency and truth 3. Confesses sins and shows forgiveness 4. Obedience to God’s word. 5. We will love one another.- love for God’s people 6. We will overcome sin and temptation. (the world, the flesh & the devil) 7. We will do the will of God. 8. We will not continue in sin. 9. We will confess Jesus as Lord. 10. 10. Think of the beatitudes (poorness of spirit; mourning over sin; meekness; hunger and thirst for righteousness; mercy; pureness of heart; peacemakers; and even persecution from the world) 11. 11. The Fruit of the Spirit. (love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control) iv. God does not leave us wondering whether we are truly saved or not but he seals us by the Holy Spirit showing our authenticity. Therefore if these things are not evident/obvious in our lives we should question the authenticity of our salvation. 1. Although we are saved by grace alone through faith alone, faith will show itself to be genuine through the works that it performs. Authentic good works can only be produced by the Spirit of God in us. b. A seal shows ownership. i. A seal was used to brand cattle and slaves to show ownership, that they belonged to a certain individual. Paul declares that this is what God has done in sealing us with the Holy Spirit, He has put His mark of ownership on us just as he did Abraham. He is our God and we are his people, and the Holy Spirit is the seal of the covenant. ii. This is what we see in revelation 7 when God puts his seal upon the foreheads of the 144 thousand Jews. It is this mark of ownership to set them apart from the rest of the world; the world will experience this great tribulation but not those who were sealed for they are set apart as the possession of God! This is a beautiful thought to think that God has put a seal of ownership on us, declaring us as His property, and possession; and this seal is not just a thing but it is the Holy Spirit Himself, the comforter, the Helper! c. A seal is for security. i. A seal was also used for security, as it is in our day and age, we seal letters, and packages, we also seal canned goods. These seals show that they are not to be opened by anyone unless that letter or package has their name on it, or we have purchased the thing sealed. ii. Seal - a device or substance that is used to join two things together so as to prevent them from coming apart or to prevent anything from passing between them. iii. The sealing of the Spirit is the means by which God undertakes to bring His people safely to their final destination. iv. It is from passages like this that we find the teaching of eternal security or once saved always saved! Because if the Holy Spirit has indeed sealed us there is nothing that can come between us and our final destination of Glory and this is really what Paul is saying. Conclusion: God gave Abraham the seal of circumcision as a sign of the covenant between him and God- it was a reminder of Abraham’s need to walk before the Lord in holiness, it was a guarantee of their covenant - I will be your God and you will be my people. The sign or seal of the New Covenant is God the Holy Spirit himself living in us. He is that mark of authenticity and ownership that shows that we are truly God’s people, and that God is our God, by our good works, and fruits of righteousness. They’re are two ways to be assured of our salvation. 1. Do we believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and that he died on the cross for our sins, in our place, to save us from hell and judgment and to restore our relationship with God? 2. Do we have the signs or marks of the Holy Spirit in our lives? a. Practicing righteousness b. Walking in the light - transparency and truth c. Confessing sins and showing forgiveness d. Obedience to God’s word. e. Love for one another.- love for God’s people f. overcoming sin and temptation. (the world, the flesh & the devil) g. doing the will of God. h. Not continuing in sin. i. Confessing Jesus as Lord. i. The fruits of the Spirit?! Some might argue that you can be a christian and be in a “backslidden” state, and therefore not show any signs or marks of the Holy Spirit in your life. I would say that scripture offers no security or assurance of salvation to a person in these situations but only warning and exhortation to repent and return to the Lord. Remember it was Jesus himself who said to the lukewarm church that he would vomit them out of his mouth. If you find yourself in this category this morning I would urge you to believe again the Gospel, to turn from your sins, and you will be filled with the Holy Spirit and enabled to live the life of righteousness that God has called his people to live.