WE Can't Wash It Off

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:30-32 NIV)

This verse is one of my favorites. Lets look at this thought: I CAN'T WASH IT OFF!

I had plenty of fun back in the day when I use to hit the clubs (RJ's By The Lake). You know, try to get there when it was free, buy your drinks early and dance until they told you "you ain’t got to go home but you got to get out of here". When I look back I remember paying at the door and getting a big stamp put on my hand. The stamp is what the club used to show you paid just in case you wanted to step outside for a sec.

After hours of dancing (which made most folk sweat like a field hand) I would make my way to a semi lit area only to find that the stamp was still there. After the club shutdown, I would make a stop at IHOP for a little food and after washing my hands I looked down only to find the stamp still there. I would go home and take a shower, sleep and wake up the next morning and guess what was still on my hand? That’s right, the stamp. It seemed like nothing I would do could remove that stamp from my hand. The verse above says that we have been "sealed" with the STAMP (so to speak) of the HOLY SPIRIT!

Because GOD has chosen us for salvation, nothing we do could ever wash away the SEAL. That's good news! Paul tells us in Romans 8 that nothing can separate us for the love of GOD. I don't care what sin we have committed believers are still SEALED until the day of redemption!

Now before somebody gets it twisted, let me make something real clear. Being SEALED doesn't mean we should live any kind of life!!! Its like this, if the city was about to be hit by a nuclear bomb but someone told you they had a place that would keep you safe would you go? And if you go, would you be grateful enough to do what they asked? Look, because we have been SEALED (put in a safe place) we should be grateful to GOD and live the way HE wants us to because HE saved us from the HELL BOMB. Lets live life obediently for THE LORD because we have something that always shows we belong to HIM, which WE CAN'T WASH OFF!