Sealed for the Day of Redemption (Ephesians 4:30)

Read the verses before it

Ephesians 4:30 begins with "and," so it's finishing a thought. Paul has just said to put away lies, be angry without sinning, stop stealing and work honestly, and let no corrupt talk come out of your mouth. Those are the things that grieve the Holy Spirit. As one participant put it, it isn't about us grieving for Him. It's about not causing Him grief.

The seal

A seal did three things: it marked who owned something, it proved it was genuine, and it guaranteed the contents would arrive safely. You were sealed, in the past tense, until the day of redemption. Not until your next slip-up.

The GoPro test

DeWayne's old men's group exercise: imagine a camera strapped to your chest, live-streaming your day to your grandmother. Would your language change? The Holy Spirit lives in you and sees far more than that.

Try this

• Read Ephesians 4:25-32 as one passage.
• Run the GoPro test on yesterday's conversations.