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"And
you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth,
the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were
marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit
guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are
God's possession - to the praise of his glory." — Ephesians
1:13-14 (TNIV)
Dear
Saints:
During
Lent we do become more introspective. We dwell more upon the
transitory nature of life—that we are dust, and (sooner or
later) to dust we shall return. Such reflection leads us to
think more soberly about our sinfulness and our need for God's
forgiveness. Repentance, then, becomes the order of the day as
we look to God for help in being the people he calls us to be in Christ.
Yet,
we must never forget that we do all of this as his
children—adopted into his family through baptism—who have
been indelibly marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit.
Paul says he is God's deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until we
reach the fullness of our redemption.
Sure,
we struggle to "get it right" as try to live out
our calling at Saint Matthew—but always as God's redeemed people
who are faithfully seeking to discern and do his will. Lent
reminds us that, until that day when Jesus will come again for his
church, we'll continue to live in a time-between-times—in the
now but not yet confident that we are his—yet longing for our
completion in him.
And,
you know? I'm glad we're doing it together!
Father,
bless us to the praise of your glory as we await the glorious
appearing of our great God and Savior, even Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Grace
and peace,
Pastor
Larry |
