Pentecost Sunday and the seal of Holy Spirit

Today, Christians world over celebrate the Solemnity of Pentecost Sunday. This Solemnity, as we celebrate it, marks the commemoration of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles {Acts of the Apostles Chapter 2}. It also marks 50 days after Easter Sunday.

In the early Church, Pentecost covered the whole period of 50 days from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday. During this period no fasting was allowed. Prayers and songs were offered standing. Alleluia was very often sung.

The name Pentecost, was originally given to the Jewish “festival of weeks”, which fell on the 50th day after the Passover when the first fruits of harvests of the year were offered to the Lord {Deuteronomy. 16:9}. Later on, in the practice of Judaism {religion of the Jews}, the feast was celebrated to mark the anniversary of the giving of the Law to Moses. For the Jews, the Pentecost was primarily agricultural, social and religious national festival of thanksgiving and of petition for the blessings from God.

It was on that day of the Jewish festival that the Disciples of Christ gathered in Jerusalem when suddenly the Holy Spirit descended upon them with the visible and audible signs of heavenly gifts. The disciples who had been in fear then burst out of their hiding place in courage and boldness.

They spoke and were understood in languages diverse from their own native Galelian Aramaic. Convinced by the power of Peter’s proclamation, the hearers showed remorse for their sins. And they become converted thus the first generation of Christians – 3000 of them being then baptized. With this the firs, Christian Church was born in Jerusalem about the year 35 A.D.

Our Pentecost Sunday celebration also marks the anniversary of the birth of the Church.

Be sealed with Seal of the Holy Spirit! What does it Mean?

A seal is an identifying mark often placed on a letter, contract, or another document. It simply shows that what was in the letter came from the person whose seal was on the outside. In the ancient times slaves were branded with a seal to show whom they belonged to.

We are very much familiar of the branding of animals especially cattle and even goats and sheep from the northern part of the country. Even locally, we have our local chicken sealed with different colours of ropes, etc. These marks or signs would deter people from stealing them because they had the seal upon them.

Reading through the bible we see that this term is used in a few different ways. In the Old Testament, God set a sign on his chosen ones to mark them out or set them apart as his possession and to keep them from destruction.

A few instance will be necessary. “And the Lord said to him, “Go through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark upon the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it.” And to the others he said in my hearing,

“Pass through the city after him, and smite; your eye shall not spare, and you shall show no pity; slay old men outright, young men and maidens, little children and women, but touch no one upon whom is the mark. And begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the house” {Ezekiel 9:4-6}.

We read in the book of Revelation that God places a seal on his people to identify them and protect them from wrath, “…Saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God upon their foreheads.”{Revelation 7:3}.

We also see that the guards put a large stone over the tomb of Jesus to seal it, “So they went and made the sepulchre secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard {Matthew 27:66}.

And of John being told to seal up the words of the prophecy, “And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.”{Revelation 22:10}.

This communicates security. We also read of God authenticating the relationship with his seal, “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you; for on him has God the Father set his seal.”{John 6:27}.

This passage is similar to the concept of Abraham’s circumcision serving as a sign and a seal of his righteousness, “He received circumcision as a sign or seal of the righteousness which he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised and who thus have righteousness reckoned to them, {Romans 4:11}

The biblical instances we have given so far point to the fact that a seal communicates ownership, protection, and a validation of the relationship.

The seal we are talking about herein are as mentioned Ephesians and second Corinthians. Therein, we read about the mark of identification that the Christian is truly God’s own and is kept aside for God. Indeed, the seal represents the certainty that we receive from the Holy Spirit.

Despite what our emotions tell us, despite what the lies of the enemy tell us, despite what our own human reasoning tells us, we know that we belong to God because of the Holy Spirit, the seal of the promise of salvation, “In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have 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{Ephesians 1:13-14}.

During the celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation the bishop dips his right thumb in the chrism and makes the sign of the cross on the forehead of the one to be confirmed, as he says: N. be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The newly confirmed responds: Amen. With that the candidates sealed as Christian Catholic. For our life to be what it should be we need to be renewed by the Holy Spirit everyday for without it we are nothing.

You too needs the Holy Spirit

1. The Holy Spirit empowers and commissions us to be witnesses of Jesus

In the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.

As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” {John 20:19-22}

One of the reasons the Holy Spirit came is to give us power and boldness to be true witnesses of Jesus Christ. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses …” {Acts 1:8} Many people are afraid to speak about Jesus. They often believe they are unqualified. But when the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness to me; and you also are witnesses, because you have been with me from the beginning. {John 15: 26-27} If we ignore the Holy Spirit, then how can we possibly be good witnesses for Jesus?

2. The Holy Spirit helps to pray and makes us able to worship God

The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words. And he who searches the hearts of men knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. {Romans 8:21}

As Christians, we have the privilege of being able to enter into the presence of God through worship. Sadly, many people get easily bored or are not interested in worshipping God. True worship is supernatural so it can only be accomplished with the help of the Holy Spirit. “But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship Him.” {John 4:23} If you want to have true communion with God, feel His presence and be lost in worship, ask the Holy Spirit to help you worship.

3. The Holy Spirit gives us supernatural gifts

No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. {Corinthians 12:3}. The Christian life is supernatural. Every believer has been given a supernatural gift by the Holy Spirit.

Think about it! The Holy Spirit has given you a spiritual, supernatural manifestation. “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in every one. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.

All these are inspired by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.” {I Corinthians 12:4-11}. Unfortunately, most Christians never use their gifts. Which gift do you have? If you don’t know, ask God to activate the gifts in you and to provide circumstances where your gifting will come out. You need the Holy Spirit to work effectively because it is in discovering your gift and vocation that you can live a fulfilled life.

4. The Holy Spirit will enable us to live fraternally and as a family

We need the Holy Spirit as to remove ourselves from neo paganism {Osu/Nwafo Issue}, For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body–Jews or Greeks, slaves or free–and all were made to drink of one Spirit{ I Corinthians 12:12-13}.

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For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?

But as it is, God arranged the organs in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single organ, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”

On the contrary, the parts of the body which seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those parts of the body which we think less honorable we invest with the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require.

But God has so composed the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior part, that there may be no discord in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. {I Corinthians 12:14-26}. How good and how pleasant it is when brothers live in unity {Ps. 133: 1-2}

5. The Holy Spirit anoints and empowers us for a mission

One of the functions of the Holy Spirit is to anoint and empower us for a Mission {purpose}. The anointing is a supernatural empowerment to do the will of God. And it comes in various forms. That is why is called Charisima -“GIFT OF GRACE”.

It can be a grace for business, for service, for vision, for prayer, for social or religious ministry for scientific ministry, for any area in life. The anointing and empowerment guarantees success. Remember the challenges of Apostles of the Lord during their early ministry. The suffered many things and even going to stand for queries before the Sanhedrin. Herein, the intervention and advise of the Pharisee man who doubles as a teacher of the law by name Gamaliel merits our, “For if this plan or this work is of human origin, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even be found fighting against God.” They were persuaded by him {Acts 5: 39-40}.

Jesus’ ministry was empowered by the anointing of the Spirit. Indeed, He was the anointed of the Lord. “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me…” {Isiah 61:1} have you ever asked yourself the question, am I set aside like Jesus?

If you answer yes then still ask for what purpose/ for what mission? Do you know what God has anointed you for? When you find your purpose, you will find your anointing. Remember, “In the absence of purpose, life becomes an endless journey to nowhere”- Seneca the Young.

It is time that we stop ignoring the Holy Spirit and ask Him to actively participate in our lives. Jesus sent Him because we need Him. Let us ask for forgiveness and pray that the Spirit of God lead us to all truth.

6. To live holy life, we need the Holy Spirit

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. 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 prevent you from doing what you would. But if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law.

Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. {Galatians 5: 16-25}

Finally

The Holy Spirit is the Christian’s seal. He seals his people. God’s own Spirit comes to dwell or take up residence in the believer. And I think the nuances from above apply here. The promised Holy Spirit identifies God’s people as his inheritance. And the experience of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life is proof to them, and a demonstration to others, of the genuineness of their faith.

The Holy Spirit provides the inward assurance that they belong to God as children, “ For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God {cf. Romans 8:15-16}; And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”{Galatians 4:6}

By giving us the Holy Spirit, God seals or stamps us as his own at our conversion. And then the Holy Spirit continues to testify, authenticating the reality of this relationship by making us more and more like Jesus.

The God who has thus authenticated this relationship will most certainly protect his people through trials and difficulties. He will do this until he takes final possession of us, his inheritance, on the day of redemption, which is at the end {Ephesians 1:14}

To be sealed with the Holy Spirit is the gracious gift of God, whereby he demonstrates the authenticity of the believer’s relationship with him and his authority, ownership, and commitment to his people.

Fr Iwuji is of the Society of Divine Vocations

He can be reached on: [email protected]

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