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I was recently challenged by the prayer of Paul for the church at Ephesus (Ephesians 3:14 onwards) in which he prayed that the church may truly know Christ in the fullest sense. And this got me thinking...

We often seal food so we can use it later when needed.

And similarly have been sealed with the Spirit of God as a guarantee of our final redemption...

Eph. 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

One of the greatest problems with Christianity today is that we misunderstand what sealed mean:  the moment or day that you refer to when you got saved, is when you received and acknowledged your assurance of salvation. This event is what we refer to as sealed with the Holy Spirit, which is a guarantee from God of your final redemption....but this is only the beginning...

We often seal food in order to preserve its contents for later use. The point of sealing however is not so much to preserve as it is to USE the contents later. Likewise, we are given the Holy Spirit to enable us to bear good fruits  - to be eaten; enjoyed.

Sealed does not automatically result in fellowship, although it is a requirement for it. We are sealed with the Holy Spirit, yes, but we still need to fellowship with Christ to be experience this fullness Paul is referring to. There is no point in sealing a jam jar without the fruity contents. The sealing should be because of the filling! And who buys empty jam bottles? No-one. Without fellowship with Christ there is little we as Christians can offer.

Many are content to be saved and to camp at the gates of salvation. Many live lukewarm lives. Many believers are just sitting on the shelf as fruit -sealed and canned- enduring this life...waiting for their redemption. Happy to be saved and not interested in anything more. Yet, there is so much more! 

So, why are christians happy to have the bare requirements? I believe, it has to do with the following well known scripture:

Rev. 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me

Sadly this verse has been used to refer to evangelism and unbelievers, which is a gross misunderstanding and neglect of one of the greatest experiences a Christian can have:

In context, this was written to the church at Laodicea who was lukewarm, and verse 20 gives us the remedy for their lukewarmness (shelf life as I call it)....fellowship with Jesus, which is why He is knocking. Somehow they were happy to be part of God's family, and not pursue anything else.

A marriage contract makes the relationship binding and acts as proof of the marriage but growing fellowship is what makes marriage sweet and heavenly. How much more should this not be the case when it comes to us being one with Christ! Don't just be a jar-head have jam packed times with Him.

Do you know, believer, that Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart to come in and have fellowship. Not come and go every once in a while, but stay and commune with you daily, so that you may “....know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” - Eph 3:19. It is this fellowship that Paul is praying for that the church at Ephesus should have.

Do you know this fullness?

....like a balloon being blown full of air, and can have different levels of fullness, so is there no end to the fullness that the lover of our souls desire with us!

He is knocking.......