And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30 (NIV)

I have almost enough frequent flyer miles saved up to take a really nice trip, and with just a few more points I’ll be ready to redeem them and cash in on my effort. I have to admit, it wasn’t easy getting to this point. I don’t fly very often, but when I do, I try to schedule my trips with the same airline so the miles will build up. That has required a lot of extra finagling and strange flight schedules. On one trip, I ended up with an eight-hour layover. Much of that time was spent thinking about how I would someday use the air miles, and now that “someday” is very close.

I check up on my account regularly to make sure that everything is still in order, and my miles are still waiting there for when the time comes to redeem them. And every so often I’ll print out a statement just so I can have something in my hand symbolizing the guarantee of what’s to come. It will all be worth it when I’m lying on a warm beach somewhere, sipping a cool beverage and enjoying the sun and the salty air.

Our Scripture for today tells how our future redemption is sealed for us. That seal is the guarantee for the finalization of our redemption when Jesus calls home those who have placed their trust in him. And what is that guarantee? It is the Holy Spirit who came to live in us the moment we placed our trust in Christ’s work on the cross and received the payment for our sin. What a great guarantee of what’s to come for those who trust in Jesus!

Ephesians 1:7 (NIV)
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.