We women long for security. For many of us, that was why we longed to be married. It seemed that marriage would give us the security we craved.
As wonderful as marriage can be if you’re in a secure-feeling marriage, what’s more important is the sense of security before God. That can be elusive at times.
One friend of mine thinks she shouldn’t feel secure in her salvation because she might not otherwise be motivated to obey God. Yet I find that knowing my salvation is secure encourages me to serve God out of love and gratitude instead of fear.
In my last post, I mentioned the security that knowing the truth of Ephesians 1:13-14 gives us: “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation–having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”
The story about Rahab in the book of Joshua speaks directly of security in God–especially the scarlet cord hanging in her window. We can learn a lot about security from her spiritual journey.
Even though all the residents of Jericho heard about how God parted the Red Sea and delivered the Israelites from their captors, the Egyptians, it would seem only Rahab was willing to put her trust in the God of the Israelites. Rahab even said, “our hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because of you; for the Lord your God. He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.”
But now think of it, of all the inhabitants of Jericho whose hearts melted, only Rahab responded in faith. If you walked through Jericho, which person would you have identified as a likely candidate for belief? Most likely not a sinful woman like her. She was a prostitute and ran a brothel. We wouldn’t have voted for her for “most likely to repent.”
That fact can assure us of God’s power. Like me, haven’t you thought, “Of all people, that person won’t believe!” or “He’s too old now to believe.” What limitations do we put onto God’s “wooing” power?
I remember how my elderly aunt said she had prayed to receive Christ–and she was in her late 80’s! It’s never too late. Let’s not give up and also not try to determine who is the best candidate. You and I wouldn’t have had much hope that Rahab would respond.
When the Israelite spies left Rahab’s house, she wanted some assurance of their promise to spare her and her household when they returned to destroy Jericho. They directed her to “tie this cord of scarlet thread in the window.” And that would alert the Israelites to not destroy the people in her house.
That scarlet thread brought her peace. And we can have the same peaceful confidence because our “scarlet thread” to be spared from destruction is the Holy Spirit which Ephesians 1:13-14 says is our “pledge” or “seal.”
Think of that “seal” this way. During the Apostle Paul’s time, wax sealed the outside of an envelope as a way to make the contents secure. Then the writer used a monogram tool pressed into the warm wax to indicate the letter was his or her private property. And the seal made the scroll valid and authentic because each “monogram tool” had that person’s specially designed insignia.
If we think of that as an analogy to the Holy Spirit imprinted into us, we can know we are:
- Secure: God doesn’t break His covenant
- Approved: a seal was used only after the owner verified the information within the letter or document as acceptable to him
- Genuine: a monogram’s tool’s design was unique and one of a kind
- Identifiable: such a seal indicated the owner who had sent the document or letter.
Daughter of the King, you have been given the “seal” of the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of even greater things to come in heaven. Rejoice! He wants you to know you are secure and sealed in Him.