Our Character Sealed by C. H. Bates

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 14, 1903

Our Character Sealed

By C. H. Bates

C. H. BATES

“And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” Eph. 4:30.

The questions that would naturally arise in one's mind are, What is it to “grieve the Spirit of God,” and, What is meant by being “sealed” by the Spirit?

There are many ways by which we may grieve God's Holy Spirit away from us. Any thing that we do contrary to his will, grieves him, just as we are grieved by the disobedience of our children. The verses following tell us how we may avoid grieving the Spirit of God. I quote all of verses 31 and 32: “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” There is much to consider here if space would permit. One thing is certain: if these admonitions are carried out, the Holy Spirit will never be grieved.

What is sealed? and what is the seal? Our character is that which is sealed; upon this the Spirit of God is stamped. Character is the only thing that we can take from this world to the next. The name of God is the seal. Rev. 7:3; 14:1. Will the Lord place his name upon us while we are in sin? Read Rev. 14:5: “And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.” We are living in a time when God is sealing his people. How important, then, that our character be such that God can place his name upon it.

I hear some one say: “I thought the Sabbath was the seal.” The Sabbath is the sign of the seal, but not the seal itself. We might outwardly observe the Sabbath as long as we live, and never have the seal of God placed upon us. We would only be hanging out a false sign. This is illustrated many times by those selling spirituous liquors; you will often see displayed in large letters the words: “Soft drinks,” “Pool Room,” “Drugs,” etc. Thus it may plainly be seen that the sign is not always an index of the character.

A noble character is not something that we inherit; it does not come to us by chance. It comes to us only by earnest effort through the merits and grace of Christ. “It is formed by hard, stern battle with self.” Let us remember that every day we are forming character for time or eternity. That character is formed by the little every-day acts of life; it may be but a look, a word, or a smile, yet it all has weight in deciding our destiny for weal or woe. How vital to our interests it is, then, that our words and acts shall be those that shall build up, and not those that destroy; such as shall encourage and not discourage the one who needs our help. “And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted,” “in honor preferring one another.”