Being “sealed with the Holy Spirit” means that when a believer hears the gospel and trusts in Christ, God marks them as His own — giving the Spirit as a seal of ownership, authenticity and belonging. The Spirit serves as a guarantee (or earnest) of the believer’s inheritance, assuring that redemption and full possession of that inheritance will come when Christ returns. This sealing signifies a present, lasting security in Christ, marking believers as God’s redeemed people and assuring their future glory.

Being filled with the Spirit calls believers away from drunkenness to the control and influence of the Holy Spirit, so that their life is governed by the Spirit rather than by fleshly impulses. It means living under the Spirit’s power, manifesting the fruit of the Spirit, worshipping God in heart-felt thankfulness and mutual encouragement, and walking in submission to Christ.

Christ teaches us in the Lord’s prayer to pray every day: Forgive us our debts. We seem to need that every day: daily forgiveness. How is it with our justification? Is it something that happens on a daily basis?

The church service is a gathering that has a very special nature, different to a meeting, a lecture or an event. It is the workplace of the Holy Spirit. The article expands in a number of points.

As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13, if I have all knowledge and understanding, but do not have love, I am nothing. Knowing the LORD is then also more than an intellectual action.

If there is one thing that is clear in Scripture, it is that God wants nothing less than our hearts. The LORD does not want a purely external form of service; in all his commands he wants our hearts. So does this mean He wants our feelings, or is there more involved?

The outstanding characteristic of the life of the Christian is looking forward. We are, so Paul writes in Romans 8, saved “in hope”. This hope is not yet seen (v. 24). Now we are still greatly hindered by the sin that clings to all our works, but we know that deliverance is coming and we look forward to it. It is a hope that softens all our sorrows and that causes us to persevere in the struggle. We know that the victory belongs to our Saviour. He delivers us out of our deadly existence. His Spirit is the Spirit of life.

It always raises a lot of questions when we hear that someone has turned his back to the Lord. How did it get this far? Could we have seen it coming? Did we do enough to prevent it? What can we still do once the break with the church has occurred? What does this mean in terms of the salvation of this particular person, and his or her (future) children?

This article on Romans 3:9 focuses on our sin, the sin of Adam as our sin (original sin), the wrath of God, and the gospel for sinners.

What is Christ’s desire and intention with the Lord’s Supper? This article discusses different aspects of the Lord’s Supper.

In Paul’s day there still existed a piece of typical female garment, by which that distinction could be made apparent. Not a hat or a headscarf, but a palla: a kind of mantle which a woman could pull over her head. Such a palla was seen as a sign of female modesty and reserve. Female head coverings do not have this function anymore in our culture.

This article makes a number of comments on speaking in tongues, prophesying, healing, and exorcism, and concludes with some remarks on the role of gifts in congregational life.

This article discusses the institution of marriage in Paradise, recorded in Genesis 2, and its bearing on matters such as sexual intercourse.

What does brotherly love look like? This article reflects on this question, via a consideration of Hebrews 13:1.

This article is about church attendance, particularly the subject of attending twice on Sunday. The author offers some practical questions on this subject, to provide a guide for conversation.

This article discusses the gifts of the Spirit (charismata), revealing that the scriptural category of gifts of the Spirit is much broader than that of charismatic circles today. The article also details how signs and miracles differ from these gifts.

This article explores the mandate that God gives to husband and wife to love one another in their marriage. It shows that love must be learned, and that it is modeled on the love of God in Christ. It also reveals that mutual love is not the foundation of marriage.

How soon should infants be baptized? This article explains the obligation parents have to get their children baptized as soon as possible. It lays the biblical ground for infant baptism and its relation to church membership.

How can you keep sexual purity during courtship? Sexual longings tend to increase during courtship. The desire to be closer to one another can threaten. This article offers ten rules for maintaining sexual purity during courtship.

This article on family formation looks at the purpose of marriage and receiving children from the Lord, what it means to seek the kingdom of God with regards to having children, the blessing and importance of having children and descendants in the Old Testament, fruitfulness in the New Testament, and children as a blessing today.

This article on James 5:13-14 is about answered prayers and the relationship between prayer and healing.

This article is about the place of children in the church and in the worship service. The author also looks at the task of the parents with regards to the worship service.