The Seal of Approval

The Seal of Approval

"Work hard so you can present yourself to God
and receive His approval." II Timothy 2:15

Good Housekeeping Institute, an offshoot of the popular ladies magazine, is well known for their testing of a wide variety of products to see if they measure up to certain industry standards. For those products that do, they issue the famous Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval, an endorsement of the product considered invaluable for success.

In fact, the phrase "seal of approval" has so caught on that we now have the Presidential Seal of Approval, the Underwriters Laboratory Seal of Approval, and a host of others that guarantee the quality of products sold from toothpaste to computer equipment. And we also hear the phrase used to endorse people - "He or she has my seal of approval." Now there is a person we want to hire for our company! A policy or activity can earn the seal of approval of someone who has tried it - an almost certain recommendation that you will enjoy it as much as they did.

But far more important than any of those is the approval of God. Paul talked about that approval in I Thessalonians 2:4 when he said "We speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel." And he encouraged Timothy to work hard that he might recieve the approval of God on his life. It is something that should be important to each of us, far more important than man's approval, having God's approval on the life we are living.

The Good Housekeeping people would tell us that over the years many, many products that did not measure up were submitted for the seal of approval and rejected. And something very similar is happening in the church. Believers are looking to the Lord to give His approval to lifestyle choices and personal decisions that are contrary to what the Word of God teaches us is right. We expect the Lord to approve what we are doing because it's what makes us happy or to make up for something we have gone through.

We want heaven's seal of approval for actions that God has said are wrong, for decisions that represent compromise and selfishness, and we get upset when He doesn't give us the endorsement we want.

Let's make every effort to follow the advice Paul gave Timothy, "Work hard...so you can receive God's approval." Allow the Word of God to guide you in presenting a life before the Lord that is without spot, wrinkle or blemish, a life that stands up to the testings of life, a life that can rightly earn heaven's seal of approval.

God Bless
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church