Every parent wants their child to feel loved and secure. How much more our Heavenly Father wants this for his children. His desire is to have us experience real security and love in an ever changing world. Through God the Father’s redemptive plan and the Lord Jesus Christ fulfilling that in the Cross and Resurrection, they secured the coming of the Holy Spirit to permanently indwell all Believers (1 Cor. 12:13 & 2 Cor. 1:21-22). It was God’s way of sending a gift of love and security to us in the sealing of the Holy Spirit. Paul talks about that in Ephesians 1:13-14:
“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”
It might not seem like much but the sealing of the Holy Spirit is God’s stamp on us that we are His. The seal in biblical times was usually made of hot wax and impressed with a signet ring or other official insignia. It represented at least three things:
In Jesus day, the seal made something secure. The Roman guards sealed the tomb of Jesus so that no one could steal His body (Matt. 27:66). They probably put a rope across the stone that blocked the entrance and secured both ends with wax, stamped with the official Roman seal. Also, a letter or legal document was sealed with wax and stamped with a special seal so that the recipient could be sure that it had not been tampered with. When we put our faith in Christ, God sealed us with His Holy Spirit, making our salvation secure. No one can break God’s seal; it is the greatest security of all time!
It was also the mark of identification. The seal marked who owned the property and documents. It was like a brand on cattle; the seal showed who officially owned something (Jer. 32:10). God’s Spirit is the seal on us, showing that we belong to Him for eternity. He bought us with the blood of Christ and we now belong to Him. No one can take us from Him.
A seal also signified something as official or authentic. If it had the official seal on it, you knew that it was genuine. A notary public will authenticate your signature on an important document by stamping it with his/her seal. We are marked as authentic because of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. Period!
And added to this, Paul declares that The Holy Spirit is God’s pledge or promise that God will complete His work in us and bring us safely home to Heaven – what we call glorification (2 Cor. 1:21-22) We are people who can declare God’s Glory and His love towards us because of the Spirit’s presence and work within us.
Next time you are feeling insecure, remember the security you have in Christ – you are sealed for eternity in His grace and love!
Have a great week and remember, you are a child of the King!
In His love
– Pastor Ralph
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