SEALED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
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.
Ephesians 1:13-14 (NIV)
Very recently, I had to drive to my bank to get a legal affidavit notarized for a friend in Virginia. The notary's seal certified that my document was authentic and official.
Paul says God has placed His own seal on every believer.
Notice when it happened—When you believed. The moment you placed your faith in Jesus Christ, God gave you the promised Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came to live within you, marking you as God's child and enabling you to abide in Christ each day.
In Paul's day, a seal carried several meanings. A king or owner would press his signet ring into hot wax to show ownership, authenticity and protection. The seal declared, This belongs to me. Breaking that seal without authority was a serious offense.
Paul uses that familiar picture to describe what God has done for us. His Holy Spirit is God's mark of ownership on our lives. We belong to Him. The Spirit also assures us that God's promises are true and trustworthy.
Paul adds that the Holy Spirit is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. A deposit is the first installment that guarantees the rest will come. God has already begun His work in us, and He will finish what He has promised. One day, we'll stand in His presence completely redeemed, holy, blameless and glorified. This is God's predestined future for every believer.
No matter who you are or what your past may hold, if you have trusted Christ, you belong to God. His Spirit lives within you, and your future is secure because God's promises never fail. No wonder Paul ends this section with the words, to the praise of His glory. Everything God has planned, accomplished through Christ, and guaranteed by His Spirit should lead us to worship.
Application: Thank God for the gift of His Holy Spirit. Live today with the confidence that you belong to Him and the joyful hope that the best is yet to come.
Prayer: Father, thank You for giving me Your Holy Spirit as the seal of Your love and the guarantee of my inheritance. Help me abide in Christ, walk in the Spirit each day, and live in a way that brings praise to Your glory. Amen.
"… Our Father in heaven…" Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
• What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
"… may your name be kept holy." Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
• What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
"May your Kingdom come soon." Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
• Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
"Give us today the food we need," Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
• Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I'm around today?
"and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us" Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
• Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
"And don’t let us yield to temptation…" Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
• Is there anywhere I'm vulnerable to temptation?