Ephesians 1:13. In [Christ] you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
Have you ever played with a stamp pad? You press the “die” into the ink and then stamp it onto paper to leave behind the picture. It’s loads of fun!
In Paul’s day, kings and emperors used stamps or “dies” pressed into wax to seal shut very important letters that they were sending across the land. The king’s seal proved that the letter was from him. And if the seal had been broken then everyone knew that someone had messed with the king’s letter without permission.
In today’s verse, Paul says that we have been sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. What does that mean? Well, Paul is imagining that we are like a letter. The letter gets put into the envelope – that’s Jesus. When we accept Jesus we are placed into him. Then that envelope is sealed shut. Hot wax is dripped on it and the king’s seal is pressed into it closing it shut. That’s the Holy Spirit. He is God’s seal that closes us into Jesus and no one can open that seal.
All of this is because of Pentecost. At Pentecost, God sent the Holy Spirit to do many things, but one of the most important things the Holy Spirit does is seal us in Christ Jesus. Now no one can take you out of Jesus; you are his forevermore.
Sadly, there are too many Christians who aren’t sure if they are really saved by Jesus. Maybe they think they have done too many bad things to still be saved. But remember, we don’t do anything good enough to be saved, so we can’t do anything bad enough to not be saved. As long as we are still trusting in Jesus we will always be saved.
If you are a Christian, God has written his name on you. Like Andy in the movie Toy Story. Andy wrote his name in permanent marker on the foot of Woody and then Buzz. That’s how they knew that they belonged to Andy, that they were his toys and not an actual cowboy or space ranger. In the same way, Jesus has written his name on us proving that we belong to him. That’s what the seal of the Holy Spirit is, the proof that we belong to God.
No one can steal you.
No one can snatch you away.
No one can hide you from God.
In fact, God has hidden you inside of Jesus.
Yes, you sin.
Yes, you have doubts and questions.
Yes, your faith is weak.
Yes, life can be hard.
But none of these things can take away the Holy Spirit from you. Pentecost has given us a salvation that nothing can destroy. Not even dying. We are and forever will be God’s own possession, secured forever by his unbreakable seal, himself.
You: Have you ever doubted if you are saved?
You in Christ: How does knowing that the Holy Spirit has sealed you in God and Jesus help you to be sure that you are saved?
Prayer: Father, I am sealed by your Spirit. Now you own me forever. Help me to have confidence and courage from your salvation. Keep me from doubts that come when I focus on myself. Thank you for the promised Spirit that secures my life in you. Amen.
TLICfamily 