Sealed by the Holy Spirit

“In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14

When we are born again, God’s word tells us that we are “sealed” by the Holy Spirit. During the period of history when the Bible was written, when a document was sealed, it meant something. It was not like sealing an envelope today. It was a much more important act. And to break certain seals meant death if you were not authorized to break the seal. So what does it mean to be “sealed” in Christ, by the Holy Spirit when we are born again?

First, sealing is an authentication that we are His and are in the body of Christ. People in Jesus’ day often had signet rings, cylinders, etc. that they would use to seal documents. If a document had their seal on it, it meant it was an authentic document from them – authentication and identification. Similarly, our sealing in the Holy Spirit authenticates the work of God in our lives and our new birth into His Kingdom. Being sealed by the Holy Spirit is a mark of identification that we are His, that we officially belong to God.

Second, the seal held the document together. The hot wax that the seal impression was made into physically closed the document keeping it together. Similarly, the Holy Spirit is with us for the rest of our lives once we are born again, holding us together as Christians. He teaches us all things. He empowers us to walk with Jesus. He leads us and guides us through life. He intercedes for us in prayer. Etc., etc., etc. Without the holy Spirit, I am not sure any of us would be able to live very good lives. He holds us together until we stand before the Lord in the day of redemption.

Third, being sealed by the Holy Spirit secures us. Sealing a document was a form of security. To illegally break seals could often result in fines, imprisonment, and even death in some instances. If a seal was broken, it usually invalidated the document. As believers we have been sealed by God’s Spirit, and this seal secures us throughout the rest of our life, keeping us safe and secure in Christ until the day of our redemption – it is where the saying “once saved, always saved” probably originates.

 ^“Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30

Our seals will not be broken until we meet Christ in person. And the seal of the Holy Spirit is an unbreakable seal. In Romans 8:38-39 Paul tells us that nothing can break this seal and separate us from the love of God. We cannot even break the seal. The fact that we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit guarantees us that we are safe and secure in Christ until we stand before Him at the day of redemption.

Have you been born again? If you have, you are sealed by the Holy Spirit. It happened when you were born again, and nothing can break this seal. We have the assurance of salvation in Christ because we are sealed in Him.

Thank You Lord, for sealing us in Christ by the Holy Spirit. Help us to always remember that You have done this and that nothing can break the seal of the Holy Spirit that holds us in Your body. Thank You so much for this reality. We look forward to standing before You and our seal being redeemed in Your presence one day. In Jesus name, amen.

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” John 10:27-30

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39