Secured And Marked By The Holy Spirit

“In the Messiah you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the good news of your salvation, and when you believed. The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14

I’ve been thoroughly enjoying a brief systematic theology almost every morning in my daily communion time with God, as a supplement to the reading of his Holy Word. A few mornings ago it was focused on a number of aspects of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. In part as a reflection on the passage above, here’s what the author shared:

“A seal in the ancient world did three things: it authenticated, it secured, and it marked ownership. All three elements are probably in view here. The seal of the Spirit authenticates us as true believers, secures our eternal safety, and marks us out as belonging to God.

“This sealing is not a second blessing subsequent to salvation; it happens the moment when we become a Christian. The sealing at the end of Ephesians 1:13 is connected to hearing the word of truth and believing the good news earlier in the verse. That's when the sealing takes place. Being sealed with the Spirit means that God has clamped down his embosser on us and promises to protect us and preserve us as he would his most prized possession. The Spirit is our guarantee (2 Cor. 5:5), like an engagement ring prior to the wedding, or like a down payment on a house before the final move-in date (Eph. 4:30).

“The sealing is, first of all, a declarative fact, true of every Christian. But this doesn't mean there cannot also be an experiential dimension. Subjectively, being sealed with the Spirit means we experience an inner authentication that we are indeed forgiven and loved by God. "The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God" (Rom. 8:16). Or as Paul puts it earlier in Romans, "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit" (5:5). The Spirit assures us that we belong to God. Ideally, this assurance will be believed and felt.”

Believed, and felt.

That’s what happened for me the other morning — it wasn’t just that I believed this, I felt it.

Think of this — what a remarkable thing to be “sealed with the Spirit” in such a way that “God has clamped down his embosser on us and promises to protext us and preserve us as he would his most prized possession.” I mean, really!? How glorious! And how comforting.

And the Holy Spirit is our guarantee of that.

It’s my prayer, dear reader, that as you read this, you’ll believe it — and feel it — too.