Let me begin by asking, Are you familiar with the law and court proceedings? If yes, why would a case be sealed by the court? It will be to prevent the public from gaining access to information concerning the case.
Does that have anything to do with being sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise? I have been thinking about it for a while, and all I can say is that there was a case. In that case, I was guilty, but God saved me through Christ and gave me His Holy Spirit as a signet of my freedom in His protective custody.
But that is not all. Being sealed with the Holy Spirit of God entails the adoption and fatherhood of God over believers in Christ Jesus. It is something I find very interesting and worthwhile to discuss with you.
In this message, we will examine what it means to be sealed with the Holy Spirit and discuss how long the sealing will last and why. It is a joy to have you with me.
Meanwhile, you should give our previous message, Do Not Grieve The Holy Spirit Explained, a thoughtful read if you have not already.
Sealed With The Holy Spirit Verse
There is a verse in the Bible quoted as saying sealed with the Holy Spirit, and it is Ephesians 1:13. It says:
| “in whom you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good News of your salvation—in whom, having also believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,” WEB. |
When I looked at that passage in translations, I noticed the first full stop occurred in verse 2 of Ephesians 1 and the second in verse 14, which is the verse after verse 13 where the phrase is.
Therefore, every other statement leading to that statement was met verse-by-verse with a colon or semicolon, furthering and linking each saying with the other. I would love to share everything here, but I would rather you give the whole chapter and beyond a careful reading.
In the verse where we have the sealing with the Holy Spirit of promise, the ‘of promise’ indicates the Holy Spirit as promised to those who would believe and fulfilled in those who believed in Christ as a seal.
What Does It Mean To Be Sealed With The Holy Spirit?
I know three prepositions that could be used interchangeably in this scenario: in, with, and to. I would have used by and with, but the obvious thing from the verse is God using the Holy Spirit to do something called the sealing.
Therefore, WITH fits in and is coherent in most translations of the Greek word tō in the verse. But to the question, what does it mean to be sealed with the Holy Spirit? First, let us look at the word sealed.
What Does It Mean To Be Sealed?
Sealed is a past tense of the term seal, presented as a verbal expression, but the word Seal dominates as a noun in the English dialect. And where there is a sealing, there is a seal.
The Seal is a symbol of authority, certification, and security. Its usage is to show approval, acknowledgment, and safety. More commonly, it applies to authentication.
Historically, the use of seals traces back to the earliest centuries, especially among Egyptians; King Edward the Confessor, who lived around 1003 to 1066, is recognized as one who officiated the English usage of seals.
In the Bible, it was a well-recognized practice involving Kings and people in authority. Let us see one or two occasions of such.
The story of Esther and King Ahasuerus is one worth looking at. A time came when the King took his ring and gave it to Haman to exercise authority over the people. It reminds me of the case of Joseph and King Pharaoh, who also gave his ring to Joseph. The ring has a signet of authority.
According to Esther 3:12 WEB, “Then the king’s scribes were called in on the first month, on the thirteenth day of the month; and all that Haman commanded was written to the king’s satraps, and to the governors who were over every province, and to the princes of every people, to every province according to its writing, and to every people in their language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus, and it was sealed with the king’s ring.”
I assume you are familiar with the story of the Book of Esther involving Esther, King Ahasuerus, Haman, and Mordecai. The Seal, in that case, was the King’s ring. In Chapter 8, the table had turned from Haman to favor Mordecai.
“Then King Ahasuerus said to Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew, ‘See, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and him they have hanged on the gallows, because he laid his hand on the Jews.
Write also to the Jews, as it pleases you, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s ring; for the writing which is written in the king’s name, and sealed with the king’s ring, may not be reversed by any man.’” Esther 8:7–8 WEB.
Therefore, to be sealed would mean that the Seal has been used to seal: to approve, acknowledge, secure, and authenticate. In this case, the Holy Spirit is the Seal God used to approve, acknowledge, secure, and authenticate Believers in Christ as His own.
Here, we have the adoption of sons, Sonship, and the authenticity of ownership, where God confirms us as His sons and daughters in Christ Jesus.
Sealed With The Holy Spirit Of Promise
While showing concern in His letter to the Church in Galatia against the confidence of some persons for justification under the law, Paul used the allegory of the two covenants: of the flesh (effort) and the promise (faith). Both involved Abraham, to whom the Lord promised salvation.
Before that, He wrote in Galatians 4 about the fulfillment of that which is of the promise, saying:
“But when the fullness of the time came, God sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law,
that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of children.
And because you are children, God sent out the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, ‘Abba, Father!’
So you are no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” Galatians 4:4–7 WEB.
That resonates with what he said in his letter to those in Rome, revealing the knowledge of the Holy Spirit of promise.
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are children of God.
For you didn’t receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God;
and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed toward us.” Romans 8:14–18 WEB.
Here, we see the leading of the Spirit in line with the testimony of God concerning us through His Spirit given to us. Then, our rights of inheritance as children of God and co-heirs with Christ, and Paul connecting that to our suffering with Him and our glorification together.
As much as suffering with Christ is not the subject of discussion in this message, permit me to acknowledge that suffering is one thing that believers in Christ should not be surprised about, especially when it involves our faith in God.
If someone told you that you would not suffer if only you believed in Christ, they may have deceived you into falsehood. The good news is that whatever suffering there be is incomparable to the glory that will be to us and everyone sealed with the Holy Spirit of God.
Sealed For The Day Of Redemption
Can you hold on for a moment and ponder the following questions: why does God seal believers with the Holy Spirit? What is He sealing us from, and for what?
Taking out the mid-question, let me pose a responsive question for general consideration: could God be sealing us from unbelief and the evil one? Think about that.
Going back to Ephesians 1:13, there are three main takeaways to note:
- We heard the word of Truth, the Gospel of our salvation.
- We believed the Gospel that we heard.
- Simultaneously, we were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise in Christ.
The verse 14 then speaks of the Seal or Holy Spirit as a pledge, the earnest, down payment, or guarantee of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. And Paul pointed that out more clearly in the fourth chapter, where he said:
“Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30 WEB.
Therefore, the sealing is for the day of redemption, when the final deliverance from evil and the consequences of sin will manifest through Christ. The day of the redemption of the body when the corruptible shall take up the incorruptible and mortality takes up immortality. What a great day and event we patiently look forward to.
As for the why, we can say it is to the praise of His glory. But what more can we see? It was not about us nor what we could do for Him. It is about His love for us and what He has done for us and to us. We depend and rely on Him, totally and forever grateful for our salvation. That so much embodies the praise of His glory.
