Sealed by the Holy Spirit

A Verse

Ephesians 1:13-14

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.

A Comment

The Holy Spirit has marked believers as those who belong to God. In the ancient world, a seal was a mark of ownership. As one scholar noted, “Seals were often made of hard stones or precious metals and had a distinctive image engraved on them, such as the figure of a deity, a hero, or a portrait. All of a person’s significant possessions were marked with the impression of the seal.” In a similar way, believers have been sealed by the Holy Spirit. They bear the mark of God’s ownership, which is the Holy Spirit.

And when, according to verse 13, did this sealing work occur? “When you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation.” In other words, our bearing of the mark of God’s ownership begins when we repent of our sins and trust in Christ as revealed in His gospel. And what is that gospel? That God has redeemed us, ransoming us from slavery to sin by sending Jesus to die in our place under the curse of God’s wrath so that we might be adopted as children, obtaining an inheritance in God, bearing the mark of the Holy Spirit!

Thus, this gospel that we have believed is a gospel that calls us not only to repent of our sins and believe in Jesus, but also to acknowledge and live under the lordship of Christ as those who bear the mark of His ownership through the Spirit. We were once slaves of sin have now become slaves of righteousness! And all of this has occurred in Christ! These blessings are ours in Christ! If were not for Jesus, we would not know these blessings!

A Prayer

Almighty Father, we bless you this morning. Be magnified in our lives. As those who have been sealed by the Holy Spirit, grant us, as your children, to live in light of our identity in Christ. Bless us today, for the sake of Your name. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

A Blessing

Now the Savior who died,
who lives and who reigns,
grant you joy in labor,
peace in troubles,
hope in despair, and
faithfulness in temptation. Amen.

from Grace Be with You: Benedictions from Dale Ralph Davis