Category Archives: Sealed

Bible, Faith, Righteousness, Scripture, Sealed

THE SIGN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

ROMANS 4:11

“and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them,”

Seals, not the slippery kind that swim (lol), are used all over the world to make documents official. Some are raised seals like the old notary stamps. Others are just an ink stamp from the officiating party. I have official seals in my passport from all over the world. It’s kind of fun to go back and look at the seals I have received. Last year I had to get a new passport because my “seals runneth over.” I was out of pages. I got a bigger one this time.

Paul isn’t talking about a notary or a passport. He is referring to the seal we all receive when we place our faith in the Lord. Abraham’s seal of circumcision upon his flesh was a visible sign of a spiritual seal of faith. Paul has already told us that Abraham received the righteousness of God BEFORE he was physically circumcised. This made him “the father of all who believe without being circumcised.” This, of course, would infuriate the Jews since they put such pride in their physical circumcision.

APPLICATION

In John 3:33 we read the words of John the Baptist during his last testimony. “‘He who has received His testimony has set his seal to this, that God is true.’” John knew that Jesus was the reason for this seal upon our lives. He stamped us with His seal of righteousness upon our act of faith in His saving grace. I can’t wait to have long conversation with John in heaven one day.

That seal, of course, is the Holy Spirit given to us by Jesus upon our salvation. Paul wrote to the Ephesians and told them this in Ephesians 1:13. “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 the promise,” I don’t know about you but those are shouting words. God did the sealing, not me, not a preacher. And what God seals, we cannot unseal. Hallelujah!

The next time you open a jar and hear it pop or remove a paraffin wax seal from a jar of homemade jelly, remember God’s seal upon your soul. He has sealed you with a promise. He has sealed you and imputed to you His righteousness. Walk like that. Don’t doubt what you have. You are preserved forever.

O Father, I praise You for the seal upon my heart today.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Holy Spirit, Scripture, Sealed

DO NOT GRIEVE

EPHESIANS 4:30

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

When I was a teenager, I did some things that grieved my parents. They had raised me better than that. But I wanted to do what I wanted to do. I had no other reason. And when my sins were exposed (and they always are), they were grieved. Yea, they were mad too and issued out the appropriate consequence. But the grief I caused hurt more than the actual getting caught or the consequence.

Let me say right off that “grieving” the Spirit is not the same as “quenching” the Spirit. The latter refers to denying and refusing to believe, thus ends in damnation. That is not what Paul is saying here. We are sealed with the Spirt. We saw that back in Ephesians 1:13. He is in us, therefore, everything we do He is aware of and exposed to. The word used here for grieve is lupeo which means to pain, grieve or vex. I know you don’t want to pain the Holy Spirit.

APPLICATION

So, if we don’t want to do that, how do we prevent it? We live holy lives free from those things that could grieve the Spirit. Albert Barnes lists these behaviors that could lead to that:

  1. Open and gross sins
  2. Anger, in all its forms
  3. Licentious thoughts and desires
  4. Ingratitude
  5. Neglect
  6. Resistance

Here is a great verse to show you a comparison. It’s one most of us know. 1 Thessalonians 4:13 says, “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as indeed the rest of mankind do, who have no hope.” If you have ever lost a loved one, you know the pain of grief. That is the same kind of grief we cause the Spirit when we sin.

I know this is a heavy lesson, but it is one we experience every day. We face the temptations of sin daily. If we stopped to think how much grief this causes God through the Holy Spirit Who lives in us, we may just stop ourselves. Better yet, we will let Him stop us. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit Who is within you, Who has sealed you for the day of your redemption.

Thank You, Father, that You have placed in me Your Holy Spirit to strengthen and encourage me towards holy living. 

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Belief, Bible, Holy Spirit, Promises, Scripture, Sealed

SEALED

EPHESIANS 1:13

“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 the promise,”

Marking something that belongs to you is pretty customary. Ranchers brand their livestock to identify them as belonging to them. Libraries stamp books. Notaries put their seal on a document signifying that they have legitimized it. There are all sorts of seals that we use today. None is more important than the seal we are going to see today in verse 13 of Ephesians 1.

Paul sets out an order of things in this verse. First you listen to the message of truth (the gospel), then you believe and then and only then are you sealed with the Holy Spirit (of promise). We could stay on this verse for a month and not teach everything in it. Don’t worry, we won’t do that. Let’s concentrate on the sealing that Paul talks about here.

APPLICATION

You are sealed when you accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. The Greek word used here is sphragizo. It means “to seal (affix) with a signet ring or other instrument to stamp (a roller or seal), i.e. to attest ownership, authorizing (validating) what is sealed.” (HELPS Word-studies). What is important about this word is how it is used. It is in the Aorist tense which implies a one-time act. It is in the Passive voice which means it was done to you by someone else. God sealed you with His Spirit. You did not seal yourself.

The same word is used over in 2 Corinthians 1:22. Let’s look at that verse in context. “21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, 22 who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.” The Holy Spirit is proof that we have been identified as belonging to God. Now, understand something. Why is a seal important? Because you want others to see it. Others should see the mark of God on us.

Are you showing God’s seal today? Do your lost friends see the Spirit’s influence in your life by how you live? They should. The seal of the Spirit should be very apparent. We should wear that seal proudly. Make your seal known. Let others be drawn to God through the Spirit of God that dwells within you. Let’s keep “branding” others for Jesus.

Father, I am proud to wear Your seal of the Holy Spirit on my heart.

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