Summary: The Holy Spirit seals us in Christ.

Sealed in Eternity

Heb 13:20 (The message)

May God, who puts all things together, makes all things whole, Who made a lasting mark through the sacrifice of Jesus, the sacrifice of blood that sealed the eternal covenant, Who led Jesus, our Great Shepherd, up and alive from the dead,

Eph 1:13

In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

The use of a seal was like putting a lock on door.

In Biblical times, seals represented authority and ownership

It could be in a scroll/letter or an entrance.

The wax seal marked that a delegated person was the only one who could open it

Power of the sealer

Est 8:8

You yourselves write a decree concerning the Jews, as you please, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s signet ring; for whatever is written in the king’s name and sealed with the king’s signet ring no one can revoke."

No one can change the King’s decree

The Jews were saved because the King placed the seal there

Whatever is written in the King’s name and sealed….. THE PROOF OF ORIGIN.

No one can change what is written

This is why God has to keep His promises; He has sealed His word upon mankind

ILLUS:

I often compare this decision to signing a contract.

How many of you own a house?

A contract.

At the bottom of that contract were two sets of lines. One set of lines is for the seller to sign, and the other set for the buyer of the house.

Can you buy that house without signing the contract? No.

Now – did the signature on that paper buy the house? Yes, along with the money of course.

When we sign the contract through Jesus’blood… so does God.

He signs the contract by placing His Spirit inside of us.

His signature is far more important than ours, for His signature is the mark of His ownership of us

Have you ever put down a deposit for something?

You have to return to collect the item.

One day, Jesus will return for us.

Rev 9:4 They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

We are sealed because God has set His mark on us; if we could see spiritually I wonder what this mark would be like?

The devil and his demons see the mark of God

The devil’s people have a mark too Rev 13:17

no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.

It reminds him of who we are; he sees the blood

Like in Exodus; when I see the blood I will Passover.

We have more authority than we know

If we are sealed then nothing and no one can touch us

The blood of Jesus and the Holy Spirit seals us

We are written in the lamb’s book of life, sealed until the books are open

Rev 14:1

Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads.

Rev 22:4

They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.

If something is sealed it is preserved and kept until the time of opening

PROTECTION OF THE SEALED

The sealing of the Holy Spirit is our deposit to guarantee our inheritance

POSSESION OF SEALER

In the same way, God has placed His Spirit inside you to say to all: you belong to Him now. Don’t mess with this child of God, because they belong to Him.

When you put down a deposit it means you are guaranteeing you will purchase the product

His Spirit inside you is also His assurance that He’s coming back for you.

Ephesians 1:14 says God’s Spirit “is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession— to the praise of his glory.”

His Spirit is His Guarantee that, when He comes back, He’s coming back for you.

ILLUS:

A true story: a woman who suffered from polio as a child. Said when her mother left her in Sunday school she always asked to wear her locket. She thought the child liked the locket, but she didn’t. She knew that if she wasn’t worth coming back for, she would come back for her locket."

By giving you His Spirit God is saying,

“I’ll never leave, I’ll never forsake you.

You’re mine.

I WILL come back for you.”

Conclusion:

God sealed us through the blood of His Son and sent His Spirit as both the seal and the pledge of our future inheritance.

That is the guarantee that belongs to all believers; we are sealed.