The Holy Spirit Our Helper – Part Three

Holy Spirit Sermons
/ By Randall Johnson

The Sealing by the Holy Spirit

A cylinder seal was a stone or metal cylinder engraved with symbols and/or words that could be rolled over soft clay or wax applied to close a scroll and to make an impression that identified the person sending the scroll. If you received a letter scroll from someone with a seal on it, that would authenticate who it came from. If the seal had been broken you would know someone had read it or altered it before you got it. The seal provided security and authentication.

Paul tells us in Ephesians that believers have been sealed by the Holy Spirit:

¹³ 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, ¹⁴ who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13,14)

The Holy Spirit in our lives is the seal or guarantee that we belong to God and will receive the inheritance of the kingdom. His presence in our lives is the evidence that we are saved. God would not give His Spirit to anyone but those who belong to Him. To use another symbol, the deposit or down payment, Paul says the Holy Spirit in our lives is like a down payment guaranteeing the full payment of our future salvation.

So the Holy Spirit helps us to know that we are securely God’s and guarantees our future inheritance. This fits with another way the Holy Spirit helps us.

About the Author Randall Johnson

A full-time pastor since 1979, Randall originally graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary (ThM) in 1979 and from Reformed Theological Seminary (DMin) in 1998. He is married with four grown children and a pile of epic grandchildren.

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