Sealed with the Spirit

If you’ve ever bought or sold a house, entered into a legal agreement, or had to prove your identity, then you know you need a notary public to provide an official seal that authenticates documents. Whether it’s embossed, stamped, impressed, or affixed, a seal is the evidence that an agreement, contract, or document is legitimate and that all parties involved agree. Documents only need to be sealed once to be proven authentic. 

While you may find this mini-lesson on seals less than riveting, it has incredible implications when we read Paul’s words in Ephesians: “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.” (Ephesians 1:13b-14, NIV) Being sealed with the Spirit proves we belong to God and are entitled to receive the riches of a vast spiritual inheritance available to all of His children. The only condition for being sealed with the Spirit is believing in Jesus. God has fulfilled all the other requirements to make this possible.

Once you are sealed with the Spirit, it is a mark of ownership that shows your place in the eternal family of God. It cannot be removed or taken away. The Spirit’s indwelling presence provides an unending, intimate connection between God and each of us individually. This is the miracle and the mystery Jesus described to His disciples before He ascended into heaven: “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” (Acts 1:8a, ESV) 

That promise Jesus made to the disciples long ago is one that we still benefit from today. While being sealed is a one-time event showing we belong to God, that is only the beginning. We have the privilege of engaging with the Holy Spirit and cultivating a relationship with Him and asking Him for a fresh filling of Himself every day. And our capacity to experience the “fullness of God” described in Ephesians 3:19 expands continually as we interact with the Spirit and invite Him to work in and through us. Let’s examine several unique qualities about Him revealed in Scripture:

Helper/ Counselor/ Advocate/ Comforter: These names used in different translations of John 14 and 16 come from the Greek word “parakletos” which means “one called to the side of another.” The Holy Spirit is a personal being who indwells followers of Jesus. When we’re weak, weary, or troubled, we can ask Him for help. When we’re struggling or unsure what to do, we can seek Him for wisdom. When we don’t know how to pray, we can rely on Him to advocate for us with the Father. When we’re grieving and sorrowful, we can cry out to Him for comfort.

Reminder: Jesus says the Holy Spirit will “teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (John 14:26, ESV) The Spirit often gives us gentle nudges, reminding us of truth we’ve studied in Scripture. He brings clarity to what we’re reading in the Bible and helps us to understand it. He enables us to discern how to apply His Word in specific situations. When we’re believing the enemy’s lies or misled by his deceit, the Spirit exposes him and reminds us of God’s truth.

Convicter: Jesus says the Holy Spirit will “convict the world concerning sin.” (John 16:8b, ESV) It’s humbling, but also comforting to recognize where our sinful thoughts, words, and actions have stunted our spiritual growth or damaged our relationships with God and others. Although it’s not fun to have the Spirit illuminate sin, we can be grateful for the opportunity to confess and repent to receive forgiveness, cleansing, and healing. Being open to conviction and having a willingness to repent from sin allows us to maintain close connection to God.

Guide: Jesus says “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” (John 16:13, ESV) When we’re at a crossroads and unsure how to proceed, the Holy Spirit serves as a good and reliable guide. The world is a confusing place full of contradictions and mixed messages but with the Spirit showing us the way, we can move forward with confidence and peace. 

Power Source: Just before His ascension, Jesus tells the disciples “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8, ESV) The same power and authority “that [God] worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places” exists within all who follow Christ today! (Ephesians 1:20 ESV)

Believing in Jesus and being sealed with the Spirit marks the beginning of a lifetime of growing deeper and discovering the vastness of God’s love, power, and authority. However, the Holy Spirit is gentle and quiet, He won’t force Himself on us. Just like a relationship with a person, we need to nurture our relationship with Him and continue to grow in our awareness of His presence. 

As you ponder these incredible truths I pray the Father “may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might.” (Ephesians 1:17b-19, ESV)

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Inspired by Ephesians: A Study of Faith and Practice by Jackie Hill Perry, Jasmine Holmes and Melissa Kruger, Lifeway Press, 2024.