Identity Point #7: You are sealed.

“In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14

I hope you’ve all been enjoying this trek through Ephesians. We’ve been going almost two weeks strong, and we’re only in verses 13-14 of chapter one! I love how jam-packed God’s Word is with truth and practical application. We need never grow tired or bored of what is found within its pages, because it is life-giving and sufficient to meet our every need. Never forget that.

Today’s passage is no different. I’m on the edge of my seat for this one (literally, I am sitting on the edge of my chair in my kitchen right now as I type)! These first few weeks of our study through Ephesians, we have been focusing on our identity, a prominent struggle for most in our day, and we’ve looked directly into the wisdom of God’s Word to determine WHO WE ARE IN CHRIST. Today, our identity point is that we are sealed. What does that mean, you ask? Let’s dive in!

The phrase “in Christ” or “in Him” will be found frequently in Ephesians, so we must begin by understanding that this is a qualifying criteria for the identity points we are studying. Not everyone is sealed. These two verses tell us that those who have heard the Word and have believed the Word have been sealed. This is where we can dispense with the notion that Hell couldn’t possibly exist in a world created by a loving God, so therefore all people must go to heaven. Nope. That is simply not what God’s Word teaches. There are millions of people in this world who have “heard” the message of the gospel. The dividing line is whether or not they have believed it. And the book of James will take this even a step further in saying that belief is great, but a faith without works is dead. (James 2:17)

I can’t help but comment on one particular word in these verses, though – a word that brings a tremendous amount of hope to the believer – the word “guarantee.” Did you catch it in verse 14? Go back and read it again. When you and I come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ, meaning we confess our sin and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior of our lives, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of us. His presence in us seals us to God. The old has gone and passed away. The new has come. We become a new creation. Still, I don’t know about you, so I’ll just speak for myself in saying that there are times when I wonder and times when I doubt. “Could I have gone too far this time, Lord? Does grace still remain for me? Have I been completely forgiven and washed clean?” Have you ever asked these questions yourself? Verse 14 speaks directly to these doubts and fears by using this key word “guarantee.” If we have confessed with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and have believed in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead, then Romans 10:9 tells us that we are saved. Ephesians 1:14 reminds us that this salvation is secure by the sealing of the Holy Spirit. If our confession was genuine and our faith authentic, then our inheritance in God’s Kingdom is guaranteed.

Do you know WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST? Let Ephesians 1:1-14 remind you again today.

You are chosen. (Ephesians 1:4)

You are adopted. (Ephesians 1:5-6)

You are forgiven. (Ephesians 1:7)

You are favored. (Ephesians 1:8)

You are united. (Ephesians 1:9-10)

You are predestined. (Ephesians 1:11-12)

You are sealed. (Ephesians 1:13-14)

This is your identity in Christ. Embrace it, and walk in it.