God's Seal of Ownership
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. Ephesians 1:13
In the apostle Paul's day, goods shipped from one place to another would be stamped with a wax seal and imprinted with a signet ring, bearing a unique mark of ownership. The same was true of an important document from a ruler. No one would dare open it other than the addressee.
As a part of the great work of conversion, the Holy Spirit also seals us. The apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Ephesus, "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" (Ephesians 1:13).
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God has set His royal seal on us. It is the presence and work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. And when the devil comes to wreak havoc on our lives, he is stopped cold by that seal of ownership. He sees an imprint on us that says, "Property of Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God," because we are under the protection of God.
But what about the person who is not a believer? Can the devil wreak havoc on an unbeliever's life? Absolutely. He can have his way, for the most part.
But as believers, we come under God's protection. Ephesians 1:14 says the Holy Spirit "is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession. . . ." It is the idea of putting a deposit down on something. And it is a reminder that God will keep His promise to you, that you will see Him one day in heaven. Now that is a serious down payment.
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