In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth,
When the Thief Comes to Steal
In his book The Holy Spirit, Billy Graham tells the story of an
English missionary who died in India during the early 1900’s.
Immediately his former neighbors broke into his home and pillaged it,
stealing the man’s possessions. The English Consul was notified, and
the official went to the missionary’s home.
Since there was no knock on the door, the official simply pasted a piece
of paper across it and affixed the seal of England on it. No one
dared to break the seal, because at that time, that seal represented the
world’s most powerful nation. The power of England stood behind a
piece of paper on the door.
In the same way, when we are saved, the Holy Spirit takes up
official residence within us – effectively “sealing” us for Himself by
His power and authority.
The Greek word for “seal” means “to confirm” or “to impress,” and it is
used three times in the New Testament in connection with believers.
This sealing represents two important concepts: security and
ownership.
An Irrevocable Decree
Sealing in the sense of security is illustrated in the sealing of Daniel
in the lion’s den (Daniel 6:17), and in the irrevocable seal of the king
in spoken of in Esther 3:12 and 8:8. The Greek word is used in Matthew
27:65-66 to describe the Roman seal on Jesus’ tomb is the same word used
in other New Testament scriptures to speak of the seal of the
Holy Spirit. It meant that whatever was under that seal was not to
be opened except by order of the king.
Signed, Sealed, Delivered
This seal also signifies ownership. In Jeremiah 32:10 we read that
the prophet bought a piece of property, paid for it in front of witnesses,
and sealed the purchase in accordance with the law and custom, making him
the legal owner.
History tells us ancient Ephesus was a port city, carrying on an
extensive trade in lumber. A merchant looking for lumber would walk
through the timber, select what he wanted, and stamp it with his own
signet, or sign of ownership. When he was ready for the lumber, he
would send an agent with the signet to locate all the timber carrying
his seal. His agent would then claim and take all the lumber with
the master’s mark on it back to the man who bought it.
In the East, a seal on a document was more important than the
signature. The signet used to imprint a seal usually sat in a ring and was inscribed with words or symbols. It often reflected an
office of importance. It was commonly pressed into clay, because
of its resulting permanence, although wax was used, too. Wax was not
as desirable because it was prone to melt in the hot sun. Clay
hardened over time, so that the clay itself would actually have to break
in order to break the seal.
We are the clay. God is the master, and Jesus has bought us.
The imprint of God has been impressed into our hearts, sealing us by
the authority of the Lord on High. We are now His, under His
protection. The power of all heaven stands behind His mark. He
is sealed in us. He can’t leave without breaking the clay and His
promise to never leave or forsake us. He is with us every step of
the way as we walk through this world.
With this understanding, we can better appreciate the words of the Apostle Paul:
Not forsaken. Never alone. Under His guard.
Living as we are in a world falling apart moment by moment, God's power and love are the vault guarding us. In Him, and in Him alone, we can live in peace, secure in the safest place on Earth.
Do not fear, Beloved.
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