SEALED

In the Bible, when something is said to be sealed, it means that someone in authority has guaranteed the authenticity of a document (1 Kg. 21:8; Est. 8:8-10; Isa. 29:11; Jer. 32:10-14; Rev. 5:1), someone has forbidden access to that which is sealed, such as the stone on Daniel's den of lions or the 144,000 servants of God (Dan. 6:17; Rev. 7:3-8), or both (Dan. 12:9). Based upon the use of the term, only the person sealing something has the right to unseal it. There is one exception. A person of higher authority can break the seal. Pilate authorized the sealing of the garden tomb, but God raised Jesus, and the angel of the Lord broke the seal rolling away the stone (Matt. 27:65-66; 28:1-2).

The sealing of Christians has been a much debated topic for centuries, perhaps from the very beginning of the Church at Pentecost. The "twelve" made no mention of Christians being sealed, and the only mention of sealing of people by one of them, John, refers to the sealing of the Jews in Revelation 7:3-8. It was not until the Apostle Paul wrote his letters to the Corinthians and the Ephesians that we have knowledge of Christians being sealed. In all three references, the sealing of those born-again is the work of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 1:22; Eph. 1:13; 4:30). Because the Holy Spirit is God, only God can open the seal (Acts 5:4). It is important to note that the sealing work of the Spirit is "unto the day of redemption" (Eph. 4:30). The day of redemption is the day Christ receives His redeemed ones unto Himself.

Paul wrote an extensive passage on the permanence of our "sealing" in Romans 8:28-39. "All things" (8:28) must include things we ourselves do. God predestined or predetermined that believers would become like Christ (8:29-30). Accusations against us by Satan or his agents are totally powerless to change our standing with Almighty God because we have an advocate defending us (8:31-34). He goes on to say that tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, or sword have no power over the believer's salvation, nor should those things be a surprise to us (8:35-37). Nothing, not death, life, angels, principalities, powers, things present, things to come, height, depth, or anything else can separate us from God's love (8:38-39). Notice that our "life" is listed! We are sealed!

I can make no claim of worthiness to be saved (Rom. 3:23), I can make no claim of having my own faith for even faith is a gift (Eph. 2:8-9), I can make no claim of righteousness to remain saved (1 Jn. 1:8). I am saved because God loves me (Jn. 3:16), and He has drawn me unto Himself (Jn. 6:44). For my sin, I needed mercy; for my salvation, I needed grace. Because of both, I am sealed, and since God does not intend to unseal me, I have eternal life (stated twenty-six times in the New Testament). Just the words "eternal life" are enough to declare the eternal security of the believer. To God be the glory!