The Holy Spirit: Our Seal of Security and Authority

Devotional

Day 1: Eternal Security in the Holy Spirit's Seal

The Holy Spirit's seal is a profound assurance of our eternal security in Christ. This seal signifies that our salvation is permanent and unbreakable, much like a biological connection within a family that cannot be severed. As believers, this assurance should fill us with praise and gratitude, knowing that our salvation is secure until the day of redemption. The permanence of this divine guarantee is a testament to God's unwavering commitment to us, and it should inspire us to live with confidence and joy in our faith. [02:06]

Ephesians 4:30 (ESV): "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."

Reflection: How does the assurance of eternal security through the Holy Spirit's seal change the way you approach your daily challenges and uncertainties?

Day 2: Living as Stewards Under God's Ownership

Through the Holy Spirit's seal, God establishes His ownership over us, reminding us that we are no longer our own. We have been bought with a price, and this calls us to live as stewards of the gifts and resources God has entrusted to us. Relinquishing self-ownership allows the Holy Spirit to guide and transform us, leading us to live in alignment with God's will. This divine ownership is not a burden but a privilege, as it invites us to participate in God's work and purpose in the world. [06:14]

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (ESV): "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you struggle to relinquish control to God? How can you begin to practice stewardship in that area today?

Day 3: Empowered by the Holy Spirit's Authority

The authority given by the Holy Spirit empowers believers to live out their faith with confidence. This divine authorization is a unique privilege that marks our relationship with God, enabling us to navigate life's challenges with boldness and assurance. Just as a certified letter can only be opened by the authorized recipient, the Holy Spirit grants us the authority to act in accordance with God's will and purpose. This empowerment is not for our own gain but for the advancement of God's kingdom and the fulfillment of His plans. [08:36]

Luke 10:19 (ESV): "Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you."

Reflection: In what ways can you exercise the authority given by the Holy Spirit to make a positive impact in your community or workplace this week?

Day 4: The Holy Spirit as a Pledge of Future Glory

The Holy Spirit is a pledge of our future inheritance, serving as a down payment of the glory to come. This assurance of future glory should shape our perspective, encouraging us to live with an eternal mindset. By focusing on the promise of what is to come, we can navigate life's challenges with hope and assurance, knowing that our present struggles are temporary compared to the eternal joy that awaits us. This eternal perspective helps us prioritize what truly matters and align our lives with God's eternal purposes. [13:27]

2 Corinthians 5:5 (ESV): "He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee."

Reflection: How can you cultivate an eternal perspective in your daily life, especially when faced with difficult situations or decisions?

Day 5: Aligning with the Holy Spirit to Avoid Grieving

Grieving the Holy Spirit through negative attitudes and actions results in a lack of joy and peace in our lives. Instead, we are called to align our lives with God's will, seeking to make the Holy Spirit joyful through our attitudes and actions. By doing so, we can experience the joy of the Lord and the fullness of His presence. This alignment requires intentionality and a willingness to let go of bitterness, wrath, and unforgiveness, allowing the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts and minds. [16:13]

Ephesians 4:31-32 (ESV): "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

Reflection: Is there a specific attitude or behavior in your life that may be grieving the Holy Spirit? What steps can you take today to align more closely with God's will and experience His joy?

Sermon Summary

In today's message, we explored the profound significance of the Holy Spirit as the seal in the life of a believer, as described in Ephesians 1:13-14. This seal is a divine guarantee of security, ownership, and authority. The Holy Spirit's sealing assures us of our eternal security, signifying that our salvation is permanent and cannot be undone. Just as a biological connection in a family cannot be severed, our spiritual connection with God is unbreakable. This assurance should fill us with praise and gratitude, knowing that our salvation is secure until the day of redemption.

The seal also establishes God's ownership over us. We are no longer our own; we have been bought with a price. This means that we are stewards of what God has given us, and we must relinquish self-ownership to allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives. The seal further signifies authority. Just as a certified letter can only be opened by the authorized recipient, the Holy Spirit gives us divine authorization to live out our faith. This authority is unique to believers, as it is a mark of our relationship with God.

Moreover, the Holy Spirit is a pledge of our inheritance, a down payment of the glory to come. This assurance of future glory should shape our perspective, encouraging us to live with an eternal mindset. However, we must be cautious not to grieve the Holy Spirit through bitterness, wrath, or unforgiveness. A grieved Holy Spirit results in a lack of joy and peace in our lives. Instead, we should seek to make the Holy Spirit joyful through our attitudes and actions.

Finally, the Holy Spirit's work in us is to enlighten our hearts, granting us wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God. This spiritual insight allows us to see beyond the physical and understand God's purposes in our lives. By relying on the Holy Spirit, we can navigate life's challenges with divine wisdom, experiencing the reality of God's presence and power.

Key Takeaways

1. The Holy Spirit's seal guarantees our eternal security, ensuring that our salvation is permanent and unbreakable. This assurance should lead us to praise God for His unwavering commitment to us. [02:06]
2. God's ownership of us, established through the Holy Spirit's seal, calls us to live as stewards of His gifts. We must relinquish self-ownership to allow the Holy Spirit to guide and transform us. [06:14]
3. The authority given by the Holy Spirit empowers us to live out our faith with confidence. This divine authorization is a unique privilege for believers, marking our relationship with God. [08:36]
4. The Holy Spirit is a pledge of our future inheritance, a down payment of the glory to come. Living with this eternal perspective helps us navigate life's challenges with hope and assurance. [13:27]
5. Grieving the Holy Spirit through negative attitudes and actions results in a lack of joy and peace. By aligning our lives with God's will, we can experience the joy of the Lord and the fullness of His presence. [16:13]
** [16:13]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:48] - Introduction to the Holy Spirit as the Seal
[01:26] - The Seal Guarantees Security
[02:06] - Permanency of Salvation
[03:07] - Assurance in Christ's Love
[04:33] - Sealing Against Contamination
[05:12] - Ownership Through the Seal
[06:14] - Living as God's Stewards
[07:42] - Authority of the Seal
[09:16] - Biblical Examples of Sealing
[10:30] - Receiving the Holy Spirit
[11:54] - The Spirit's Work in Us
[13:27] - The Holy Spirit as a Pledge
[15:33] - Grieving the Holy Spirit
[18:43] - Prayer and Spiritual Enlightenment
[20:15] - Experiencing God's Reality
[22:02] - Wisdom and Revelation
[24:39] - Living by the Spirit's Guidance
[26:06] - Invitation to Receive the Holy Spirit

Sermon Clips

In him you also, after listening to the message of Truth, The Gospel of your salvation having also believed you were sealed in him with the Holy Spirit of promise you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise verse 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance with a view to the Redemption of God's Own possession to the praise of his glory. [00:44:28]

When you were sealed with the Holy Spirit he provides you first of all security we're going to look at it more in a moment but Ephesians 4:30 says you were sealed till the day of redemption in other words the seal cannot be broken until Redemption has occurred so there is a permanency to the seal in other words you can't lose your salvation. [00:116:52]

You can live with the assurance and the security of the seal you have been sealed into the family of God and nobody not even you nor the devil can break the seal because God is the one who sealed you and if God tightens the cap there's nobody who can uh unscrew that you have been sealed you've been uh vacuum packed sealed God has secured your salvation until your Redemption. [00:240:76]

Ownership for example when um Jeremiah in Jeremiah chapter 32: 9 and 10 he bought a piece of property God told him to buy and he put a seal on it he established ownership of it this is my property many documents that we uh that we deal with we have seals on them we establish the authenticity we establish the fact that it belongs to us. [00:327:68]

The sealing of the Holy Spirit establishes you have been owned by someone else you are no longer self-owning see the problem today is we've got too many Christians who still think they own stuff you own nothing that's why the Bible calls you and me a steward we get to use that which God provides but you have been purchased and you have been sealed by the ownership of all Mighty God. [00:390:24]

When Jesus Christ saved you and gave you the Holy Spirit he has given you divine authorization to utilize the spirit on your behalf other folk can't use the holy spirit because they have not been sealed with the Holy Spirit but as a believer in Christ you have the seal this seal shows up many times in scripture. [00:516:88]

The Holy Spirit sealed inside of you is your deposit it is the first installment of a layaway plan tied to your redemption in other words when you accepted Christ and you receive the Holy Spirit that's a guarantee that God's GNA he's gonna finish this purchase he's gonna take you to Glory what God has done is given every believer an engagement Reign a pledge to say we gonna get married. [00:827:08]

Do not grieve the holy spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption here's our word sealed again do not grieve the holy the holy spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption he now brings up grieving the seal okay the holy spirit is sealed into the life of every believer he's God's holy spirit the third member of the Trinity. [00:937:39]

To grieve somebody is to make them sad do not make him sad so the question is what Grieves the Holy Spirit he is grieved by bitterness he goes on to say where you intentionally carry around a bitter Spirit wrath where you're seeking to hurt somebody else due to your anger you slander people you you you try to destroy them with your tongue the absence of kindness to be hard-hearted and cruel. [00:975:56]

He wants the Holy Spirit to inform your human spirit so that your human Spirit grows and is magnified in the wisdom and revelation of the knowledge of him in other words he wants you to experience more of God's reality in your life he's not talking about learning more Bible verses he's talking about that you will experience this that's why he says that your eyes may be open. [01:211:60]

The wisdom of God would cause people to do things outside of what they would normally do Joshua wouldn't normally have a military strategy of walking around the walls of Jericho seven times for the for the wall to fall down that that's not a political strategy but it was the wise way God wanted them to go Gideon would not as a normal strategy go down from 30,000 to 300 men to fight a big army. [01:369:24]

You have the spirit of God you no longer be to be dependent upon your own human Ingenuity too many Christians are pitbulls in their heads we got big heads that is we think we know more than we know our heads are too big because it's full of human wisdom what people think what Scholars think we want to know what everybody else thinks and we don't even want to know or we find out way late What God Says. [01:488:79]

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