June 02, 2026 | Be Connected
Sealed by the Holy Spirit
Scripture: Ephesians 1:11-14(NIV)
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
Devotional
Receiving a package in the mail, whether a gift or an Amazon order we made, is always delightful. It’s fun opening the box and unwrapping its contents and then holding the gift or order we made. It’s real. We can hold it in our hands. Receiving the seal of the Holy Spirit is similar: like the seal on a package, when we receive God into our hearts, He seals us, showing we belong to Him and guaranteeing our safe delivery to Heaven for eternity. Just like the seal on our package, our heavenly address is official; it is written down in The Lamb’s Book of Life.
In Ephesians 1:13-14, Paul writes that believers are “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.”
This seal marks us as God’s own; our salvation is divinely official, secure, and unchangeable. Also, God’s sealing us with His Spirit shows that we are set apart and protected from the “wiles of the devil” and other worldly spirits. Our future destination is guaranteed for God’s kingdom. Other verses teach about being sealed by the Holy Spirit: “And who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee” (2 Corinthians 1:22). “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30).
Before I married my wonderful musician husband, Greg, I taught at Maranatha Baptist University. During chapel and all other services, we joyfully sang Dr. Thelma Cedarholm’s song “To the Praise of His glory.” The whole song admonishes us to live to the praise of God’s glory. In the fourth stanza, she wrote:
Word of Truth, everlasting salvation have we,
God the Father through His Son
Provided full and free,
And, sealed by the Spirit, His promise that we
TO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY,
His own shall ever be.
The Holy Spirit is our mark and guarantees that we belong to God. Because of the Holy Spirit’s working in and through us, we should live confidently and joyfully, knowing that our eternal life in Heaven has been sealed, guaranteed, and soon to be delivered. One of the greatest blessings of being a Christian is knowing that we are sealed by the Holy Spirit and nothing, absolutely nothing, can break this seal. Hallelujah!
