THE SEAL

“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.” Ephesians 1:13

What a famous verse that everybody quotes. Most people that quote this verse are the ones that also say “once saved always saved”. What does the seal mean to you? Does it mean automatically going heaven? Does it mean, “Well, I have the Holy Spirit so I’m sealed into heaven?” 

Such a controversial subject, yet many misunderstand. Many are indoctrinated with these guaranteed to heaven teachings that they look at this verse and support their claim that there’s no enduring to the end.

There’s no obedience, there’s no sacrifice, there’s no overcoming. Jesus did it all! He obeyed for us, sacrificed for us, overcame for us. And they claim this is why they are going to heaven.

Beloved, if this is you. You are being fooled. 

Seal:

past tense: sealed; past participle: sealed; fasten or close securely

synonyms: fasten, secure, shut, close up, lock, bolt, board up

This is pulled from the dictionary. This is what the word seal means. And many take this one word to mean guaranteed heaven. They change the definition to their own that they may make a fool of you. 

I tell you this, if you STAY sealed, you will be guaranteed heaven. Yet who says you will always stay sealed? People think they have the Holy Spirit and that means there’s no way they are going to hell now, but what if you grieve the Holy Spirit? 

The Bible says He will never leave you or forsake you. Yet who said that you wouldn’t leave Him or forsake Him? 

We always think that those scriptures mean that God is with us so it doesn’t matter what we do. Yet it sure does matter what we do! All those types of scripture were said on the condition that you would follow Him and obey Him until the end.

If that’s the case then yes! He will never leave you! And you are sealed unto the end! Yet when you disobey, when you walk in rebellion, when you follow your own will, you are leaving Him!

Your lips may never leave Him, yet your heart is far from Him: because you are after other things. You are making other things and people your God. Those that are of God, serve God, but those that serve other things prove that they are not of God. 

“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” Hebrew 6:4-6

This scripture is even gesturing for it to be impossible for someone who has fallen away to come back. And here’s the false church saying, “Well we got the Holy Spirit so we can never fall away. And yet in that same verse it says, “Who WERE made partakers of The Holy Spirit!”

Do you still think you can have the Holy Spirit and be guaranteed heaven? 

Sure, of course you can be guaranteed. If you obey and endure to the end! The Bible calls it the seal! Meaning He keeps us! He heals us, protects us, defends us, makes sure we overcome! Empowers us, reveals to us, strengthens us, leads us, guides us, speaks for us, this is how He seals us! He does all the hard work as long as we obey! 

Yet if we don’t submit to Him and we do things our own way, He’s not going to do anything! The Bible says grieve not the Holy Spirit! Grieve not! That means, just because we were filled with the Holy Spirit does not mean we will walk in automatic freedom and holiness. It means we have the key to freedom and holiness. Yet are we going to utilize that key and open the door? 

It says grieve not! That means we can still do things that anger Him. That shows us our will still lives. Our will can still separate us from Him. Our will can open up the seal and leave us exposed before the darkness!

He doesn’t force Himself onto anyone! He’s filled us, so He can be there 24/7 for us to empower us and to change us. Yet if we don’t submit to the empowering and the changing, we are no longer sealed! We have come out of the bag. We have come out of the covering! 

What are we sealed from? The enemy, darkness, sin, worldliness, the works of the flesh, religion, and so on and so forth. Yet if we don’t keep our mind, heart, and soul protected from these things by staying under the one who keeps us sealed, these things will still try to drag us to hell with them, despite previously being filled with the Holy Spirit! 

The devil isn’t afraid of people that are filled with the Holy Spirit, he’s afraid of people that obey the Holy Spirit. 

The Holy Spirit is your only hope to overcome. This is what makes Him the seal. This is what guarantees me heaven: is when I obey the Holy Spirit until the end, He keeps me and preserves me that I may be crowned with the crown of life. He makes sure my obedience turns into fruit. He makes sure my yes turns into an amen. He keeps me on paths of righteousness, on the pathway to heaven, He steers me away from hell, as long as I stay in Him. This is the seal, the one who empowers me to overcome until the end.

By Joe Pinto