“And I heard the number of the sealed…” (Revelation 7:4)
It’s good that those who serve God are sealed. Paul writes about it: “In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed. The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory” (Eph. 1:13–14). But why is this good? This seal is a sign of authenticity, protection, and ownership. The grave of Jesus was sealed to make sure no one broke into it. The people of God are sealed to guarantee their salvation. Sealed with the Holy Spirit, the believer is identified as God’s, attesting to the truth of the gospel. And the Spirit protects us.
So we are identified by the Spirit, authenticated, and assured. One scholar said, “This sealing is the most precious thing under heaven.” It should feel precious to you!
If the Spirit is the most important seal of salvation, how do we know if we possess the Spirit? John 3:8 describes the Spirit like a wind that you cannot see; the Spirit is best known by His powerful impact. You might feel or see tangible evidence of this wind blowing in your life. When the true marks of the Spirit are seen, we can know the Spirit is at work in a person, authenticating his profession and sealing him for salvation.
We must consider Jonathan Edwards who wrote about the marks of the Spirit. His theme verse was 1 John 4:1: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.” Strong emotions can deceive. How can we tell then if we are sealed with the Spirit? How can you tell if you believe?
Questions to identify the marks of the Spirit:
1. Is Jesus your greatest joy? Do you want to glorify Jesus?
2. Since the Holy Spirit opposes Satan, do you turn from your sin to seek to honor God?
3. Do you have an increased interest in God’s word – in what it says and how to live?
4. Have you been enlightened by the Spirit towards true doctrine and protecting against error?
5. Are you marked with love? False spirituality is interested in self, whereas the Spirit is concerned with others, being sacrificial and forgiving.