SEALED - by Todd Benjamin Lout

Now it is God who establishes and confirms us [in joint fellowship] with you in Christ,
and who has anointed us [empowering us with the gifts of the Spirit]; 
it is He who has also put His seal on us
[that is, He has appropriated us and certified us as His]
and has given us the [Holy] Spirit in our hearts as a pledge
[like a security deposit to guarantee the fulfillment of His promise of eternal life].
 

Here we see Paul’s attempt to show the people that true leadership doesn’t have to look like eloquent speech and wealth and poise, but rather a simple person who considers themselves an bondservant to the one who is the king of love and points to Him….Jesus. He is giving emphasis to Corinth that God approves of him to bring messages, that he is sealed with God's approval and ownership.


This passage also points to the fact that God has sealed us all. The Blood of Jesus has been mentioned several times in the Word as a seal over us also.  We are, in fact, His!  His seal is on us and the only one who can break that seal is Jesus. He won't do that. 


Likewise, we are placed on Him as a seal. "Put me like a seal upon your heart; like a seal upon your arm...." in this Song of Solomon verse, 8:6, the Shulamite woman (us) is telling the king (Jesus) that she's a seal on his heart and the love is as strong as death!  In another place in the Bible we see that even God has YOUR name etched his hand!  Tattoos are meant to stay!

As we know, blood covenants are a big deal to God.  The very act of taking communion is not to reseal the deal, but to remind us that He made a covenant with us, sealed by the blood of Jesus, and it will not be broken.  It's always been this way...even since the garden. Adam and Even were told not to eat of the fruit that would cause them to see themselves as naked. But they did and when they did they tried to cover this mistake with mere fig leaves. However, in Genesis 3:21, God comes along and makes a better garment for the couple. He made them out of animal skin. He shed blood to cover their sin, EVEN THEN!  And still today it is the Blood, the seal, that God wants us to understand is covering us.  This seal is authority, authenticity and protection, as well as ownership.

No matter what we trip up on, no matter how bad a day we're having, no matter what.....our "yes" has placed a seal over us that forever claims us as His own. We can rest in this!

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