July 15th, 2025
This week, I’ve been thinking about a couple of the ways the Bible describes the Holy Spirit. In multiple verses, He is called a seal and often in the same verse, the guarantee or down payment of our inheritance. Let’s look at some of these verses:
2 Corinthians 1:22-23 says,
“He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”
2 Corinthians 5:5 says,
“Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”
Ephesians 1:13-14 says,
In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were 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.
Ephesians 4:30 says,
“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
The word used for seal in those verses refers to something equivalent to a legal signature in ancient times. People of influence would have had a signet ring or other instrument to stamp documents, or agreements, attesting ownership or authorizing what was sealed. The idea of a guarantee or down-payment, different from a seal, is a practice we still use in modern times. This payment is a promise to pay the rest. It’s an initial installment made when purchasing something to secure ownership.
The Bible calls the Holy Spirit both a seal and guarantee. God has placed His seal of ownership on us. It’s a mark that declares to all of heaven and earth that we belong to Him.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says,
“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."
1 Corinthians 7:23 says,
“You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men.”
1 Peter 1:17 says,
“If you call on Him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.”
This is the heartbeat of the gospel! We were redeemed for the highest price – not with gold and silver, but with the precious blood of Jesus.
At the same time, the Holy Spirit is a down-payment, guaranteeing the remainder of an inheritance that is yet to come (Ephesians 1:13-14). We know, by the Holy Spirit, that even though we’re in this world, we’re not of it. We can walk in the will of God on earth, but the fullness of our inheritance is not this life, but the one to come.
Romans 8:15-17 says,
“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him."
1 Peter 1:3-5 says,
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
The Holy Spirit is the guarantee of that imperishable, undefiled, and unfading inheritance waiting for us in heaven. Lest we become blinded by the world and forget we’re children of God, the Father has given us His very Spirit as a promise and a reminder that we are His, with an inheritance in heaven. Paul said it this way,
“For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on a we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So, we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:1-7)
While we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord. We cannot be at home in a place that is not our home. Even though we live on this earth, in these earthly bodies, we must remember who we are – blood-washed children of heaven, here for a brief time to see His kingdom come. Faith allows us to walk in the constant awareness that this life is not eternity, and this world is not our home. This doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy God’s gifts on the earth or that we just sit around waiting for heaven. The Holy Spirit will motivate us to live with the fullness and passion that Jesus did.
Our lives should be centered on the reality of eternity. The Holy Spirit is the One who allows us to live with that supernatural awareness. He’s the down payment of heaven. He’s the promise of our inheritance – the taste of heaven on earth – reminding us of all that Jesus said and teaching us to walk in the will of the Father. The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee of the Father on His children. He’s the One that makes us homesick for heaven. He’s the One who will motivate us with such a hunger for home that we will give our lives to see heaven come to earth!
2 Corinthians 1:22-23 says,
“He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”
2 Corinthians 5:5 says,
“Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”
Ephesians 1:13-14 says,
In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were 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.
Ephesians 4:30 says,
“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
The word used for seal in those verses refers to something equivalent to a legal signature in ancient times. People of influence would have had a signet ring or other instrument to stamp documents, or agreements, attesting ownership or authorizing what was sealed. The idea of a guarantee or down-payment, different from a seal, is a practice we still use in modern times. This payment is a promise to pay the rest. It’s an initial installment made when purchasing something to secure ownership.
The Bible calls the Holy Spirit both a seal and guarantee. God has placed His seal of ownership on us. It’s a mark that declares to all of heaven and earth that we belong to Him.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says,
“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."
1 Corinthians 7:23 says,
“You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men.”
1 Peter 1:17 says,
“If you call on Him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.”
This is the heartbeat of the gospel! We were redeemed for the highest price – not with gold and silver, but with the precious blood of Jesus.
At the same time, the Holy Spirit is a down-payment, guaranteeing the remainder of an inheritance that is yet to come (Ephesians 1:13-14). We know, by the Holy Spirit, that even though we’re in this world, we’re not of it. We can walk in the will of God on earth, but the fullness of our inheritance is not this life, but the one to come.
Romans 8:15-17 says,
“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him."
1 Peter 1:3-5 says,
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
The Holy Spirit is the guarantee of that imperishable, undefiled, and unfading inheritance waiting for us in heaven. Lest we become blinded by the world and forget we’re children of God, the Father has given us His very Spirit as a promise and a reminder that we are His, with an inheritance in heaven. Paul said it this way,
“For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on a we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So, we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:1-7)
While we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord. We cannot be at home in a place that is not our home. Even though we live on this earth, in these earthly bodies, we must remember who we are – blood-washed children of heaven, here for a brief time to see His kingdom come. Faith allows us to walk in the constant awareness that this life is not eternity, and this world is not our home. This doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy God’s gifts on the earth or that we just sit around waiting for heaven. The Holy Spirit will motivate us to live with the fullness and passion that Jesus did.
Our lives should be centered on the reality of eternity. The Holy Spirit is the One who allows us to live with that supernatural awareness. He’s the down payment of heaven. He’s the promise of our inheritance – the taste of heaven on earth – reminding us of all that Jesus said and teaching us to walk in the will of the Father. The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee of the Father on His children. He’s the One that makes us homesick for heaven. He’s the One who will motivate us with such a hunger for home that we will give our lives to see heaven come to earth!
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