“… and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”
– 2 Corinthians 1:22
Main Thought: Many consumer-based companies in our day speak of their guarantees as an inducement for consumers to buy their products. These guarantees, however, always have end dates and loopholes that make it difficult for people to get their money back or their product serviced. Here the apostle Paul tells us of a guarantee by God, one with no loopholes and one with no limits with time. Paul reminds these Corinthian believers first that God has “put his seal on us” as His children. While we may not quite understand what a seal has to do with God’s promise of salvation, the believers of that day did. Kings and queens, when making a proclamation of law or an edict, would seal the document with wax, and then press their ring with their royal crest upon the wax seal, which indicated the ruler’s authority. In the same way, Paul is saying that God has declared our salvation in Jesus Christ and has set His seal of authority upon us.
Rulers in that day would come and go, so their authority might have been overthrown and the ruling reversed, but not so for the child of God for he has been sealed by the One whose rule and authority are omnipotent and everlasting. In 1 Timothy 1:17, it is declared that our God is “The King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God…forever and ever.” His seal and dominion are eternal. Not only has God put His seal of authority on us as the guarantee of our salvation, but He has given us the Holy Spirit within us as a guarantee. We have the written guarantee of His seal upon us in His Word, and we have the living presence of the Holy Spirit to continually assure us that our salvation is guaranteed for eternity. Romans 8:14-17 reminds us that the sons of God are led by the Spirit of God, and causes us to cry out to God, and “bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” If you have a continual yearning in your spirit for God and know God’s presence in your life, then that is God’s living assurance and guarantee to us that we are His eternally. How wonderful and gracious our God is to give us both a written guarantee of His salvation, and give us the living presence of the Holy Spirit to assure us of our salvation. May we rejoice today as His children in the guarantee of our salvation.
David Webber
David Webber is married to Mary with four children and four grandchildren, and serves as the Pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Longview, TX. He obtained a BS in History from the University of Texas at Tyler, TX, and pursued studies at Baptist Missionary Association Theological Seminary in Jacksonville, TX. Throughout his ministry, he has been an invited preacher and educator in numerous churches and various Bible conferences. Surrendering to the gospel ministry’s calling in 1972 at the age of 16, he received preaching licensure from Little Flock Baptist Church in Longview, Texas, in 1974. Graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree in History from the University of Texas at Tyler in 1978, he was ordained in December of 1980 by Faith Baptist Church. Following this, he contributed his services to Faith Baptist in Longview and subsequently engaged with Grace Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas, where he instructed Sunday School and delivered sermons as needed. In February of 1994, Faith Baptist invited him to lead as their pastor, a role he has faithfully held to the present day. David writes a blog for the church website and is a writer for The Art of Worship.
More from David Webber
2 Corinthians 8:9
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” – 2 Corinthians 8:9
Job 14:1-2
“Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble. He comes out like a flower and withers; he flees like a shadow and continues not.” – Job 14:1-2
1 Corinthians 1:30-31
“And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” – 1 Corinthians 1:30-31
Proverbs 28:13
“Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” – Proverbs 28:13
Psalm 119:41-42
“Let your steadfast love come to me, O LORD, your salvation according to your promise; then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me.” – Psalm 119:41-42
Psalm 86:9
“All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name.” – Psalm 86:9 (ESV)
2 Corinthians 4:3-4
“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” – 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (ESV)