Ephesians 1:13, 14
…You were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
God has not, does not and will not ever go back on His word. To those who have called on His name, to those who have placed their faith in His Son, Scripture teaches that God has sealed them in Him. Once you genuinely accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you have been given a pledge to your inheritance. The Holy Spirit of God descends upon you and claims you as His child. The question then, is not, “Are you still the Lord’s?” but rather, “Were you ever the Lord’s?”
Jesus warns that not everyone who cries, “Lord, Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 7:21). This caution comes in the middle of Jesus’ explanation of a true relationship with Him. I am always reminded of the many different awards shows on television or the credits on the back of a music CD when I read this verse. Many profess the name of God but fail to commit their lives to Him. While the Day of Judgment may come as a surprise to them, take joy in knowing that once you have believed in your heart that Jesus is Lord, you have no need to fear that day. It is important to remember that Jesus’ response to the their justification was not, “You have turned from me,” or “You fell away from me.” In Matthew 7:23 Jesus explains their rejection was solely because He never knew them.
God has forever been a God of covenants and promises. His first covenant with humanity took place as Noah got off the Ark after 40 days and nights of flooding. The Lord promised He would never again destroy the earth by water. His rainbow stands as a symbol of that promise even today (Genesis 9:9-16). Jesus promised to send His Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to those who believed in Him after His departure. Ephesians 1:13, 14 teaches us that the Holy Spirit, like the rainbow, is a pledge to God’s word. Once you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, the Holy Spirit becomes your Comforter, your Helper and your witness to God’s promise. You are sealed in Him until the day of your inheritance. Ephesians 1:14 proclaims that this is not to your own glory or praise, but done only “to the praise of His glory.”
Have you felt distant from the presence of the Lord? Does the enemy of your soul haunt you with questions of your faith in Christ? I challenge you to no longer listen to the condemnation of the devil, but to turn your ears to the promises of Jesus. Those who wonder if God has turned His back on them often come to find that it was them who turned their back on God. The Lord promises to never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5), Jesus promises, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20), and God promises that you who have become His possession are His forever, “sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance.” Child of God, stop questioning your faith and turn around to find the Lord has never left you.