The Promise That Seals Your Future
As Christians, we are promised a beautiful future, an eternity of dwelling with God. What a blessing to know that this future is not dependent upon us or our works, but rests solely on the finished work of Christ!
My husband and I are going through the international adoption process. Additionally, we recently went through the process of gaining residency to live here in Honduras. To say we have learned much about international paperwork and the patience required in waiting would be a severe understatement.
Filing paperwork, particularly with the government, has never been my favorite! I grew up with an intense fear of losing any official documents. As a child, my mom firmly instilled in us the idea that if I lost my birth certificate, I would never be able to own a house, travel, or accomplish much else in life. At a bare minimum, I would likely have to pay thousands of dollars to obtain a new copy and possibly face jail time.
However, all joking aside, I have since learned that one of the most important components of filing documents internationally is not the complexity of obtaining documents, but having every individual document apostilled. Apostilling a file is simply a formal way of showing proof that a document is authentic, an official stamp of approval from the United States government that makes the document valid in another country.
A Seal of Approval
When a foreign government receives a document, they want assurance that it is genuine. An apostille does not change the content of the document; it simply authenticates it. It proves that I truly was born where I said I was, that I truly am married, that I truly have a bank account, and so on. It is a mark that confirms the truth of the document.
As Christians, we also have a seal of authentication: the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians chapter one, Paul reminds us that we have been given an incredible promise of things to come. Not only do we possess every spiritual blessing in Christ now, but we also have the assurance of a glorious future inheritance.
One day, we will have resurrected bodies free from sickness and decay. There will be a new heaven and a new earth, and we will live in unbroken fellowship and joy with our Savior. Ephesians 1 is basically a word picture of Christmas morning for believers. We are so blessed with every spiritual blessing!
But he goes on to say the Holy Spirit is our seal, or our guarantee, that what God has promised will come to pass. Not only do we have the wonderful message of salvation, but we also have the promise that the Holy Spirit will put His official seal of ownership on our lives. His presence in our lives assures us that we belong to Him and that our future is secure.
Because we are sealed by the Spirit, we can live with confidence, trusting that God will complete the work He has begun. Simply put, I am His, and He is mine. God’s faithfulness will not fail those who remain in Him.
The Longterm Plan
For every Christian, the question of assurance is a big issue. The devil works tirelessly to discourage believers! Just talk to a faithful pastor who feels like he isn’t accomplishing anything, the senior citizen who wonders if they are good enough, or the child who can’t sleep for fear of the unknown.
The enemy is excellent at throwing doubt into our minds, making us wonder whether we can trust God’s promises or whether we are even saved to begin with. But as Christians, we are called to hold fast to His promises and wait for His coming (Rev. 22:12-20).
Waiting can feel fragile! In my personal waiting process, documents can be delayed, misplaced, or denied, and entire processes can hinge on a single missing seal. But the promise God has given His children is not fragile. It cannot be lost in the mail, rejected by an office, or overturned by a higher authority. As Charles Spurgeon said,
“The Holy Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance, the pledge that what God has promised He will surely perform.”
God does not merely promise us a future and then leave us to wonder if we will make it there. He places His Spirit within us as proof that we belong to Him. This seal does not depend on our feelings or our circumstances. It rests on the finished work of Christ and the faithfulness of God, who always keeps His word.
So when doubts creep in or when waiting for our eternal reward feels long, we return to this truth. We are sealed. We are secure. Our inheritance is guaranteed. And just as an apostille confirms what is already true on paper, the Holy Spirit continually confirms what is already true in our hearts. We are His, and He will bring us safely home.
