Sealed

My youngest son turned 14 a couple of weeks ago. About six months ago he downloaded the driver's license test booklet and began studying. I hope he studied because he will take the written test later this afternoon.

One document required for this by the State of Arkansas is an attendance form from his school. He picked that up earlier this week from the school office. He had to put his name on the list for documents to be prepared later that day. Apparently, I'm not the only parent embarking on this journey.

The attendance form verifies that Riley is attending school and maintaining a "C" average. At the bottom, the school registrar signed it and stamped it with the school's official seal.

This isn't an ink stamp. This is the kind of seal that leaves a raised impression of the seal on the paper. Have you ever had a document notarized? That's the kind of seal I'm talking about. The seal authenticates the information.

I have a friend (a pastor) who has a personalized seal that he uses to mark each book in his library. There's no way someone who borrows one of his books will forget whose book it is!

The Bible mentions a seal like this a few times. In the book of Esther the king gives his ring to another person (more than once) so that person can issue a decree with his seal on it. The seal in those days was a blob of wax with the impression of the king's ring pressed into it. One look and anyone would know it was an authentic decree of the king.

When Jesus was placed in the tomb provided by Joseph of Arimathea, Jewish leaders convinced the Roman ruler to put a his seal on the huge rock covering the tomb's opening. The idea was that anyone coming to the tomb to steal Jesus' body would think twice upon seeing the ruler's seal. The seal would let everyone know that the tomb was not to be tampered with.

In Ephesians, Paul wrote that God seals his people, too (Eph 1:13-14). The seal guarantees that what God says is true and that what God's seals is his. What did God say? He said that anyone who believes in Jesus Christ for salvation will be saved. What does God seal? He seals as his all who believe in Jesus.

I'm actually happy about Riley learning to drive. Listen, if he doesn't learn to drive then somebody has to haul him everywhere for the rest of his life!

I'm more happy that I am sealed with God's Holy Spirit. This is how I know that I'll have an eternal home in heaven and nothing can separate me from God's love.