The seal given to man by the Holy Spirit protects him from further apostasy, and ultimately, “once saved, always saved” applies. This is a fatally false justification for the erroneous assumption that once saved, one can never be lost. The seal has nothing to do with sealing or “preservation.”
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Misunderstood Seal
The (false) believers of “once saved, always saved” (“OSAS”) rely particularly on the Bible’s statement that believers are sealed by the Holy Spirit. They then counter-questioned whether the Holy Spirit would ever remove this seal. This would clarify that once sealed, one cannot be lost.
At first glance, this argument seems quite sound. But it isn’t. A “second look” is all that’s needed. This seal, which is repeatedly cited, is not the “preservation” of man, preventing him from ever falling away from faith, but rather a “pledge”. This seal has nothing to do with the final sealing, which in Revelation 7 concerns the 144,000. Even this sealing is not a manipulative intervention in the human being, but a kind of “quality seal” that confirms the state of salvation but does not bring it about.
The Bible on the Seal of the Holy Spirit
The sealing of believers by the Holy Spirit can be found in the following Bible passages:
2 Corinthians 1:22:
“Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.”
2. Korinther 5,5:
“Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.”
Ephesians 1:14:
“Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.“
The connection is particularly evident in Ephesians 1:14. Therefore, for context, compare the passage with the preceding verse 13:
“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.“
A pledge is a type of down payment or advance payment, combined with the obligation to deliver the remaining amount in order to fulfill the contract or promise.
This can also be (fictitiously) used to describe the pledge “attached” by the Holy Spirit with the following wording:
“I hereby undertake to fulfill my promise to the full extent after the legal recovery of my property“.
The seal is confirmation of the promise
With this seal, God makes it clear that He will definitely keep His promise once He has reclaimed His property. It is the unjust claim of the adversary, who claims the earth and the humanity living on it as His own. Of course, God could remove this arrogance with a single stroke of His hand, but that would merely demonstrate His power, not prove His (eternal) justice.
Legal owner
The adversary’s argument is even plausible. After all, the vast majority of people follow his rules, have adopted his prescribed lifestyle, and even worship him in some way. Whether consciously acknowledging that they are honoring Satan, or unconsciously, through idolatry, idol worship, and image worship. Thus, consciously or unconsciously, humanity has also chosen the authority that Satan recognizes.
This also explains why keeping God’s commandments, especially the Fourth Commandment (Sabbath on the 7th day of the week), primarily serves to glorify God. For in doing so, the believer clearly expresses who is the authority for him—that is, the true God and Creator, and not the adversary. Glorifying God by doing His will automatically leads to salvation. (Info). In principle it’s actually quite simple.
Giving honor to God alone
Therefore, the primary goal is to honor God through obedience to Him. Of course, obeying all(!) of the Ten Commandments is also part of practicing obedience.
Romans 3:25-26:
“Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.“
With the first fall of Adam and Eve, Satan surreptitiously secured the right over humankind and the creation subject to it (through lies and deceit). Hence the expression, “you were bought with a price,” 1 Corinthians 6:20:
“For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.“
Extremely expensive buyback
The blood sacrifice of the Lamb of God brought about this redemption from the clutches of the adversary, at an incredibly high price. The death of the only begotten Son of God. Revelation 5:9
“…Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;“
God’s promise is also clearly stated in Ezekiel 37:23:
“…but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.“
Did that only apply to the Israelites?
Nope, because Revelation 21:7 also says essentially the same thing:
“He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.“
“To rescue and cleanse” in order to stand before Jesus Christ as an overcomer (of this world). Worthy to receive from Him His pure, shining, white linen robe of righteousness, without spot or wrinkle. In this way, man stands before the throne as sinless, as if he had never sinned.
God is guaranteed to keep His promise
Inheriting all things is God’s great promise. He will keep this promise and confirms it with the pledge of the seal by the Holy Spirit. However, this does not by any means remove man’s free will to make his own decisions. Man received the promise, but not the inability to fall away from the faith again.
The doctrine of “once saved, always saved” is therefore sheer nonsense and, given the absolutely necessary purification of man, even extremely dangerous. For Jesus Christ will never place His garment of righteousness over the filthy garment of the sinner. It is therefore absolutely necessary to stand empty and naked for the time being in order to subsequently be filled with the Holy Spirit.
However, this need and one’s own lack must first be recognized and at this point the Laodicean church, the last prophetic church in the age, is particularly at risk. (Info).
And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Revelation 21:27
Bible verses from King James Version (1611)
