Abraham Lincoln created the Secret Service on April 14, 1865, the day he was assassinated. Although it was originally designed to discover counterfeit currencies, its agents began watching over president’s full time following the 1901 assassination of President William McKinley. In addition to tracking nearly 1,500 presidential death threats each year, and coordinating their efforts with various government agencies, Secret Service agents act as bodyguards. Like the police and military soldiers, Secret Service agents also take an oath to fulfill their duty, knowing one’s life may be lost. They are expected to provide maximum security to United States presidents, regardless of personal cost.

We need maximum security in the spiritual realm also. Our Savior did not “take a bullet” for us, but He willingly suffered three nails and a spear, as He laid down His life to ransom lost sinners from eternal punishment. Thankfully, once we trust in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ as our only hope for eternal life, we are given complete forgiveness and eternal security. Ephesians 1:13 tell us that at the moment we trust in Christ alone, we are “sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.” It is interesting that God chose to use the word “sealed” to describe how secure we are in our salvation. We are sealed like a vault so that no one, not even Satan, can break in to steal us, God’s valued possession. We are sealed like a can of precious fruit so that the outside air cannot damage what is inside, nor can the purchased product spill or be lost. Romans 8:35 confirms this principle, explaining that nothing can “separate us from the love of Christ” —nothing we can do, nor anything that happens to us. We are also sealed like a legal document, identified by a mark made in wax, or by an official signature. The indwelling Holy Spirit is the special agent of God designated with the duty of keeping our salvation secure. From the moment we trust in Christ, His indwelling presence (II Corinthians 1:22; I Corinthians 6:19) is like an authoritative stamp guaranteeing that we are “sealed unto the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30).

Don’t trust your feelings, your track record of sinful behavior, or what others say about losing your salvation. Trust in what God says in His Word. Scripture states that we are sealed by the Holy Spirit, and promised that we are eternally secure. Rejoice in this truth and share it with someone today.