You Have Dominion Part 1 Series

You Have Dominion Part 1

Scriptures: Eph. 1:13; 5:1; John 1:12; 2 Cor. 5:17; Ezek. 22:30

Introduction

You have heard Pastor Fulks, Rev. Welcome and I say for months that we all need to understand who we are and whose we are. This is not something that happens overnight, but it comes as you continue to learn God’s Word. Think of a son who as a child was stolen away from his family. His family was royalty and they never stopped searching for their kidnapped son. As the child grew into an adult he was found and he learned about his heritage and from whence he came. Once this was known and he was reunited with his family, it would still be hard for him to shake off who he was (and is) and become someone else. Although he begins to realize all of the “things” that are available to him now that he is reunited with his family, he has a hard time utilizing them because he is not used to having them. It is much easier to remain in the life that he was used to than fully adopting a new life. To help their son transition from his former life into his new life, his parents spends valuable time teaching him. As the son learns of his history and from whence he came, slowly he begins to understand who he is and accepts what is available to him as the child of his parents. It still takes him a while to fully leave some of his old ways, but he eventually takes on his new life and begins to operate in a way that he never dreamed possible.

This scenario describes each of us. You see, we were lost heirs. Our lives were filled with worries, doubts, fears, stress, and sin. We did not know any other way to live and so we managed to get by as best we could. But now we have been found. The search for us is over. We were heirs to a kingdom and we did not even know it. Now that we have been found, we too must go through the process of learning what it is that we have and what is actually available to us as children of our Father. Through this series titled “You Have Dominion” we will examine who we really are as sons and daughters of God. Let me start by giving you some background on what happened once you were saved.

I. You Have Been Sealed

“In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise.” Ephesians 1:13

When you accepted Christ, you were sealed. This seal is stronger than Ziploc, stronger than duck tape, stronger than the strongest glue. Your seal indicates possession (you belong to Someone) and security (you will remain safe until you get to your final destination). The presence of the Spirit of God is upon you and it seals you, giving you your guarantee of your inheritance of eternal life. Have you ever mailed a present to someone that was valuable? Because it is fragile, you take special precautions to package it so that it will not be broken during the shipping process. Maybe you wrapped it paper and then surrounded it with bubble wrap to secure it. Then you gently placed it in the box, sealed the box with tape and mailed it. If it was really expensive, maybe you even purchased insurance as additional protection. Because you took such care in packaging the present, it arrived at its destination the way you intended it to. The seal that has been placed on you identifies you as an inheritor, a child of God. It seals you, offering you protection throughout your life and the assurance of your eternal life when you leave this world.

When the book of Ephesians was written, seals carried significant importance. Seals in the New Testament times guaranteed that the contents of a package were complete and non-defective. The seal would only be placed on the package after it had been examined and inspected completely. If there was anything wrong with the package, the guarantor would not place his seal on the package. The seal was only placed there after the package was confirmed to be in the condition that it was supposed to be in. The seal was proof that the package was impeccable. During this time, to seal a package required the person to pour hot wax onto the flap of the envelope or the string that bound the package. Afterwards, he would press his insignia into the wax, leaving a visible, distinctive mark. This insignia alerted everyone that the package was the possession of someone very powerful and/or wealthy. Therefore the “seal” guaranteed that the package would make it to its final destination.