Eternal Security and the Sealing with the Holy Spirit #3

Some interpreters have proposed a view of this sealing that doesn’t fit the context of Scripture. They proclaim that the sealing is the security of today’s believers that can never be altered, once they are saved. It would be similar to getting a tattoo, today. In this way, they claim that the transaction is finished as God places his seal of ownership. However, this text cannot be offered as a proof-text for the doctrine of the eternal security of the believer or once saved, always saved. The problem with the view is that it cannot be tested with any objective criteria. When first-century Christians were sealed, the evidence of it was the miraculous gifts of the Spirit granted through the laying on of the apostles’ hands. It provided absolute proof of their identity and gave them confidence that God was working through them. How is one to prove that they have been sealed, today? The better-felt-than-told approach is open to subjectivism and doesn’t provide the visible proof that a seal implies. The miraculous powers, on the other hand, provided the visible evidence of God’s power and verified the message which the miracles had accompanied, as being from God. These conclusions do not negate the need for faith. Instead, it confirms the need for faith with the understanding that faith is based upon evidence (Hebrews 11:1).