We like to joke among ourselves saying that the only things one can be sure of are death and taxes. Obviously there are other things on the list of things you are sure of. For example, I’m sure you’re sure of your name, and hopefully you are also certain of your mother or father’s love.

For the Christian, there is something very important on the list of “sure things,” that is, our final destination.

A few days prior to his death, my father-in-law was talking by phone with one of his daughters. Within the previous month he and his wife had moved into a new apartment, and he was a bit confused. When he made a comment about this new place not being his home, his daughter prophetically reminded him that this is not home for any of us, and that we are all on a journey to that home in heaven. One thing we can say for sure is that he knew for sure where he was going.

In the Bible, the Apostle Paul helps make this point clear by providing the two analogies mentioned in these verses:

“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:13,14)

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30)

“Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” (II Corinthians 1:21-22)

“Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. ” (II Corinthians 5:5)

The first is that of the “seal.” This analogy comes from the ancient practice of letter writing. The closest thing we have to it is the stamp we put on the corner of our envelopes. However, that doesn’t really convey the idea, because our stamp merely means we have paid the necessary cost to have the letter delivered. According to the ancient custom, once the letter was written, the paper would be folded, and then a glob of warm wax would be placed at the seam so as to keep the letter from being opened. Then the sender would press his ring into this wax in order to leave an impression by which the receiver would know for sure who it was that sent the letter. Thus the seal protected the personal note from being opened and viewed by unauthorized eyes, and also became the mark of ownership. If the sender of the letter was an important or powerful person, all of the authority of his office would be represented in that seal. So Paul is saying that believers have in them this seal, or mark of ownership.

The other image given in these passages is that of the “deposit.” Now this word has been washed out – we use it every time we go to add money to our bank account; we “make a deposit.” However, the more primitive meaning of the word carried with it the idea that the deposit represented something of great value yet to come. It was in fact a guarantee of more to follow, a declaration of one’s intentions to pay the full amount at some later time. When you put a down-payment on a house, you can’t take possession of it, but as you walk step by step through the legal process, the certainty grows – this is my house.

However, with regard to our heavenly home, the deposit is actually made by the owner of the house. To those who believe in Christ, God the Father gives this deposit. He as much as says, “I am holding the deed of your future home, but I am giving to you the deposit money so that you can be confident that this home is being kept for you. It’s your home, but while you can’t yet take full possession of it, I want you to be confident that it is for real, and it will be there for you when you need it at the time you receive your transfer notice.”

Over 200 years ago, Jonathan Edwards stood at the center of what came to be known as the “Great Awakening,” a widespread revival that shaped the American church and had great influence on the society at large. During that time, Edwards wrote a book which he called “A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections.” One of the main points of this book was to consider whether or not a person could be sure they came under the favor of God - whether or not they could be sure of their salvation. His conclusion was that this certainty cannot be achieved by the mere observation of religious behaviors or experiences. One’s relation with God is a spiritual one and can only be assured by the divine action of the Holy Spirit upon our souls. This is the gift of the Holy Spirit, that inner awareness that, not because of any good that we have done, but according to the free gift of God, our fate is sealed – heaven is our home.

No, for the Christian, death and taxes are not the only things we can be sure of, we can also be sure of life. We can be sure of eternal life, an eternal home. We’re all just passing through on our way to a future that is truly out of this world. Do you know that? Are you sure? Do you have the “seal” – are you holding the deposit?