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Riches From The Holy Spirit: Sealing

Eph. 1:13-14

In whom ye also trusted, after ye heard the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your salvation; in whom also after ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise,

Who is the earnest of our inheritance until the re­demption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory.

 

As noted in the last chapter, verses 13-14 usher us into the third “stanza” of Paul’s “song of praise” (vs. 3-14). As we have seen, verses 4‑6 focus on the Father and speak of past ELECTION, while verses 7‑12 focus on the Son and speak of present REDEMPTION. Verses 13-14 now focus on God the Holy Spirit and speaks of future INHERITANCE. We now see the whole picture: salvation was planned by the Father, provided by the Son, and powered by the Holy Spirit.

 

Before continuing, we should make one general observation about this “stanza:” this stanza on the Holy Spirit is the shortest of the three. Is there a reason for this? We are inclined to think there is. May I make it clear that the reason is not because the Holy Spirit is less important, but rather He has less emphasis. We point this out because the Word of God clearly declares that the Holy Spirit came to glorify Christ (Jn. 16:13‑14), not be elevated above Him. Many today want to glorify the Spirit to such an extent that Christ (His person and work) is obscured. Many elevate the spiritual gifts and other “manifestations of the Spirit” so high that they become the test of spirituality. That type of thinking, therefore, makes the Holy Spirit the ultimate reality, not the objective Truth of Christ. This is serious error, however. Any time a teaching elevates the Holy Spirit over Christ, there is a serious problem with its foundational Theology.

 

Even here in Ephesians 1 we see the Holy Spirit’s subservient position. As Christ is the emphasis of verses 8-12, so He is here. May I say again, we are in no way belittling the Holy Spirit. On the contrary, we are showing exactly why the Spirit came; we are presenting the purpose for which He was sent.

 

This is further underscored by the fact that verse 13 contains a reference first to the Word of Truth (that is, Christ) and then to the Holy Spirit. One expositor says it well:

 

Some groups and individuals emphasize the Spirit and ignore the Word. They say, “We don’t need the Word. All we need is the Spirit within. All we need is to trust our feelings—the indwelling Spirit will lead us.” This is almost invariably a prescription for error and heresy as people drift away from the revealed truth of the Bible and into all sorts of confused, mystical, cultic views and practices, all in the guise of “following the spirit within.”1

 

That is an excellent statement. There are countless Christians running around today saying, “Well, I am lead by the Spirit to do this thing,” but may we respond, “Wait just a minute. It doesn’t matter what you think the Spirit is telling you do; what matters is what Christ says in His Word.” The issue is the Word of God. The Holy Spirit is here to illumine us to the Truth of God’s Word, never to give new Truth or lead us to do anything that contradicts God’s Truth.

 

As we saw in our last study, Truth is found only in the Word of God, not science, philosophy, religion, or anything else.

 

We should also recognize, however, the opposite danger—that is, the Word without the Spirit. The Word is foundational and must be our guide, but we can become so mechanical that our vitality dies and we just wallow in empty orthodoxy. This is simply duty without love, agreement without fellowship, and depth without warmth. To put it succinctly: The Spirit without the Word is heresy, but the Word without the Spirit is sterility.

With these thoughts in mind, we can now study the riches that we do, indeed, have in the Holy Spirit. Again, these riches are centered in Christ but provided through the Spirit.

 

The key to understanding our riches from the Spirit is to understand the doctrine of the “Sealing” of the Holy Spirit.

It is truly tragic that most Theology books deal only briefly with the doctrine of Sealing, and some actually do not mention it at all. 2 Neither is there much preaching on this extremely important doctrine. This surely is one of the reasons for much of the misunderstanding and false teaching on this subject and the subject of the Holy Spirit in general. How tragic it is that so many Christians do not understand the sealing of the Holy Spirit!

 

The reason I find this so tragic (and even appalling) is that this doctrine is actually a key doctrine in understanding the Holy Spirit. Further than that, it is a key doctrine in understanding salvation. As we’ll see in this study, the sealing of the Holy Spirit at our conversion is one of the most (if not the most) comforting and irrefutable doctrine in Scripture when it comes to our security in Christ. No other doctrine makes the believer’s security so vivid and undeniable.

 

Let us, therefore, take the time to study the Sealing of the Holy Spirit by looking at two divisions: The Reality of Sealing (v. 13); The Result of Sealing (v. 14).

 

I. The Reality Of Sealing (v. 13)

In whom ye also trusted, after ye heard the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your salvation; in whom also after ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise,

 

We need to study several things, so we will break our study down into four basic thoughts.

 

The Meaning Of Sealing

 

Besides our text here in Ephe­sians 1, there are two other references to the Sealing of the Spirit in the New Testament:

 

Now He Who establisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God, Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts (II Cor. 1:21‑22).

And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, by whom ye are sealed unto the day of redemption (Eph. 4:30).

 

While most theologians and expositors get it right when they do mention it, there are others who muddy the water so badly that the concept of sealing is totally misunderstood. This is puzzling because the concept of sealing is actually quite ancient and very simple. In fact, this concept can be traced back centuries before Christ. Herodotus, the first of the great Greek historians (5th and 6th centuries BC), wrote in his book, History, that ancient man possessed not only his staff but his seal.

 

The Greek for sealed is the verb sphragizō, which means “to set a seal” or “to “mark with a seal.” This comes from the noun sphragis, which refers to a signet ring that possess­ed a distinctive mark. There are many illustrations of a seal, both from ancient and modern times. We can see many of these by showing the four pictures sealing gives.

 

First, sealing pictures Acquisition. By this we mean that sealing pictures a finished transaction. First and foremost, sealing paints a legal picture; it shows the completion of a legal transaction. The Ephesian believers understood this since Ephesus was a seaport and supported a large lumber trade. May we interject that this was also truth in Corinth, which explains why Paul mentioned sealing to the Corinthians as well as the Ephesians. A raft of logs would be brought from the Black Sea and notice sent to the various lumber firms that the raft had arrive. A lumber merchant would come, purchase his timber, and than stamp it with his seal. Usually he would leave his purchase in the harbor, sometimes for several weeks, and would send a trustworthy agent later to identify the master’s seal and take away the purchased property.

 

This is actually true in more modern times. Harry Ironside recounts an incident in his own experience here in America around 1930:

 

I was standing on a high bridge at St. Cloud Minn., watching a lumber jam, and as I saw the men working I said to my friend, “Do all these logs belong to one firm?” Oh, no,” he said; “there are representatives from many different firms working here in the Minnesota woods.” “Well,” I asked, “how on earth can they distinguish between the logs?” He showed me from the bridge how they were marked, so that when they reached their destination down the river, the various firms would be able to select their own logs. 3

 

Another modern illustra­tion of a seal, is a “notary public.” A notary signs and seals a docu­ment, thereby finishing the transaction and sealing the agreement.

 

The spiritual parallel is that we have been “bought with a price” (I Cor. 6:19‑20), and we have been redeemed by Christ (Eph. 1:7). The indwelling Holy Spirit is now proof of that finished transaction. Again, as Ironside put it, “Though you and I are still tossing about on the waters of this poor scene we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise.” This leads us right to a second picture.

 

Second, sealing pictures Absolute Ownership. The ancients would put their seal on animals and even slaves to prove ownership. In fact, the branding of animals is thought to have been as early as 2000 BC. Of course, branding cattle and horses is still done today. A brand is registered with the particular state in which the owner lives and that brand shows legal ownership. The same is true today of a patent or a copyright. In many books today, for example, one will find (along with the copyright symbol, date, and copyright holder) the words, “All rights reserved.” This means only the copyright holder and the publisher are entitled to the benefits of the sale of the book.

 

This carries over into the spiritual parallel. The in­dwelling Holy Spirit shows that we belong to Christ. “All rights are reserved” to Him; only He is entitled to the benefits of ownership. As II Timothy 2:19 declares, “The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His.” We do not belong to ourselves. Man today wants to “pull his own strings,” “be his own boss,” and “do his own thing.” But the believer belongs to the Lord, for He purchased us with His own blood.

 

Third, sealing pictures Authenticity. A seal attests to the authenticity of a signature; likewise, a signature proves the genuineness of a letter.

 

Graphology, the scientific study of handwriting, is a fascinating subject. While some argue about whether handwriting reveals personality traits, “forensic graphology,” the technical study of handwriting, is consider to be reliable. It is often used, in fact, in judicial proceedings to determine the authenticity of a signature or document. Though someone might be able to copy your signature accurately, it’s highly improbable that they can copy the lines exactly or press on the paper with the same amount of pressure as you do.

 

The Spiritual parallel is obvious. The indwelling Holy Spirit proves that the believer is genuine. Think of it! The Spirit’s presence within us is “God’s signature.” There are arguments today about such things a “Lordship Salvation,” what a Christian can and can’t do, legalism verses antinomianism, grace and law, but doesn’t this truth about sealing make it all obvious? The Holy Spirit within us is God’s signature. With God’s signature upon us, our life will be different. It, indeed, declares that were are “new creatures” and that old things have passed away” and “all things have become new” (II Cor. 5:17). Romans 8:9 is so very clear: “Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.” The words “Spirit of Christ” refer without question to the Holy Spirit Whom Christ sent (Jn. 14:26; 15:26; 16:7). This is the Holy Spirit of promise spoken of in our text. If the Spirit is not present, if God has not “signed the document,” that person does not belong to God. How many professing Christians today are merely a “close copy” instead of the “genuine article?” If they are genuine, people will be able to see the seal, God’s signature. They will be able to see the “fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22-23).

 

Fourth, sealing pictures Assurance. By “assurance” we mean that sealing pictures absolute security. Matthew 27:62‑66 tells us of the Roman seal that was placed on Jesus’ tomb. No one in that day would have dared to break that seal as that would have re­sulted in certain death, specifically, being crucified upside down, a hideous death where the internal organs would end up in the victim’s throat. So, that seal protected the contents; it made the contents secure by order of Rome. The same was true of the seals of King Darius and his nobles that they put on the stone placed over the entrance to the lion’s den into which they threw Daniel (Dan. 6:17).

 

Today there is what is called a “registered letter.” The addressee and the sender of the letter are recorded in a book. On the back of the letter is what is called a “return receipt” which is re­moved, signed by the addressee, and returned to the sender. The letter is also hand delivered and signed for by the addressee. All this protects and secures the contents of the letter.

 

The spiritual application is clear: we are sealed eter­nally in Christ by the Holy Spirit’s sealing. One of the most important aspects of sealing is this one concerning assurance. All three New Testament references to sealing are Aorist Tense, a once-for-all past action. As Ephesians 4:30 indicates, we are “sealed [once for all] unto the day of redemption.” We shall examine this in more depth when we get to the Result of Sealing.

 

We should point out, however, that Sealing is not the “Bap­tism” of the Holy Spirit. These two are similar but also quite distinct. The word “baptism” is from the Greek baptizo, which literally means “immerse; place into.” Originally the word was used of dying a garment, that is, placing a garment into the dye. This is why immersion is obviously and unquestionable the only Biblical method of Baptism. To argue for sprinkling or pouring is simply foolish and pointless. No one dyes a garment by sprinkling or pouring the dye onto it.

 

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit, therefore, does two things. First, it places us into Christ. At one time we were in Adam, but now we are in Christ (see Col. 2:12 and Rom. 6:3‑4). Second, this places us into the Body of Christ, the Church. I Corinthians 12:13 is clear: “For by one Spirit were we all baptized [placed into] one Body [the Body of Christ].” The word “baptized” is in the Aorist Tense showing that this is a once-for-all act which has been accomplished by God. Also, right here in Ephesians, as we’ll see later in our study, speaks of the fact that there is “one Spirit” and “one baptism” (4: 4‑5). The context of that passage shows this to be Spirit baptism. The Scriptures are clear; all believers have been bap­tized by the Spirit. There is not one single exhortation or command in Scripture to “seek the baptism” as some teach today. Why? Because it is Aorist Tense. God alone accomplished this work once-for-all. Paul is here writing to the Corinthians, whom he calls carnal, fleshly infants, but still assures them that they, even in their immaturity, have been baptized, place into, the Body of Christ.

 

Putting all this together, observe:

 

·        “Baptism” of the Spirit places us into Christ and into His Body;

·        “Sealing” of the Spirit shows God’s ownership of us.

Similar, but distinct. And, as we will see later, both of these occur at the moment of salvation.

 

A wonderful example of this picture of assurance appears in Esther 8:8-12. While Haman had already been hanged for his evil plot against Mordecai, Queen Esther was still distressed. Because of Haman’s treachery, he had persuaded King Ahasuerus to decree that anyone in his kingdom was allowed to attack and destroy the Jews. The key here is since even the King himself could not reverse a decree that he had marked with his seal, he had to issue and seal another decree that declared that the Jews could arm and defend themselves from attackers. This vividly pictures that a sealed decree was authoritative, binding, and irreversible. That is the picture in our sealing. God will not break His own decree that He sealed with His Spirit.

 

Before God called him to preach, pastor and author John Phillips was in the business world and worked for a large multinational British bank. Recalling those days, he writes:

 

 . . . when contracting parties entered into a legal agreement, the documents were “signed, sealed, and delivered.” On numerous occasions the bank manager called for the sealing wax. Both contracting parties would sign the documents and the bank manager would sign as a witness. Then he would affix the heated sealing wax to the documents. After being signed and sealed, the documents were “delivered” to the contracting parties. The agreement, ratified by the seal, was then in force and was binding on all parties . . .

In my banking days, the manager would usually deliver the original contract to a bank officer who would place it in the vault for safekeeping. Everything that could be done was done to ensure that the contract was preserved and its terms were put into effect. We can rest assured that God has taken every precaution against His promise ever being broken. As far as we are concerned, God has sealed us with that Holy Spirit of promise. Our salvation is as certain as God’s character and throne can make it.

 

How wonderful that last statement is—“Our salvation is as certain as God’s character and throne can make it.” To say that we can lose our salvation is an attack on the very character of God. It is saying that God isn’t powerful enough to save me and keep me. It is saying that even with God’s signature upon me, I’m not guaranteed. We will return to this theme later.

 

The Method Of Sealing

 

By this we mean who exactly is the one who seals us. All three of the passages we have mentioned make it clear that sealing is accomplished entirely by God. Just like the Baptism of the Spirit, we are never ex­horted to be sealed. Sealing is the work of God from start to finish.

 

It is also important to note that the verse reads “with the Holy Spirit, not “by the Holy Spirit.” This indicates that the Holy Spirit is the seal not the sealer. It is God the Father Who does the sealing. He is the “lumber merchant,” while the Holy Spirit is the “merchant’s signet.” II Corinthians 1:21-22 bear this out:

 

Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest [guarantee] of the Spirit in our hearts.

 

We also should note that the definite article (“the”) appears before promise, so the idea is that we were sealed with that holy Spirit of [the] promise. This, of course, refers to the Lord Jesus’ promise to send His Spirit (Jn. 14:16; Jn. 16:7-14; Acts 1:4, 8). So the Holy Spirit was sent; He was sent to do cer­tain tasks which would glorify Christ. One of those tasks was to be God’s Seal upon the purchased possession.

 

To illustrate, I recall the days when my father-in-law owned and operated a little country story where he would buy food items in bulk and package them for resale. One item he carried was various cheeses, which he would buy in large blocks and then cut to a customer’s wishes. To perverse some blocks for aging purposes (and, oh, how good is a 12-year-old sharp cheddar!) he would seal a block in wax. So, in that case the substance of the seal was wax, and it was my father-in-law who did the actual act of sealing. Like­wise, God the Father has done the sealing with (or, by means of) the Spirit.

 

Another modern illustration is when you go down to the store and buy a large item, such as an appliance, we receive a piece of paper called a “Guarantee.” This is the manufacture’s promise of quality. Infinitely deeper, the Holy Spirit is God’s guarantee of quality. And we can also be thankful that God’s guarantee is not just 90 days parts and labor, but is forever.

 

To summarize: First, the Father is the SEAL­ER; second, the Holy Spirit is the SEAL; third, Christ is the STRENGTH of the seal (as He is the One Who sent the Spirit and the One Whose work made the Spirit’s indwelling possible); fourth, the believer is the SEALED.

 

The Measure Of Sealing

 

The main point we need to make here is that the Sealing of the Holy Spirit is universal among believers. Some claim that they have had “and experience” that confirmed their Sealing and that Sealing is not necessarily true of every Christian. But there are three very plain proofs that all believers are sealed.

 

First, II Corinthians 1:21‑22 declares that even the Corinthians were sealed. The Corinthians were not as carnal when Paul wrote his second letter as they were when he wrote his first, but they were still a carnal lot indeed. However, Paul makes no exception; even in their carnality, the Corinthians were Sealed. The same thing is true of the “Baptism of the Spirit;” the Corin­thians were not exempt from this either, as we noted earlier.

 

How we need to grasp the Truth that the acts of Sealing and Baptism are the work of God! It is tragic, indeed, that so many Christians today live in a constant need of experience. Our salvation is not based on how we feel or what we have experienced, rather on what God has done. It is based upon the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary, and the assurance of that is based upon the indwelling, sealing power of the Holy Spirit.

 

Second, there is no Scripture exhortation to be Sealed. This is a strong indication that Sealing is universal. If Sealing were not universal, then surely God would command us to seek it. There is no believer who knows how to go about “getting sealed.” Why? Because there is no instruction on how to do it. Sealing has nothing to do with experience; it is a work that God accomplishes. In contrast to this, we are commanded to be “filled” (controlled) with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18), as this is a repeated experience. But we are not told to be either Sealed or Baptized.

 

Third, Ephesians 4:30 exhorts us not to grieve the Holy Spirit by whom we are Sealed. It is obvious here that Paul’s attitude is that he assumes all believers are sealed. Remember, Paul is writing to all believers, so he says here to all those sealed believers that they should not grieve (sadden) the Holy Spirit. If only “spiritual people” were sealed, Paul’s exhortation would make no sense. He would then be saying “do not grieve the Holy Spirit” to people who were already grieving the Holy Spirit.

 

We say again, all believers are sealed. Right in line with this is our fourth principle.

 

The Moment Of Sealing

 

Sealing occurs at the moment of salvation. Again, there are those who maintain that Sealing occurs sometime after salvation.4 But this mystical idea violates the simple purpose of sealing, which is to be a guarantee. The Holy Spirit is the guarantee that we are genuine. Further, there are no New Testa­ment examples of a person being sealed at some time subsequent to salvation.5 There are instances of people being filled, but not sealed.

 

The main cause of this misunderstanding is the failure to examine the Greek text. The construction of the verb believed is the Aorist Participle in the Greek.6 This actually shows cause more than it does time. In other words, believing is what caused the Sealing. Therefore, both happened at the same time. The literal translation of this is, “in whom also having believed, ye were sealed.”

 

This is not an isolated case of this Greek construction. Another example appears in Acts 1:8: “Ye shall receive power, after the Holy Spirit is come upon you.” Again, “is come” is the Aorist Participle showing cause; that is, receiving power is caused by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Literally the verse reads, “Ye shall receive power, the Holy Spirit coming upon you.”

 

We must also add, not only does Sealing occur at the moment of salvation, it also happens once‑for‑all and forever. For ex­ample, a letter is designed to be sealed only once. Likewise, down through the centuries a seal of any kind was designed to be used only once. This has always been the value of a seal and is the case with God’s seal; it has been given once‑for-all. As mentioned earlier, all three references to Sealing in the New Testament are Aorist Tense (once‑for‑all action). But, in addition, Ephesians 4:30 says we are sealed (once‑for‑all) “un­to the day of redemption.” This refers to our final redemption, which is yet future. What redemption is this? Romans 8:23 tells us: “We ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, that is, the redemption of our body.” Back in verse 5 we learned that we are “predestined” to final adoption, which is yet future. Now we see that redemption not only involves the present (in that Christ’s blood was the purchase price for our redemption), but that redemption also involves our going to be with the Lord in glory.

 

II. The Results of Sealing (v. 14)

Who is the earnest of our inheritance until the re­demption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory.

 

How marvelous verse 14 is! We’ve seen that Sealing pictures acquisition, absolute ownership, and authenticity. But the most significant picture of Sealing is assurance (security). May I say again that I have found no other principle more assuring to salvation than this doctrine. Verse 14 gives two results of Sealing, both of which having to do with security.

 

Sealing Secures Our Inheritance.

 

One of the saddest realities in Christianity today is the fact that many deny the Biblical doctrine of the security of the believer. This doc­trine has been called “that damnable doctrine that gives peo­ple license to sin.” It is argued, “If you are eternally secure, you can go out and live any way you want to and just ask God to forgive you.” But this doctrine says no such thing, for anyone who has that idea of salvation cannot possibly be a Christian. Salvation involves a new person, a new creature in Christ (II. Cor. 5:17). We no longer want the things we once desired.

But this verse tells us exactly where our security lies—in the Holy Spirit. We would be forced to agree with those who deny security if it were not for the Holy Spirit. But our text tells us that He is the earnest of our inheritance. That wonderful word earnest is arrabōn, a word that came into the Greek from Phoenician traders, means “first installment, down payment, deposit.”

 

It’s interesting to note that this was more than just a mere “pledge,” as it is translated in the Roman Catholic Douay-Rheims translation and the Revised Standard Version. That mistranslation was the result of the inaccurate and often corrupt Latin Vulgate’s use of the word pignus (pledge),7 which is not the exact equivalent of the Greek arrabōn. This earnest is not just a pledge or promise; it’s actually a portion of the inheritance, the first installment. As one commentator pouts it, “The earnest, in short, is the inheritance in miniature.”8

 

So it was that this term was used in secular Greek as a legal term in business and trade; it was with this advance payment that a contract became lawfully valid and binding. In fact, we have this term “earnest money” even today. The same Greek word is used in modern Greek for an engagement ring; it is more than just a promise to marry, it is the first installment of the coming marriage.

 

Now let us couple this thought with a deeper look at the word inheritance. This is the same basic word as back in verse 11. The literal sense of the Greek kleros is “a lot” (as in “casting lots”). The word then came to mean “a share,” “a plot of land,” and finally “an inheritance.” What then is our inheritance?—the salvation described in verse 3‑14. Most of us have viewed our future inheritance as pots of gold sitting in various places throughout our heavenly mansion, but this is because our minds have been polluted by the world’s ideas of wealth. Our true inheritance is the salvation Paul has been describing, and the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of that salvation. Just as “earn­est money” is binding and not returnable, the Holy Spirit is not withdrawn from the believer; He is God’s deposit, God’s first installment of eternal salvation.

 

There has been much confusion and question about the Sealing of the Holy Spirit in past years, but we must honestly ask, “Why?” How could anything be clearer? We first see all we have in Christ in verses 3‑14, and then we see that the Holy Spirit is the promise, the guarantee, and the first in­stallment of that salvation. What more could Paul have said to make it plainer? Those who reject the security of the believer must either ignore or willingly reject the plain analogy that Paul gives here. If someone can see that God has given us the first installment of our inheritance, that He has given us the down payment of glory, that He has given us the deposit of what is to come, but still thinks that we can lose all that, they are to be pitied indeed.

 

We, of course, are the purchased possession (v. 7), and our final redemption is yet fu­ture (Rom. 8:23). Therefore, we are absolutely secure in the knowledge of our future home in heaven. We not only have eter­nal salvation in the here and now, but this salvation is also going to usher us right into the redemption of the body, the final redemption of the purchased possession.

 

Dear Christian, can we ever lose our salvation? Absolutely not! Why? Because we have been sealed with “God’s earnest money”—His indwelling Holy Spirit.

 

Sealing Secures God’s Possession

 

Not only is our inheritance in view in verse 14, but so is God’s possession. Paul declares, until the redemption of the purchased possession. The word possession translates the Greek peripoiēsis that speaks of gaining possession of property for one’s self. To review one of our earlier illustrations, when the lumber mer­chant went to Ephesus, he purchased his timber and placed his seal upon it so that it would come directly to him and no one else. Likewise, we are God’s purchased possession and His Seal (the Holy Spirit) secures that purchase and brings it directly to Him.

Finally, Paul closes by reminding us once again of God’s ultimate purpose. While the spiritual riches God has given us are awesome, indeed, and while it is all guaranteed by God’s down payment in the person of the Holy Spirit, that is not the primary purpose. Why is God bringing us to Himself? The answer is: it is all unto the praise of his glory. There is that marvelous phrase once again; this is the third and the most glorious usage in this passage; it culminates the entire passage. As Isaiah declared: “My people, my chosen. This people have I formed for myself; they shall show forth my praise” (Is. 43:20-21). Yes, that speaks specifically of Israel, but God also “did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name” (Acts 15:14), and so we too are His elect, His chosen, and we shall “show forth His praise.”

 

Once again we are reminded of God’s ultimate purpose: TO RESTORE THE UNITY BETWEEN GOD AND MAN SO THAT MAN CAN GLORIFY HIM. God did not save us primarily for our benefit, but rather saved us so we could praise Him. May we never forget that Truth!

 

Oh, is it not wonderful to know we are sealed? Man’s seals can be broken. I used to hear my father say, “Locks only keep the honest people out.” How true, for if someone wants into a place bad enough he will get in. But God’s Seal will not and cannot be broken.

 

*     *     *

This brings us to the close of Paul’s glorious “song of praise” (vs. 3‑14). We recall once again that this passage is one long sentence in the Greek. Paul was so carried away by the Truth of these words that he could not stop as it all flowed from his heart and right through his pen. Hopefully, we now understand why that was so. Oh, the riches, the glorious wealth we have in Christ! Commentator William Hendrickson, ends his comments on this passage by writing:

 

Is it any wonder that when the apostle ponders the fact that he himself and also those addressed had been emancipated from the most dreadful evil and had been restored to the most unimaginable good, and this by the very God against whom they had rebelled, and at such a cost, and that God had even given to them the Holy Spirit as a pledge and foretaste of future climatic bliss when they would receive their gull inheritance and would stand forth in dazzling splendor as God’s very own,—in view of all this is it any wonder that he begins his magnificent doxology by saying, “blessed (be)” and that he ends it with “to the praise of His glory?” 9

 

That’s how Paul responded to these great truths, but may we each ask ourselves, “How should I respond to the great truths of this passage?” I would encourage you to read the passage often and consider that there should be at least five responses.

 

First, response should come in our Worship. As we’ve seen, the whole passage speaks of what God has done, and three times Paul exults, “to the praise of His glory.” This should transform and deepen our sense of awe and worship of The One True and Living God. Unlike the typical service of our day, which is based on entertainment and people-centeredness, this passage should drive us to selfless worship.

 

Second, response should come in our Walk. God’s reason for electing us was to make us holy that we could then live holy. Our entire Christian life and walk then is a life of godliness.

 

Third, response should come in our Witness. We do not worship or even acknowledge the existence of the dead gods of the pagans or the false gods of science, philosophy, and religion. We worship The One True and Living God, and it is this message that we take to the world.

 

Fourth, response should come in our Wisdom. Our wisdom is not in or of this world, rather in the Truth of God’s revealed Word. If we respond correctly to this passage, then all that we do will be based on that authority alone. All we need is what God says.

 

Fifth, response should come in our Watching. While we have received the down payment of our inheritance in the form of the Holy Spirit, the final inheritance and glory is yet future. May we be expectantly waiting and watching for the coming of our Lord in glory.

 

 

NOTES

 

1  Stedman, p. 50.

2  Even in Louis Sperry Chafer’s mammoth 8-volume Systematic Theology, there is only a scant 2-1/2 pages of coverage (III, 338-39 and VI, p. 136-37); likewise with Charles Ryrie’s Basic Theology. Even the old standbys, Augustus Strong’s and Charles Hodge’s Systematic Theology, mention it not at all. Neither do several modern works, such as Foundations of the Christian Faith (James Boice), Christian Theology (Millard Erickson), and Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology (only quotes Eph. 1:13 in the NIV). Disappointing also is even Francis Turretin’s massive and usually thorough 3-volume Institutes of Elenctic Theology, which contains less than a page on the subject.

3  Ironside, p. 79.

4  This view, in fact, is quite troubling. In my humble opinion, Martyn-Lloyd Jones’ otherwise stellar teaching was marred by his weakness on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. With the deepest respect, I must say that his muddled (sometimes almost mystical) views on sealing, indwelling, infilling, and baptism (God’s Ultimate Purpose, pp. 243-311 and other works) opened the door wide for charismatic teaching. It’s undoubtedly significant that soon after his departure from Westminster Chapel in London, that church went the way of the charismatic Vineyard Movement.

5  While Lloyd-Jones discusses several Scriptures as “proof” (pp. 250-254), not one of them mentions sealing by name. It’s amazing and tragic that one so solid in his overall Theology was so confused about the work of the Holy Spirit. For example, the statement, “I am suggesting therefore that the ‘baptism of the Spirit’ is the same as the ‘sealing with the Spirit’” (p. 264), reveals some very serious misunderstanding.

6  See Robertson (p. 520‑525) for a detailed explanation, but may we briefly mention the Greek case “locative of sphere.” Basically, “locative” (Latin locus) speaks of “local” or “location.” The “locative of sphere” then indicates the sphere, realm, or location in which something or some­ one exists. So, the words “in Whom . . . ye believed” show the location of belief.

7  Eadie, p. 67.

8  Eadie, p. 68.

9  Hendrickson, p. 93.

 

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