Truth On
Tough
Texts
ISSUE 39 - October
2008
The
Sealing of the Holy Spirit (1)
Ephesians
1:13–14
EPHESIANS 1:13–14 USHER US INTO THE third
“stanza” of Paul’s “Song of Praise” (vs. 3–14, which is
actually one long and amazing sentence in the
Greek):
In whom ye also trusted, after
that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your
salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were
sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Which is the earnest of our
inheritance until the redemption of the purchased
possession, unto the praise of his
glory.
To
understand the subject of this two-part study, it is
essential to note first the basic organization of the
surrounding context. While verses 4–6 focus on
the Father and speak of past ELECTION, and
verses 7–12 focus on the Son and speak of
present REDEMPTION, verses 13–14 focus on God
the Holy Spirit and speak of future
INHERITANCE. In that passage, we 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. We should 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
instead of the objective Truth of Christ being the
ultimate reality. 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. If I 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.”[i]
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 we can without hesitation respond, “Wait
just a minute. It doesn’t matter what you think
the Spirit is telling you to do; what matters is what
Christ says in His Word.” The issue is
always 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 Word. 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 those
introductory 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
(and somewhat inexplicable) that most Theology books
deal only briefly with the doctrine of sealing,
and some actually do not mention it at all. Even in
Louis Sperry Chafer’s mammoth eight-volume Systematic
Theology, there is only a scant 2-1/2 pages of
coverage (III, 338–39 and VI, p. 136–37). This is true
also of 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 three-volume Institutes
of Elenctic Theology (17th Century), which contains less than a page on the
subject.
Neither is there much
preaching on this extremely important and crucial
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 is that this doctrine is actually a key
doctrine in understanding the Holy Spirit. Further, 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 doctrines 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) and the
result
of sealing (v.
14).
I. The
Reality of Sealing (v. 13)
We need to study several
things, so we will break our study down into four basic
thoughts, the first of which we will examine here in
Part 1.
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 sphragizo, 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. We should interject that this was also true 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 arrived. 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.[ii]
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 another
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 practiced as
early as 2,000 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 considered 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 as “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 we 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 unarguably 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, it
places us into the Body of Christ, the Church. First
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
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 (see tott #35). 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 in the past.
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,
we observe:
·
Baptism of the Spirit
places us into Christ and into His
Body;
·
Sealing of the Spirit
shows God’s ownership of us.
While similar, they are
still 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.[iii]
How wonderful that
last statement is—“Our salvation
is as certain as God’s character and throne can make
it.” Mark it down: 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 us
and keep us. It is saying
that even with God’s signature upon us, we are not
guaranteed. We will return to this theme as we conclude
our study in Part 2.
Dr. J. D.
Watson
Pastor-Teacher
Grace Bible
Church
NOTES
[i] Ray Stedman, Our Riches in Christ (Discovery House
Publishers, 1998), p.
50.
[ii]
Harry Ironside, In The Heavenlies:
Practical Expository Addresses on the Epistle to the
Ephesians (Loizeaux Brothers, 1977), p.
79.
[iii] John Phillips, Exploring
Ephesians (Loizeaux Brothers, 1993), electronic
edition, comment on 1:13b.
