Thinking on Ephesians 1:13-14 Part 1

"In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory." (ESV)

Ephesians 1:13-14

This past week I have spent a lot of time explaining the imputed righteousness of Christ to people. It's part of the gospel that not many Christians truly understand.

Last Friday, I spoke at a Christian school, and after I finished, a lady in her 40's asked me to sit down with her and explain this concept to her one more time.

This is why Jerry Bridges says that we need the gospel every day. There is so much more to it than the cleansing of our sin.

In Ephesians 1:13-14, we come to another deep truth about the gospel that not many Christians may know or understand, and that is the SEALING of the Holy Spirit.

When Paul uses this terminology for what the Holy Spirit does at the point of salvation, he is referring to the an ancient custom. In ancient times, a seal was used as an identification mark. The "seal" spoken of here, is one that would denote "ownership."  At the point of salvation, you are marked, stamped, tattooed.

The point that Paul is making is that this seal is permanent, it's something that can never be undone. But, it's much more than a mark or a stamp or a membership card...what seals the Christian is the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit himself. You are literally indwelt by God!

This Scripture passage is teaching us that at the moment you are regenerated, the Holy Spirit comes and dwells within you.

“The metaphor of a seal does not imply that the Holy Spirit has stamped us with a seal … but that he himself is this seal, a sign characterizing our Christian existence1."

There is one more very important point we need to recognize about the seal of a Christian, and that is that by doing so, God is securing our salvation.

John Piper puts it this way, "However you come at this message contained in this word "sealed," it is a message of safety and security in God's love and power. God sends the Holy Spirit as a preserving seal to lock in our faith, as an authenticating seal to validate our sonship, and as a protecting seal to keep out destructive forces. The point is that God wants us to feel secure and safe in his love and power2."

We can rest assure that when we are SEALED with the Holy Spirit, our salvation is FOREVER secure!

Be Edified!

1Witherington, B., III. (2007). The letters to Philemon, the Colossians, and the Ephesians : a socio-rhetorical commentary on the captivity Epistles (p. 237). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

2 Piper, John, (2012). Sealed By the Spirit Till the Day of Redemption. Minniapolis, MN Desiring God Foundation.