 sealed
with the Spirit
Rev. Ryan Kron
Ephesians 1:13-14"As Reformed Christians we should have a biblically
and confessionally robust theology of the Holy Spirit."
Introduction
Ask any Christian to explain the work of the Holy Spirit, and
you are bound to get a variety of answers. Throughout the
history of the church, people have had an opinion on the role of
the Holy Spirit in our lives. In the year 170 AD, a group of
people called the Montanists taught that God was still speaking
in the church through prophets. They claimed that this gift of
prophecy had not existed since the days of the apostles. The
Montanists had a prophetess, Maximilla, who said that Christ
would return before she died. Well, she missed on that one.
Church history tells us there is nothing new under the sun.
Different false teachings are re-packaged for a new culture, but
the same core problems remain. This is the case with the
confusion today in Pentecostal circles on the role of the Holy
Spirit. Some Pentecostals like Benny Hinn are going around just
like old Maximilla and saying they have gifts of prophecy. They
claim that they have been baptized with the Holy Spirit and have
special gifts such as being able to predict the end of the
world.
How do we respond to Pentecostals who claim to have a second
blessing of being baptized with the Holy Spirit? The answer is
not to run away from talking about the Holy Spirit. In fact, as
Reformed Christians we should have a biblically and
confessionally robust theology of the Holy Spirit. In light of
the variety of teachings on the Holy Spirit today in different
Christian circles, the question we are answering in Ephesians
1:13-14 is this: what does this text teach us about the Holy
Spirit? My main point is that the Spirit assures us we are God’s
children and that we have the blessings of salvation. I pray
that you might see that as God’s people, we have great assurance
because of what Paul says about the Spirit in Ephesians 1:13-14.
We will look at three points today reflecting on something past,
present, and future. First, the Holy Spirit as a promise.
Second, the Holy Spirit as a seal. Third, the Holy Spirit as a
deposit.
Our first point, then, is the Holy Spirit as a promise. Look
again at Ephesians 1:13: “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.” Here we want to
look at the Holy Spirit promised in the Old Testament. That is
what Paul is referring to here in verse 13 when he talks about
the “promised Holy Spirit.” In the Old Testament, God promised
to send the Holy Spirit. Joel 2:28 talks about this: “And it
shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on
all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old
men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.”
Likewise, Ezekiel 36:27 says: “And I will put my Spirit within
you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey
my rules.” The Old Testament was looking forward to the coming
Messianic age, which was the age of the Spirit. We know this
from Isaiah 61:1-3, which was quoted and fulfilled by Jesus in
Luke 4 as he said “the Spirit of the Lord has anointed me to
preach good news.” Christ was anointed by the Holy Spirit, which
is one way we know that he was the Messiah.
God fulfilled his promise to send the Holy Spirit at
Pentecost in Acts 2. The promised Holy Spirit was poured out on
believers! It is clear that the Holy Spirit was promised in the
Old Testament, but can we say the Holy Spirit was present in the
Old Testament? The short answer is “yes.”
When considering the question of the role of the Holy Spirit
in the Old Testament, we go way back to Genesis. In fact,
already in Genesis 1:2 the Holy Spirit is present as the
presence of God, hovering over the darkness and the waters. In
Exodus 13, the Holy Spirit was there in the pillar of cloud and
fire, leading Israel into the promised land. Then in Exodus
31:3, the Spirit empowered the craftsmen who were building the
tabernacle. In Exodus 40:35-40, the Holy Spirit was present in
the tabernacle. The Holy Spirit was also present in the Old
Testament inspiring the writers of Scripture, such as Moses.
That is what Paul means in 2 Timothy 3:16 when he says “all
Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching,
for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.”
The Holy Spirit was clearly present in the Old Testament as
God was saving a people for himself. Not only was the Holy
Spirit leading Israel in the wilderness and inspiring the
writers of the Old Testament, but the Holy Spirit was also
present in the Old Testament in saving the people of God.
Salvation in the Old Testament is the same as it is for us
today. This means that God’s people are saved by grace alone,
through faith alone, in the Messiah alone. The Holy Spirit was
at work in the Old Testament, making God’s people regenerate.
So, the Holy Spirit was both promised in the Old Testament and
present in the Old Testament. Not only that, but God has also
promised that the Holy Spirit is at work today in his people.
This leads us to our second point, which is the Holy Spirit as a
seal.
This point is referring to the present reality of the gift of
the Holy Spirit to believers. Thus, as Ephesians 1:13 says, the
Holy Spirit is God’s seal of our salvation, the promise that we
have every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3). Those whom God
has chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world have
been sealed with the Spirit (Ephesians 1:4, 13).
Paul uses several different pronouns here in Ephesians
1:11-14. He moves from “we” in v. 11-12, which refers to himself
and Jewish believers, to “you also” in v. 13, referring to
Gentiles believers, to “our inheritance” in v. 14, talking of
the inheritance shared by Paul, other Jewish believers, and
Gentile Christians like you and me. Paul does this in v. 11-14
of chapter 1 in anticipation of what he will talk about in
Ephesians 2:11-14. Lord willing, we will study that later as we
continue to go through Ephesians. What Paul is saying here in
Ephesians 1:11-14 is that Christ is the one who brings us to God
and Christ is the one to be glorified. Not only that, but it is
in Christ that we Gentiles are one with Jewish Christians. This
very thing happened in Ephesus. The gospel went forth in
Ephesus, and God built his church in that place. God did for the
Ephesians what he promised to do here in this letter to the
Ephesians. Acts 20:17 talks about the elders in the church at
Ephesus. The gospel promise here in Ephesians 1 that Christ will
build his church from among both Jew and Gentile is a reality in
Ephesus!
The question is “how does this happen?” Christ isn’t present
here on earth anymore and we don’t physically see him today. So,
how does God build his church? Well, after his death and
resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven and he is seated at the
Father’s right hand. He is physically absent from us. But he has
not left us alone. In the Upper Room Discourse in John 14-16,
Jesus comforted his disciples with the promise that the Holy
Spirit would come. Loved ones, this is our comfort today as
well. Jesus is not physically here with us because he is at the
right hand of the Father. But Jesus is present with us through
the Holy Spirit and builds his church through the work of the
Holy Spirit.
Paul talks about the Holy Spirit as a seal in Ephesians 1:13.
The language of a seal is important to understand. A seal is a
mark of ownership and authenticity. A seal provided security, as
well. In the first century, cattle and slaves were branded with
a seal by their owners to indicate to whom they belonged. If an
emperor wrote an official letter, he would seal the letter with
his ring. This was his official insignia to say this thing is
real and is not counterfeit. These were external seals.
God’s seal, however, is internal. Paul uses the language of
“seal” to talk of God’s authenticating work. Ephesians 1:13 is
saying that God gives us his Spirit to mark us as his own. God
has sealed us with the Spirit and we are now his adopted
children. Without the Spirit, our hearts are hard and we are
hopeless and dead in sin. When we are sealed with the Holy
Spirit, however, we are authenticated as true children of God.
The Spirit testifies to us through the word of God to our hearts
that we belong to God. Paul says the same thing later in
Ephesians 4:30, where we read that we were sealed by the Holy
Spirit for the day of redemption. This is an incredible
spiritual blessing for us! We have the security of forgiveness
through Christ’s blood and the gift of the Spirit. Not only
that, but we have great assurance as well, for God has set his
seal on us from all eternity. Satan can not harm us. We can
rejoice that our only comfort in life and in death is that we
belong to Christ and have received the seal of the Spirit.
Life in this fallen world is often hard and uncertain. Paul
knew this very thing, as he was beaten, stoned, and shipwrecked
(2 Corinthians 11:24-28). Our relationships with people have ups
and downs. Our life may feel unstable in terms of our health,
family, or job. However, if you believe then the promise for you
today in Ephesians 1:13-14 is that nothing can separate you from
God’s love in Christ. Not tribulation, or distress, or
persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword
(Romans 8:35-36). As Christians, we have the assurance that God
loves us because we read in his word that we have been sealed
with the Spirit.
It is important for us to know the work of the Holy Spirit. As
you know, there are a variety of opinions out there in the
church today on the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Pentecostals, for one, have plenty to say about the Holy Spirit.
One thing they will say is this: a person believes the gospel
and then is sealed with the Spirit at a later point. When he is
sealed with the Spirit, then he is baptized in the Spirit and
receives things like the gift of tongues.
Now, let us pause for a moment. Is this the proper way to
understand our salvation and the work of the Spirit? Well, an
important verse in this discussion is Ephesians 1:13. The ESV is
right here with the translation “when you heard the word of
truth…and believed…you were sealed with the promised Holy
Spirit.” The little word “when” is key here. These events are
all simultaneous. It is not that we hear the truth, believe in
Christ, and then later in life we are sealed with the Spirit.
Not at all. Rather, Ephesians 1:13 means we believe in him, who
is Christ, and are sealed with the Spirit at the same time.
Contrary to Pentecostalism, Ephesians 1:13 does not teach a
second baptism of the Holy Spirit. Thus, sealing does not follow
believing. Believing in Christ and the sealing of the Spirit are
simultaneous in our experience as Christians.
Look at what Paul also says here in v. 13: he talks about
“hearing the word of truth.” This is talking of the preaching of
the Word. Specifically, this is talking of the preaching of the
gospel of Jesus, which is what Paul is saying when he writes
“the gospel of your salvation.” The gospel is the good news of
what Christ has done to save us from our sins and misery. This
is a Trinitiarian redemption, as God the Father has chosen us in
Christ and sealed us with the Spirit (Ephesians 1:3, 14). We are
to put our trust in Jesus and believe in him, as Paul also says
in v. 13. We can only do this if the Holy Spirit applies the
gospel to our hearts.
Remember, the question we asked is “how does God build his
church when Christ is physically absent?” Well, God is present
in his church by the Holy Spirit. The preaching of the Word and
the administration of the sacraments are the ordinary means of
grace God has given to his church. Loved ones, it is here that
the Holy Spirit is at work in making unbelievers regenerate and
strengthening Christians in the faith which is once for all
delivered to the saints (Jude 3). We cannot speak of the Holy
Spirit apart from Christ and the church. To know the Holy Spirit
is to know the Spirit through the church of Christ, where the
word is preached and baptism and the Lord’s Supper are
administered. These means of grace are the primary way the
Spirit works to apply salvation to us and nourish and strengthen
believers.
The connection between hearing the word proclaimed and believing
this word and being sealed with the Spirit is made clear in
Ephesians 1:13. There is no such thing as a Christian who
believes but is not sealed with the Spirit. The primary way God
saves his people is through the preaching of the word. Romans
10:14-15 says: “but how are they to call on him in whom they
have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom
they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone
preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent?” The
preaching of the gospel is the means God has appointed to save
those whom he chose in Christ from before the foundation of the
world (Ephesians 1:4, 13). Preaching is not effective because of
the winsome personality of the preacher, but because the Holy
Spirit makes God’s people regenerate and seals them as they hear
the preaching of the word. So, those who hear the word preached
and believe also have the seal of the Spirit. The Spirit makes
preaching effective.
Thus far we have looked at something “past” in our first
point, talking of the Old Testament promises of the Spirit. We
have also looked at something “present,” which is the blessing
of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in the church. Now let’s go
to our third point, which is something “future,” although not
entirely future, as we will see.
Our third point is the Holy Spirit as a deposit. Look at
Ephesians 1:14: the Holy Spirit is “the guarantee of our
inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of
his glory.” Throughout Ephesians 1:11-18, Paul writes about our
final inheritance as Christians. Verse 11 says we have been
predestined to this inheritance. Verse 14 says the Holy Spirit
is a guarantee of this inheritance. And then verse 18 says that
the saints have a glorious inheritance. What is this
inheritance? This is our full, heavenly salvation. This is the
inheritance God promised to Abram back in Genesis 15 which was
purchased for us through the life, death, and resurrection of
Christ. 1 Peter 1:4-5 says that the believer has “an inheritance
that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven
for you.” Ephesians 1:14 is saying that the Holy Spirit is a
deposit and is God’s guarantee to us that he will give us this
great heavenly country.
We are not claiming this inheritance on our own. Rather, God
has claimed us as an inheritance. That is the point back in
Ephesians 1:11. God has chosen a people as his inheritance, as
Deuteronomy 32:9 says. Gentile and Jewish Christians are God’s
chosen possession, and one day God will give us the full
possession of the inheritance of heaven, as Ephesians 1:14 says.
So, God chooses us to be his inheritance, as v. 11 says, and the
Spirit guarantees our inheritance of heaven, as we see in v. 14.
God chooses us to be his own and gives us himself. The goal of
what God is doing here is this: God says he will be our God, and
he says we will be his people. This is the same promise made to
Abram back in Genesis 17:7 and again in John’s vision of the new
heavens and new earth in Revelation 21:3.
Looking more closely at Ephesians 1:14, we see the word
“guarantee” (ESV) or “pledge” (NASB) or “deposit” (NIV). In
ancient business transactions this Greek word talks of a pledge
or a guarantee connected with the thing it promises to give. Our
society works in much the same way. For instance, when a deposit
is put down on a house, this is the first installment of the
payment and the pledge of something more to come later.
Genesis 38 helps us a bit when understanding this language of
“pledge.” The context in Genesis 38 is the sexual sin of Judah
and Tamar. Judah wanted Tamar to do something for him. Tamar
asked for something from Judah in exchange, and Judah told her
he would send her a goat. Judah did not have the goat, so Judah
ended up giving her his seal, cord, and staff as a pledge until
he would send the goat. The seal, cord, and staff were a pledge,
or earnest, which was a guarantee that the inheritance of the
goat would later come to Tamar.
In Ephesians 1:14, the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our
inheritance (ESV). Now, it is true that the Holy Spirit is a
guarantee, but in reality the Holy Spirit is more than just a
guarantee. With the Holy Spirit, God is not just promising our
final inheritance but is giving us a foretaste, or a downpayment,
of that inheritance. Judah was going to receive back his cord
and staff once he paid Tamar, but that is not the case with the
Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the first installment of what is
promised to us in the future. The Spirit is not some sort of
collateral to tide us over for now which will be taken back once
we get to heaven.
The Holy Spirit is God’s unquestioning promise that his
children will receive the full inheritance of heaven. 2
Corinthians 1:22 and 5:5 also explain that the Holy Spirit is a
pledge of God’s faithfulness. 2 Corinthians 1:22 says God “has
also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as
a guarantee.” And then in 5:5 we read: “He who has prepared us
for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a
guarantee.” God has fulfilled his promise made to Abraham of a
great inheritance back in Genesis 15. Through Christ, the
promises to Abraham are fulfilled and today we are the children
of Abraham who receive the promise of heaven because we are in
Christ. Not only that, but we have the Holy Spirit as a pledge
and deposit of this heavenly land.
We already have the Holy Spirit, but we do not yet live in
heaven. We are groaning for that day when we will have
resurrected bodies. If we read a few verses beyond 2 Corinthians
5:5 we come to v. 7 and see that we walk by faith, not by sight.
On the one hand we are sure of our inheritance, yet we do not
yet have it in full. We are united to Christ and have all of
Christ’s benefits, but we live in a fallen world with sin,
disease, and death. All of us know the pain of living in this
world. We have bodies that grow old and get sick and die. But we
have the Holy Spirit, who testifies that we are children of God
(Romans 8:16). This Holy Spirit is a deposit of heaven as wait
to be taken out of this life and set free from all misery. The
Spirit causes us to thirst for the promise of heaven as we live
as pilgrims in this present evil age. What great assurance!
Our assurance is also seen in the truth that the Holy Spirit
is the agent of our future resurrection. We sit here today on
Sunday morning and as God’s children we look forward to being
raised one day by the Spirit with real bodies empowered and
indwelt by the Spirit (1 Corinthians 15). The good news for you
today if you believe is that you have the Holy Spirit now as a
down payment of this future, heavenly glory. The Holy Spirit
takes these heavenly promises and makes them present for us now
as we sit here and worship God.
We don’t pay God for this heavenly inheritance. Rather, God
has pledged to pay us. His pledge is the Holy Spirit. This is
something God has done in giving us the Spirit. This should
deepen our confidence in the gospel today. Our prayer is for the
Lord to come quickly. We pray “thy kingdom come,” which is a
prayer for Christ’s return. When he does return we will have
glorified bodies in the new heaven and new earth with no more
tears, pain, sorrow, or death, as Revelation 21:4 says.
There is a clear connection between the Spirit as a seal,
which was our second point, and the Spirit as a pledge, which is
our third point. God seals us with the Spirit, as Ephesians 1:13
says, and we receive all the benefits of salvation. Now
Ephesians 1:14 says this Holy Spirit is a down payment of
heaven. This inheritance is guaranteed for you today if you are
trusting in the merits of Christ for salvation. If you are
sealed with the Holy Spirit, then you also have the Holy Spirit
as a pledge of your heavenly inheritance, which is something God
has done for us in Christ. You have a certain hope laid up in
heaven (Colossians 1:5).
The last words of Ephesians 1:14 ground what Paul is saying
here. Remember from our earlier studies in Ephesians 1 when I
explained that Ephesians 1:3-14 is one long prayer. This is a
prayer of praise to God for his great plan of redemption. I pray
that as a result of this great salvation and the work of the
Holy Spirit as a seal and deposit we might resound in praise,
giving glory to God for such a great redemption. We belong to
God, and God is ours. What wonderful assurance we have as we
look to the promise of the new heavens and new earth and know
that God is our God and we are his people (Revelation 21:3).
Conclusion
In light of the popularity of Pentecostalism today, it is
important to know what we believe about the Holy Spirit. Our
Reformed confessions help us greatly in this regard, as question
and answer 53 of the Heidelberg Catechism says that the Holy
Spirit is co-eternal with the Father and the Son, is given to
us; makes us by a true faith a partaker of Christ and his
benefits; comforts us; and will abide with us forever. Knowing
this question and answer helps us understand the meaning of
texts like Ephesians 1:13-14.
Ephesians 1:13-14 is a past, present, and future promise of
the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was promised in the Old
Testament, in addition to being present among God’s people. The
Holy Spirit is present now with us as a seal of salvation, and
the Holy Spirit is a pledge to us of a future inheritance
greater than anything we can imagine. The result is that we have
security and assurance as God’s people. Because the Spirit is a
seal and a down payment, we have every spiritual blessing
(Ephesians 1:3). Our salvation is certain and secure. As a
result of this great work of the Holy Spirit, may we praise and
glorify our great Triune God.
I pray that you are one who believes in Christ, as Paul talks
about in Ephesians 1:13. If you are trusting in Christ then be
assured that you have been sealed with the Spirit. If you
believe today, then Ephesians 1:13-14 is true for you. Rejoice
today and give God the glory for this salvation.
Amen.
Rev. Ryan Kron
Pastor
Cloverdale United Reformed Church
Boise, ID
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