Pastor’s Pen Pulpit      Series:  The Holy Spirit in Today’s World

September 28, 2003

 

THE SEALING WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

Ephesians 1:13

 

The sealing with the Holy Spirit, although mentioned only a few times with reference to believers, is nonetheless one of the more significant ministries of God The Holy Spirit.  This will become evident as we go along.

 

The Meaning of the Sealing with the Holy Spirit.

 

The seal in the Old Testament is the token of the completion of a transaction.  When an agreement was concluded, the act completed and the price paid, the seal was affixed to the contract to make it definite (Jeremiah 32:9-11).

 

Jesus Christ agreed to leave heaven, come to earth and die for the sins of man.  When an individual receives Jesus as savior, the Holy Spirit is given to live within the believer.  His presence in the Christian is the official seal that an eternal transaction has been completed.  The believer is sealed with the presence of the Holy Spirit.  This seal is immediate, permanent and eternal.

 

The Sphere of the Sealing with the Holy Spirit.

 

The believer is sealed with or in the Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is the substance of the seal – the essence of the seal.

 

The Scope of the Sealing with the Holy Spirit.

 

All true believers are the recipients of the sealing with the Holy Spirit.

 

  1. Illustrated in the Corinthians (II Corinthians 1:22).
  2. In Ephesians 4:30 the sealing is the basis for exhorting believers not to grieve the Holy Spirit.
  3. There is no command nor condition for the sealing with the Holy Spirit.

 

The Time of the Sealing with the Holy Spirit.

 

The believer is sealed at the time of his faith in Jesus Christ as Savior (Ephesians 1:13,14).  Note carefully the grammatical implications “Having believed … you were sealed.”  “Sealed” is the main verb in the sentence.  The Greek text indicates that the sealing occurred at the same time as believing.  This is the only place in the New Testament were it is grammatically stated that the believer received the Holy Spirit at the time of faith in Jesus Christ.

 

The Significance or Purpose of the Sealing with the Holy Spirit.

 

The sealing with the Holy Spirit has several significant features:

 

  1. Ownership by God. We are stamped or branded by God as His property – Romans 8:9; II Timothy 2:19.
  2. Security that is permanently guaranteed – Ephesians 4:30.
  3. Authority over what He owns.
  4. Assurance – because the believer belongs to Jesus Christ by virtue of His work of redemption, the Holy Spirit’s presence as the seal or guarantee of ownership also begets assurance – Romans 8:14-17.
  5. The realization of all promised blessings at the day of redemption – Ephesians 4:30.

 

So you see Christian friends, the sealing with the Holy Spirit is God’s way of sealing you and me into the body of Christ permanently.  Let’s praise His wonderful name for His grace and mercy.  God bless.

 

Love in Him,

 

 

 

 

Thought for The Week

 

Believers must remember, our mission is fishin’!