Last Time: we talked about what it means to be “In Christ.” Those words appear 164 times in Paul’s writings and in Ephesians alone, 31 times. In the 4 verses we are doing today, it appears 5 times. Out of being “in Christ” we spoke about being blessed with every spiritual blessing and today, these verses follow the same thread. It’s about receiving a great blessing from God. Last time, we said that material blessings just last for the present but spiritual blessings lasting beyond our lifetime. Today, I want to further the theme of being in Christ, and see how 3 great consequences emerge from this:
1. Being Sealed by the Spirit; and 2. The Guarantee of Inheritance; and 3. What that means Positionally (SGP).
Think of Ephesians as Being (chap 1to 3) and Doing (chap 4 to 6).
2.1. Sealing is Fulfilment of Promise (1:13): Until Jesus comes along, there is little written about the Holy Spirit. We have the picture of the Spirit of God hovering over the waters before creation begins (Gen 1), there is David’s “take not thy Holy Spirit from me” (Psalm 51) and there’s also the picture of the valley of dry bones from Ezekiel. The Sprit’s presence was sporadic. So, Jesus comes and breaks the news of the pending advent of the Spirit and when that happens on Pentecost, what follows subsequently is the fulfilment. But now, Paul introduces the words “sealed with the Spirit.” Jesus uses those words only once in the Gospels. You will notice that in these verses the apostle does not use the words such as you have the Spirit or the Spirit comes upon you. Instead, he specifically writes about being “sealed.” This is official, legal language. We must realize that we are totally dependent on the Spirit and cannot do anything but for the Spirit. We cannot be aware of our sin if it were not for the Spirit but now the word is “sealed.” The official language should mean something important. What difference does it make that we are a sealed people? In fulfilment of the promise that the Spirit will be with and in you but it also does something!
2.2. Sealing is Authentication: There is a legal expression: signed, sealed and delivered. It means the document bears a signature; the signature and it also bears the seal of the person who signs it. The embossed seal is personal and is like that person’s finger prints. And “delivered” means the papers have been delivered to the recipients. What it all means is the document is good for what it bears.
It is genuine and the real deal. This is an authentication process. When it comes to us and the Holy Spirit’s seal, what that metaphor means is a promise has been made by God. Remember the words: “I shall be your God and you shall be my people.” This is covenant language. The sealing of the Spirit is an authentication and validity that the spiritual blessings will come to pass.
God authenticates his presence and promises through the Spirit We have something that the OT saints didn’t have. The permanent presence of the Spirit with and in us.
Is that a “blah” event? What I hope to get across is that we can never be the same once we bear the marks or the authentication of the Spirit on us. It gives greater perspective to what Jesus says about John the Baptist and his announcement: “Yet the one who is least in the kingdom is greater than he” (Lk 7:28).
2.3. Sealing Means Being Authorized: There is one other scene where Jesus uses the word “sealed.” In John 6:27 he says: “do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you*. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”* That means God has made it clear that he is the Son of God, given him authority, authentication, established his ministry and anointed him as Messiah. Jesus was sealed at his baptism when the Spirit came upon him and the Father says those words: “this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” (Mt 3:17). Thus, the Father validates and attests that Jesus is his Son and is authorized and empowered and the Spirit drives him out to the wilderness to be tempted and tested. This sets him on the course for ministry. The sealing is a milestone, is a sign of being established for ministry – given all the tools for what he is to do.
Just think of it; the Spirit interphases with the human spirit and bears witness: that means he gives assurance, comfort and confirms that Jesus if the Son of God. This is a continual action between God and human. Does that explain why Paul was not writing as a person bearing the pain of chains? What that means to us is we have a powerful demonstration from God himself that everything he said to us will come to pass and his presence in us is evidence of this promise. There’s nothing in this world and in the heavens that can deny us this inheritance. Nothing on earth or heaven can separate us from the love of Christ. Think of that for a second: if nothing can separate us from the love of Christ and that means we have rights as the children of God in addition to responsibilities.
3.1. Sealing and Nominalism: I recommend you get hold of the sermons of Dr Martin Lloyd Jones on Ephesians from about 2 generations ago. Back then, he said that one reason why the church of his day was so underpowered is her capacity to bear witness to Christ was her failure to come to terms with what Sealing of the Spirit means and this has resulted in Christian lives that do not manifest the Gospel and as a result, the world has ceased to be interested in what the church stands for. A lifeless and moribund church does not attract unbelievers. **** ****
3.2. Sealing and Empowerment: you will remember what happens to Jesus after he was sealed by the Spirit during his baptism - he was empowered for ministry. Combine that with the principle that a seal bears the authority of the person giving the seal. It means that the person receiving the seal is an empowered person. He carries the authority of God. Jesus had God’s seal and was authorized and therefore empowered to go forth and so did the apostles after they were sealed by the Spirit after Pentecost.
No more were they afraid and hesitant but on the contrary, they bore the seal and were now an empowered bunch who were filled with the Spirit. Look at Acts 8 – we see Phillip entering Samaria – formerly a place that Jews do not go to – and he preaches Christ. People are paying attention, unclean spirits came out, and people were healed (Acts 8:6-7).
Look at Saul after Damascus Road. He gets blinded and while at Damascus, Ananias prays for him and he is filled with the Spirit and immediately, something like scales fall from his eyes and he regains his sight (Acts 8:17-18). What I am saying is once God seals with the Spirit, we are no longer the same, we are an empowered people.
4.1. What is a Guarantee/Earnest: The apostle wants to comfort and encourage and build up the people telling them that they are under a new dispensation of grace; a new age in which they are no longer expected to be passive. But people are timid and shy.