God’s mark of ownership, commitment and purpose on the child of God.
God has revealed truth progressively through His Word and sequentially through time. God does not give a complete doctrinal statement about Himself in Genesis, but, in successive ages and to a variety of believers, He has made Himself known. In this regard, little is revealed of the person of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. There are indicators and illustrations of the Spirit’s work, but there are no detailed explanations. The Lord Jesus introduces the Spirit and the ministry of the Spirit in the upper room.
The sealing of the Spirit is never referred to in Old Testament teaching, nor is it seen in the Gospels or Acts. It is Paul, through his epistles, who gives a fuller explanation of the Spirit’s work. He makes three statements about the sealing of the Holy Spirit that form our understanding of this important truth.
In 2 Corinthians 1:22, he says that it is “God that seals us and has given us the Spirit in our hearts as a deposit.” In Ephesians 1, and then again in chapter 4, believers are said to have been sealed. These texts put this action in the past as an event that happened at a point in time. But although it is a past activity, there are present and future implications of this sealing.
In the past, this is a completed action
This is a ministry of the Spirit that occurs at the very moment of salvation. Ephesians 1:13 ties this action of the Holy Spirit to the time of our believing. The Revised Version renders it, “when you believed you were sealed.” Romans 8:9 states that anyone without the Holy Spirit does not belong to Christ. The clear teaching of Scripture is that the Spirit regenerates and indwells at the moment of salvation, not before and not at a later date.
The sealing is a work of God with no corresponding response from man. There is no visible evidence for this action by God nor is there an inner feeling within the believer when this sealing takes place. The sealing by the Spirit is a fact stated in the Word of God, and it must be accepted and believed by faith.
To appreciate the impact and import of this truth, it is good to explore how the word “seal” or “sealed” is used in the Bible.
In Jeremiah 32:9-13, there is an account of a land purchase by Jeremiah. The Lord commanded this action as a sign to Israel of the fact that they would return to the land after the time of captivity. Jeremiah made the purchase and signed and sealed the deed. The seal was affixed to indicate that the price was paid and the transaction was complete. This is the seal that marks a finalized transaction.
In the Lord’s discourse about bread from heaven in John 6, He says of Himself, “God the Father has set His seal on Him.” This declaration meant that the Father had authenticated the Son as the source of the “food that endures to everlasting life.” This is the seal of divine approval.
Pilate gave the Jews Roman guards for the tomb of the Lord Jesus, which was officially secured and sealed. Matthew 27:66 states, “So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.” The seal was an attempt at security in addition to the contingent of soldiers. This seal actually carried the weight of the imperial Roman government and was meant to ensure against tampering of any kind. This seal was a visible expression of security.
In the future, as seen in Revelation 7, the 144,000 witnesses out of Israel will be sealed in their foreheads. This is in contrast to the “mark of the beast” and designates that these men belong to God. This is the seal of ownership.
All of these uses of the word are applicable to the sealing of the Spirit which takes place when a person is saved. The seal indicates that the price is paid and the transaction is complete. The believer enters into the truth of our Lord’s words, “It is finished!” as found in John 19:30. The seal of authentication displays that one truly is a child of God and thus has divine approval. The seal of security comes with all the authority of God and the assurance that no one can pluck us out of the Father’s hand. Finally, the seal of ownership declares that the Lord knows those that are His.
In the present, this gives assurance
An appreciation and appropriation of this truth will lead the believer to the conclusion that a child of God is eternally secure. In Ephesians, the sealing is tied to the guarantee of the redemption of the body. Ephesians 4:30 says that it is possible for a believer to grieve the Holy Spirit. This happens when there is unconfessed sin in a Christian’s life. But even when there is sin, the seal is still applicable as a past completed action. The Holy Spirit has personality and grieves over sin, but the Spirit does not depart from the believer. The believer in this age could never pray as David did in Psalm 51:11, “take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.”
Some would argue that accepting this truth gives believers a license to sin. To the contrary, this sealing and security should be an incentive for holy living. “The solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: The Lord knows those who are His. And, Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity” (2 Tim. 2:19).
When a believer embraces this truth by faith, it is then that they put on “the helmet of salvation.” This helmet gives assurance of salvation and security that allows one to stand against the fiery darts of the devil when he throws doubts as to the reality of salvation. The believer can stand on the fact of being sealed. Satan will not have an inroad into the believer’s mind and will retreat from the sword of the Spirit.
As to the future, there is certainty
As Paul writes about the sealing of the Spirit, he ties in the idea of “the earnest of the Spirit” mentioned in Ephesians 1:14 and 2 Corinthians 1:22. The word “earnest” conveys the thought of a guarantee or down payment. It is the deposit that guarantees the transaction will be complete. For believers, it is a proof that the work of redemption will be complete and that what Christ has purchased will be with Him in glory.
Believers can look ahead with complete assurance knowing that the Spirit’s sealing absolutely guarantees the redemption of the body and that our inheritance is secure. Even if a believer sins and grieves the Spirit, the seal remains as proof of a future redemption. Toplady’s hymn speaks of this great truth:
Yes, I to the end shall endure,
As sure as the earnest is given,
More happy but not more secure,
The souls of the blessed in heaven.