“And you also were included in Christ when you heard
the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed,
you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption
of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of His glory”
– Ephesians 1:13-14 –
Paul invites the Ephesians to a new experience: by believing in Christ they are sealed by the Holy Spirit.
But what does it mean to be sealed? The stamp and signature guarantee the document and establish membership and ownership. The seal means we belong to God. He buys us in order to free us and we say that we are His property. It seems contradictory, but it is not, since complete freedom is only found in Him.
This seal also means safety and protection. The Holy Spirit remains with the believer forever. We may sadden Him, but He does not abandon us, He will always remain and act toward our salvation.
The seal also implies that the document is genuine and authentic. And in the Christian life, only the presence of the Spirit can make us spiritually authentic.
Redemption has three stages:
- We were redeemed from the condemnation of sin by Christ’s death.
- We are redeemed to the extent that we allow the Spirit to act in us and free us from the guilt and power of sin.
- We will be redeemed from the presence of sin at Christ’s return, when we will see Him and be like Him.
Paul confirms that being sealed by the Holy Spirit is equivalent to a deposit, or guarantee, on our inheritance (that is, untill we come into possession of the aquired inheritance). Now, what is the “deposit” Paul mentions? Only Paul uses this word for both the Corinthians and the Ephesians. Legally, a deposit means a first payment, or a down payment of what will be received later. It is the guarentee of what we will receive and the deposit which guarantees our inheritance.
“The Spirit whom God has given them is for Christians the guarantee of their full future possession of salvation,” wrote Johannes Behm. This deposit is a symbol of our acceptance of God’s will, of love, belonging, and faithfulness forever. Thus, the seal of the Holy Spirit is the initial payment of our heavenly heritage; is the guarantee that, in due course, we will receive the inheritance in its entirely.
Soon Jesus will say, “Behold the purchase of My Blood!
For these I suffered, for these I died, that they might dwell
in My presence throughout eternal ages” (The Great Controversy, P. 671).
In Heaven we will praise and glorify God forever.
God bless you…