God has given us the book of Ephesians because He wants us to see the riches He has bestowed on us in the Beloved (Eph. 1:6) God wants us to enter into a life of living within this wealth. We are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ (1:3). God chose us before the foundation of the world (1:4). God adopted us as sons (1:5) God freely bestowed His grace on us in Christ (1:6). God has forgiven us for our sins and freed us from the penalty of those sins (1:7). God has revealed something to us that was a mystery in Old Testament times, namely the gospel of Jesus the Christ (1:8-10). God has provided us with an eternal inheritance that will surely be delivered to us at the end (1:11). That delivery is as sure as the certainty of the Creator of heaven and earth being able to do what He purposes to do (1:11). The Christian’s wealth that is based on these marvelous truths comes from both God the Father and God the Son.
God the Holy Spirit comes into view in Ephesians 1:13-14, “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation — having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.” (NASU) These two verses are a marvelous assurance that this wealth is already ours. The believer’s place in the eternal presence of the Living God is already as sure as if we were already residing in heaven. God the Holy Spirit has come on us and in us to effectually seal us and to serve as a guaranteeing down payment that assures the rest of the payment.
Surely Paul was aware of the seal of the Roman government placed on official documents and such. Almost as certainly, he had this seal in mind as an illustration of the sealing of the Holy Spirit. The Roman seal assured the genuineness of the document. It also insured safe passage for the bearer. No one would dare to trifle with the official government courier. The Roman seal guaranteed the authenticity of the document. No one except the rightful recipient would dare to break the seal to molest the contents. All the combined power and might and wrath of the Roman government stood behind that seal. All the power and might and wrath of Almighty God stand behind the sealing of the Holy Spirit on the life of the Christian. The sealing of the Holy Spirit is a precious, precious truth that we are genuine, authentic, approved, confirmed, safe and secure in Christ. Death, life, principalities, powers, personal doubts, backsliding, etc.
cannot break the seal.
Furthermore, the Holy Spirit is given as a pledge, earnest money, guaranteeing that He who began a good work in the Christian will complete that good work. Justification has already taken place. We have been forgiven and no longer have to pay the penalty for our sin. Sanctification is currently taking place in us. We are being freed from bondage to the sin that enslaved us. Because of the giving of the Holy Spirit we can be sure that glorification will take place one day. We can be assured that one day we will receive a glorified body. We can have complete confidence that one glorious day we will be free from the very presence of sin. Hallelujah for such precious truth! God sees every Christian in the Beloved and sealed by the Holy Spirit.
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