Text: Ephesians 1:13,14

Over the past few weeks many of us have been very concerned about the Coronavirus outbreak. And because of the fear of being infected with this virus, we have been taking preventive measures like the five listed here – Wash hands, Use mask properly, Have temperature checked regularly, Avoid large crowds, and Never touch your face with unclean hands. Doing this helps us to feel a little safer against the epidemic that has reached our shores. But it does not completely eliminate the possibility of getting the virus.

The problem, as we all know, is that we are dealing with an enemy that is so microscopic that no one can see it. We can’t tell where the viruses are. We can’t even tell if anyone around us has it or not, because the people who are infectious may not have any visible symptoms. This is one reason why the coronavirus has spread so rapidly even in places where the most stringent preventive measures have been implemented. It’s extremely difficult to be completely safe against an enemy that is so invisible and so well-hidden. And the worst thing is that there is no available vaccine or cure for it yet.

Now we come to some really bad news: COVID-19 is not our greatest enemy. Man has another enemy that is also invisible and well-hidden. This enemy is many times worse than the Wuhan virus. It is found everywhere and has infected all mankind. It has destroyed countless lives and brought millions of souls into eternal death. This unseen and hidden enemy is called sin. Because God is holy and cannot tolerate sin, all who have sin are isolated from Him, and have to be quarantined forever in an awful place called hell.

The good news is that God has taken the most effective measures to deal with this terrible infection. Everyone to whom these measures are applied will be completely safe and will eventually be fully delivered from its impact on their lives. This is because God had already planned to save them from sin and eternal death long before the world existed. He has made them His very own people, His precious possession, and they belong to Him. In fact, each of them bears the permanent seal of God’s ownership. This is what we will see this morning as we study our passage of scripture in Ephesians 1:13,14. Let us turn our Bibles now to this passage and read it together in unison.

“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”

You may recall from a previous sermon that this is final part of the longest sentence in the Bible. The apostle Paul began in v.3 by praising God for all spiritual blessings. Then he went into detail on the spiritual blessings, beginning with the work of God the Father in predestinating us to be His adopted children in vv.4-6. In vv.7-12 Paul went on to the work of God the Son – redeeming us through His precious blood, and reconciling all things together in Himself. Then in vv.13-14 Paul ends with the work of God the Holy Spirit. The Spirit’s work in us is just as important as the work of the Father and the Son, and so we need to understand it well.

However, there is perhaps no doctrine where there is more confusion today than the doctrine of the person and work of the Holy Spirit. Even Christians who are clear on the basic doctrine that the Holy Spirit is God Himself, the third person of the Trinity, often confuse the different aspects of His work: e.g. His work of regeneration, the baptism of the Spirit, the inward call of the Spirit, the filling of the Spirit, and His work of sanctification.

This morning we will only consider the work of the Spirit in sealing us. Let us look at the passage we read. It tells us that three things happen when a person is saved. First, He hears the Word of truth, which is the Gospel. From other passages of Scripture we learn that for the elect, the outward call of the gospel is accompanied by the inward call of the Spirit which is irresistible. That irresistible call becomes evident when the person believes in Christ for salvation. And that is the second thing mentioned in this verse. It is at that point of believing that the third thing happens: the person is sealed with the Holy Spirit. Hence the logical sequence of events for our salvation is this: The inward call by the Holy Spirit when we heard the Gospel, then our believing in Christ, and then the Holy Spirit’s work of sealing our faith.

Now perhaps you may ask, what exactly is the seal mentioned here? It is obviously not a visible mark that is placed on every believer. The wording of this verse indicates that the seal is the Holy Spirit Himself. The Holy Spirit is the seal that God has placed upon us. The next question then is: What is He a seal of? To find out the significance of the Holy Spirit as our seal, we need to look at:

1. What were seals used for?
   
   a. Authentication

The word ‘seal’ has a very interesting historical background behind it. One of the purposes of sealing in the ancient world, was to authenticate contracts, laws, invoices and military orders. The seal was also used in the ratification of treaties between nations. Today we use signatures to authenticate such agreements, but in ancient times kings and rulers wore metal rings that were engraved with their name or a picture on it. To seal a document, some wet clay or sealing wax would be placed on the document. Then the ring would be pressed into the clay, leaving the seal’s imprint on it.

In the Bible we have the example of Joseph who was given the ring of Pharaoh. We also have an example in the Book of Esther of Mordecai who was given the ring of the Persian king. They were thus given authority to issue decrees by sealing them with the ring. Anyone who received such a document must first check it to ensure that it was sealed with the ring. Seals were therefore a mark of genuineness or authenticity. You could tell if a document was genuine or counterfeit just by looking for the seal. Hence they were like the security features that you can find on your dollar notes, e.g. the watermark.

b. Security

Seals were also a mark of security. Only those who are authorized to break the seal could open the sealed item. In ancient times, seals were used to keep tombs, libraries and treasuries from any unauthorised entry. For example, after the body of Christ had been laid in the garden tomb, the Jews came to Pilate and requested that the tomb be properly secured, lest the disciples should come and steal the body from it. According to Matthew 27:66 the Roman soldiers placed a seal on the stone which covered the entrance of the tomb, so that nobody could move that stone without breaking the seal.

c. Ownership

Besides authenticity and security, seals were also used as a sign of ownership. The seal was attached to goods indicate who their owner was. In the days when slavery was practised, the slave was sealed with a permanent mark made on his skin to indicate who his master was. And if the slave ran away and was caught, that seal would help the owner to identify his runaway slave.

Now, when our Scripture text speaks of believers as being sealed with the Holy Spirit, which of these three ideas do you think it implies? Is the sealing a sign of authentication? Well, only in an indirect sense. Because the final authentication of true believers actually comes from the changed life and the works that the Holy Spirit produces in them.

Is the sealing of the believer then meant to be a sign of security? Yes, that is possible, because Ephesians 4:30 tells us – “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” But this is not the primary meaning of the sealing of the Holy Spirit mentioned in Ephesians 1:13,14. By looking at the context of v.13 we will discover that the intended idea is that of ownership. And this answers the question…

2. What does it mean to be sealed with the Spirit?
   
   a. Our Ownership of the Heavenly Inheritance

Let us look closely again at the chapter. We observe that v.3 mentions that God has “blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ”. Then in v.11 we are told “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance,…” This inheritance is mentioned again in v.18 – “that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.” Here we can see that one of the glorious themes in this chapter is the fact that God has given us an eternal inheritance in heaven. But how do we know that this inheritance will certainly be ours? It is through the fact that God has given us the Holy Spirit in anticipation of that inheritance! Hence the Holy Spirit becomes the seal of our ownership of this heavenly inheritance.

We can compare this to the response of Abraham when God told him that he would inherit the land of Canaan, saying, “I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.” Abraham asked, “Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?” (Genesis 15:7,8) And the Lord then ratified His promise by a covenant-making ceremony. This ceremony involved an animal sacrifice which became the seal of Abraham’s ownership of the land.

b. God’s Ownership of Us

Now, if we look at chapter one again, we can find another theme in it, besides the theme of our ownership of the heavenly inheritance. This is the theme of God’s ownership of us. Look at v.5– “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself” The idea of ownership is also found in v.7 when it says, “In whom we have redemption through His blood…” To be redeemed is to be purchased. Since God has redeemed us, He owns us. We are now His possession because He has bought us with the precious blood of Christ. This truth is also mentioned in 1 Corinthians 6:20 – “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

Thus we have seen that the Holy Spirit is a seal of ownership in two senses – our ownership of the heavenly inheritance, as well as God’s ownership of us. By this seal of ownership we are assured that we are truly His, and that all His blessings certainly belong to us. This ministry of the Spirit is also mentioned in Romans 8:16,17 – “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God [i.e. God owns us]: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ...” [i.e. We own our heavenly inheritance] This helps us now to answer the next question…

3. How does this sealing benefit us?

What do we gain from it? This sealing gives us a strong assurance of our salvation. This comes from the fact that the sealing of the Holy Spirit in v.13 is used together with another word– the word ‘earnest’ which is found in the next verse. You see, vv.13 and 14 is actually one sentence – “…in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession…” This means that the Holy Spirit seals us by being the earnest of our inheritance. This truth is also mentioned in 2 Corinthians 1:21,22 – “Now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.”

What is the meaning of ‘earnest’? This is an old English word that we hardly use today, but which has the same meaning as “down payment” or a deposit that is laid down as a guarantee of purchase. Whenever we buy something that is costly and has to be delivered to us, we put a down payment first at the shop. This down payment is like a seal of ownership. It means that no one else can now purchase it, since it is already reserved for you. The down payment also means that the rest of the payment will be made.

In the same way, the Holy Spirit who came to us from heaven has been given to us as a ‘down payment’ or first instalment of heaven itself. His presence in us assures us that we have been given full ownership of the heavenly inheritance. Through the Holy Spirit in us, we are have a foretaste or preview of heaven itself! We can therefore live joyfully, with full assurance of our place in a bright future that holds unimaginable glory for us!

At the same time, the Spirit’s presence in us is also a guarantee that God now owns us. Let us look at 1 Corinthians 6:19 – “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” God has staked His claim on our lives by placing His Spirit in us.

As an illustration, think of how a young man proposes marriage to his fiancé. He goes on bended knee, opens a box and presents an engagement ring to her, saying, “Will you marry me?” And hopefully, she says, “Yes!” and wears the ring. Wearing the engagement ring assures the young lady that her wedding day is coming. We can think of the Holy Spirit as the engagement ring that God has given to us. It is understood by both God and ourselves to be the guarantee of our ultimate union. The Spirit’s indwelling presence in us testifies to us, “My beloved is mine and I am His.” (Song of Solomon 2:16). Seeing how wonderful it is to be sealed with the Spirit, we now come to the last question…

4. When are you sealed with the Spirit?

There are some who teach erroneously that believers are not sealed with the Spirit at the moment they believe in Christ, but at some time later on. They claim that the sealing of the Spirit is a second work of grace, which is also called the baptism of the Holy Spirit. They say that: “The initial evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit is speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance. This experience is distinct from, and subsequent to, the experience of the new birth.”

What does the Bible say? The true biblical doctrine is that if you have trusted in Christ for salvation, then you are already sealed with the Spirit. This sealing took place at the moment of your conversion. This is based on verse 13 which says, “…in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.” These two actions go together, and are inseparable. Sealing is the outcome of believing in Christ for salvation. You were sealed with the Spirit at the very moment that you started to believe in Him.

How did this sealing take place? It took place simply through being in Christ as a result of salvation. Christ Himself was sealed. Jesus said, “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for Him hath God the Father sealed.” (John 6:27) Therefore, it is only by being in Christ that you can be sealed.

And perhaps there may be someone here who is not in Christ yet. You need to understand that only Christ can give you everlasting life and salvation. If you are not in Christ yet, you are in a very dangerous position. There is nothing at all to keep you from being fully exposed to the awful judgment that God will bring upon sinners. And as the End Times draw nearer, a prelude to the eternal judgment of sinners will come in the form of all the judgments described in Revelation chapters 6-16. The first set of judgments is known as the Seven Seal Judgments. As each seal is opened, judgments of increasing severity are unleashed on the world, and all sinners on earth will experience famines, plagues, wars, and horrible disasters. They will be far worse than the coronavirus epidemic.

 But thankfully God has provided us with hope of divine help and deliverance when these judgments come. And that hope is found in Christ alone. I would urge you therefore to come and trust in Christ now without any more delay, before the Seal Judgments descend on the world. Then, no matter what happens, you will have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you as God’s precious seal of ownership, making you His dear child forever. So how do you trust in Christ for salvation?

First, you must accept everything that the Bible says about Christ and about yourself as true – that He is the Son of God who came down from heaven to be made a sacrifice for sin, and that you are a sinner who deserves nothing but the wrath of God.

Then, you need to confess to Him personally that you are a sinner in need of His salvation. Put your trust in the completed work of Jesus Christ alone, and stop trusting in your own good works to save you.

And third, to trust in Christ is also to commit your life to Him once and for all, with no thought of turning back. Let Him be your Lord and master from now on. Only then, will you be in Christ and be “sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory.” (vv.13-14)

Through this morning’s sermon we have learnt: (1) What seals were used for, (2) What it means to be sealed with the Spirit, (3) How this sealing benefits us, and (4) When this sealing takes place in us. I trust that you now have a better understanding of this sealing ministry of the Spirit, as there is tremendous value in knowing this.

This provides a wonderful source of assurance to us, which is valuable especially at moments when our hearts are gripped with fear, and our faith grows weak and we even begin to doubt our salvation. It is then that we need to read passages of Scripture like Ephesians 1:13,14 where God assures us that we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit who is the earnest or down payment of our inheritance.

And we can add on to that God’s assurance from all that we have learned from the book of Ephesians in our previous sermons: We have learned that we have been specially chosen and adopted by God as His dear children. We have also learned that we have been fully redeemed with the priceless blood of Christ. What greater assurance can we ask for? I trust the Holy Spirit Himself will take these sermons you have heard from Ephesians thus far, and testify in your heart that they are true of you personally, and that you truly belong to God.

This assurance that you truly belong to God will make a huge difference in the way you live your life, and in the way you serve the Lord. And in the uncertain times that we are living in now, this assurance will give you all the peace and hope that you need to cope with any trial or calamity you may have to face.

Three weeks ago a Chinese missionary pastor serving a local church in the city of Wuhan wrote about this wonderful peace in a letter. Please listen now, as I read an English translation of a portion of his letter: “During these past days the Wuhan pneumonia has been at the center of my thoughts and life, always seeking the latest news, always thinking of how our family and the church should face this. The situation is so critical, yet we trust in the Lord’s promises, that His thoughts toward us are of peace, and not evil (Jer. 29:11), and He allows a time of testing, not to destroy us, but to establish us. Therefore, Christians are not only to suffer with the people of this city, but we have a responsibility to pray for the fearful people of this city, and to bring the peace of Christ to them.

Firstly, we are to seek the peace of Christ to reign in their hearts (Heb. 3:15). Christ has already given us His peace, but His peace is not to remove us from disaster and death, but rather to have peace in the midst of disaster and death, because Christ has already overcome these things (John 14:27, 16:33). Otherwise we have not believed in the gospel of peace (Phil. 6:15), and with the world we would be terrified of pestilence, and lose hope in the face of death.

Why do only Christians have this peace? Because of sin, humans deserve the trials and tribulations that come upon them. “There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked” (Is. 48:22). We were all sinners. But Christ, because of faith, took our penalty, and gave us His peace. Therefore Paul says, who can bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. (Rom. 8:33). Christians may face the same tribulations with the world, but such tribulations are no longer punishment, but a new opportunity to grow nearer to the Almighty, to purify our souls, an opportunity to proclaim the gospel.

In other words, when disaster strikes us, it is but a form of God’s love, and as Paul firmly believed, who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger or sword?... Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things present nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:35-39).

In today’s words, Wuhan’s pestilence cannot separate us from the love of Christ, this love is in our Lord Jesus Christ. These words are so comforting for us: that we have already become one with Christ. We have a part in His sufferings, and we have a part in His glory. All that is Christ’s is ours, and all that is ours is Christ’s. Therefore, since Christ is with us as we face the pestilence in this city, the pestilence cannot harm us. If we die in the pestilence, it is an opportunity to witness to Christ, and even more to enter into His glory.

Thus, my brothers and sisters, I encourage you to be strong in Christ’s love. If we have to experience death more deeply in this pestilence, by understanding the gospel we may more deeply experience Christ’s love, and grow ever nearer to God.” Unquote.

I trust that each of us will draw nearer to God as we understand all the spiritual blessings that we have in Christ. And may the Lord grant us all the blessed peace and assurance that comes from being in Christ and belonging to Him.

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