The Sealing of the Spirit (1)

Ephesians 1:13 proclaims that believers are "sealed" with the Holy Spirit. But what is a seal? Typically, a seal comes in the form of a piece of wax or lead or paper, etc., with a stamped design. It has three main uses. First, a seal is a mark of authenticity and/or authority. For example, Pharaoh gave his signet ring (a seal) to Joseph as his number two in the kingdom (Gen. 41:42). Thus Joseph exercised the royal authority of Pharaoh as his official representative. Second, a seal is used to witness a document. Jeremiah bought a field in Anathoth (to show that Judah would come back from the Babylonian captivity), and the title deeds were sealed by witnesses (Jer. 32:11-14). Third, a seal is used for security. Think of a sealed document that can only be opened by an authorized person (like the scroll with seven seals in Revelation 5 that only the Lamb who was slain could open). Even today, seals are still used in our society for similar purposes: as a mark of authority or authenticity, as a witness and for security.

What about the sealing of the Spirit in Ephesians 1:13? All of the above ideas apply. Those sealed are the authentic or genuine children of God who bear God’s name as prophets, priests and kings. The Spirit witnesses to us that we are Christ’s. We are sealed as those eternally secure by God’s almighty grace.

Underlying all this and even more basic to our sealing by the Spirit is ownership and belonging. The Spirit has sealed us for God owns us and we belong to Him through Christ’s redemption of us. With that seal stamped upon us, we have the hallmark of authentic Christians; we are God’s representatives; we have the witness off the Holy Spirit in our hearts; and we are secure, for we are possessed by the Triune God.

You, believer, have been stamped with God’s seal! The script of this seal reads, in effect, "You belong to Me!" Though the language of "sealing" might be new to you, the idea should not be. It is the teaching of the very first Lord’s Day of the Heidelberg Catechism: I do not belong to myself but to my faithful saviour, Jesus Christ, who redeemed me by His precious blood. This, we confess, is our "only comfort in life and death."

How is this seal related to the Holy Spirit? God seals us with the Spirit and the Spirit Himself seals us because the Holy Spirit is Himself God’s seal in us. The Holy Spirit, who is in each believer personally, witnesses to us, "You belong to the Triune God! He owns you body and soul. You will always belong to Him in Jesus Christ." This, in theological terminology, is assurance, assurance of our salvation.

But why does the Holy Spirit—and not the Father or the Son—seal and assure us of our salvation? Because within the Holy Trinity the Holy Spirit is the bond, uniting the Father and the Son in a bond of love and fellowship, a personal, divine bond. Thus in the work of salvation, the Spirit is the bond uniting us to the Triune God in Jesus Christ, consecrating and dedicating us to Him and joining us to Him. The Spirit who unites us to the living God is the same One who witnesses to us of this union. What a witness He is! A living, personal, divine seal testifying in our consciousness that we are Christ’s forever! This is assurance, assurance of our salvation!

This sealing of the Holy Spirit needs to be understood in its context, the one long sentence that is Ephesians 1:3-14, a glorious doxology or blessing of God for all the spiritual blessings (i.e., the blessings of the Holy Spirit) that we have in Christ Jesus, according to God’s eternal, unconditional election (3-4).

The Spirit witnesses to us that we have been elected and predestinated by God and so we belonged to God before the foundation of the world (4-5). The Spirit of adoption testifies to each believer, "You are God’s son [or daughter]." As those redeemed by Christ’s blood, the Spirit assures us that we are owned by God and all our sins are blotted out (7). The Spirit testifies to us that we are included in God’s great plan of uniting all things in heaven and earth in Jesus Christ (10-11) and that we are dedicated to the praise of the glory of His grace (6, 12, 14). This is what the Holy Spirit, as God’s seal in us, witnesses to, and assures, each and every believing man, woman and child by the Word!

Remember that the theme of Ephesians is "The Church as the Body of Christ." The whole congregation and each believer must know this sealing of the Spirit in order to function aright as Christ’s body in all its service in worship, witnessing, mutual edification, prayer, fellowship, etc. For without the assurance that we belong to Jesus Christ, how can we pray to "Our Father" in heaven? How can you praise God or do good works in gratitude for your salvation, if you are not sure that Christ bore all your sins on the cross? How can you fellowship with other believers, if you are not sure that you are included in the communion of the saints with Jesus Christ? See how necessary and important is this blessed ministry of the Spirit, as He seals the truth of the biblical and Reformed gospel in our hearts and assures us that we belong to our faithful saviour!