The Holy Spirit has come to seal the saints forever

 4)            Ephesians 1:11-14 read: 11) “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 12) That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. 13) 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, 14) Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” In verse 11 the clause, ‘obtained an Inheritance’ is the Greek word kleroo (klay-roh’-o), meaning: ‘1. to allot 2. (figuratively) to assign (a privilege).’ Your spiritual rebirth is a privilege, an unmerited favour showered on you all because you believed the truthfulness of the gospel of redemption in Christ Jesus.

‘Predestinated’ is proorizo (proh-or-id’-zo) ‘1. to limit in advance 2. (figuratively) predetermine.’ God had seen you long before you were brought into being. He knew you would believe in His word, ergo, He did something about the unborn you. It was, is, and will also be His divine doing. The word ‘worketh’ is energeo (en-erg-eh’-o): ‘to be active, efficient.’ God’s soteriological activity concerning every Christian is marked by the efficiency of the Divinity. He does all the work of salvation perfectly. All you need to do is just to have a believing heart. So, why any should whine about the possibility of losing this salvation is clearly not of God’s Scripture.

 He was there on the day of Pentecost!

‘Counsel,’ boule (bou-lay’), is ‘1. volition, the act of willing or resolving 2. (objectively) advice 3. (by implication) purpose.’ ‘Will’ is thelema (thel’-ay-mah) meaning, ‘1. a determination (properly, the thing) 2. (actively) choice 3. (specially) purpose, decree 4. (abstractly) volition  5. (passively) inclination.’ Counsel’ and ‘will’ tell us in an unconcealed language that it is absolutely the volitional determined will of God that you became born again. He had before the foundation of the earth, decreed your salvation. He did it knowing fully well that you will do His will.

‘Be’ of the 12^th verse is an interesting einai (ei`-nai). It means ‘to exist.’ It is not of becoming; it is a being that is galvanized by God’s own life. It comes from eime, the AM part of I AM i.e. Jehovah. You are divinely covered in safety. Your existence is ensured by God’s effective safe-keeping. Amen. The word ‘trusted’ of verse 12 proelpizo (pro-el-pid’-zo), is ‘to hope in advance of other confirmation.’ Your faith in Jesus saved you. You believed the gospel, with no strings attached, and were saved.

In verse 13, we have ‘believed’ pisteuo (pist-yoo’-o). This word is defined as: ‘1. to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e. credit 2. (by implication) to entrust (especially one’s spiritual well-being to Christ).’

‘Sealed,’ sphragizo (sfrag-id’-zo) is so meaningfully pregnant. It is defined as: ‘1. to stamp (with a signet or private mark) for security or preservation 2. (by implication) to keep secret, to attest.’ The seriousness of this ‘sealed’ is in the fact that God, the Holy Spirit, is the ‘seal.’ The sealing comes with a ‘promise,’ which in Greek is epaggelia (ep-ang-el-ee’-ah): ‘1. an announcement (for information, assent or pledge) 2. (especially) a divine assurance of good.’ If God assures with the sealing of Himself, i.e. the third Member of the Godhead, how can He break the same promise, knowing fully well that His word is on the line?

Verse 14 has ‘earnest’ arrhabon (ar-rhab-own’) which is: ‘a pledge, i.e. part of the purchase-money or property given in advance as security for the rest.’ How secured is the Holy Spirit as an advance payment? If the payment is a guarantee for your salvation, should you not rest assured that if the Holy Spirit is eternal, so is the earnest?’ The same verse has the word ‘inheritance’ kleronomia (klay-ron-om-ee’-ah) meaning: ‘1. Heirship 2. (concretely) a patrimony 3. (genitive case) a possession.’ Our heirship is a Holy Spirit guaranteed phenomenon. What can, in heaven or the earth, abrogate this patrimony?

The Trinity is well involved in your security

The word of God teaches that the seal remains valid in the custody of the Comforter ‘until’ the ‘redemption’ of the ‘purchased possession.’ The preposition ‘until’ is eis (eis) ‘1. to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time 2. (figuratively) to or into a purpose (result, etc.).’ Apolutrosis (ap-ol-oo’-tro-sis) is the Greek for ‘redemption’ and it means: ‘1. (the act) ransom in full 2. (figuratively) riddance 3. (specially) Christian salvation.’ What is ‘purchased possession?’ It is kleronomia (klay-ron-om-ee’-ah): ‘1. Heirship 2. (concretely) a patrimony 3. (genitive case) a possession.’ Nothing vitiates your salvation as long as it is in the Almighty hand of the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Get born again by praying this prayer with all your heart and truthfully: Dear heavenly Father, I come to You now in the name of Jesus Christ. I believe in my heart that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe in my heart that Jesus died for my sins and You raised Him from the dead. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord, and I receive Him as my Lord and my Saviour. I give God all the glory, Amen.            (…to be continued…)

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