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Sealed With the Holy Spirit (#156190)
Sealed With the Holy Spirit
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From:
Doctrinal Definitions: A Handbook of Doctrinal Terms & Expressions in the New Testament
By:
Stanley Bruce Anstey
• 4 min. read • grade level: 10
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This term refers to the Holy Spirit taking up residence in a person upon his believing
“the gospel of his salvation”
(
Eph. 1:13; 4:30
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, (Ephesians 1:13)
30
And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30)
;
2 Cor. 1:22
22
Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. (2 Corinthians 1:22)
). He thereby understands that he has been marked out as being Christ’s, and as a result, he has a conscious understanding that his soul’s salvation is eternally secure.
The seal of the Spirit has not so much to do with others knowing that we are Christ’s, but rather that we know our security in Him. H. P. Barker said, “The leading thought connected with sealing in Scripture is that of security. A thing was sealed to make it secure for its owner” (
The Holy Spirit Here Today
, p. 33). The
“earnest of the Spirit”
(
2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5
22
Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. (2 Corinthians 1:22)
5
Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 5:5)
;
Eph. 1:14
14
Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:14)
) and the
“anointing [unction] from the Holy One”
(
1 John 2:20, 27
20
But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. (1 John 2:20)
27
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. (1 John 2:27)
) also refer to the Spirit’s indwelling presence, but they have to do with different functions of the Spirit in the believer. (See
Earnest of the Spirit
and
Unction
.)
Many Christians are not clear as to when the sealing of the Spirit takes place in a soul’s history with God. Most think that a person receives the Holy Spirit (
“anointed,” “sealed,”
and given
“the earnest”
–
2 Cor. 1:21-22
21
Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;
22
Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. (2 Corinthians 1:21‑22)
) when he is born again (quickened). However, this is not what Scripture teaches. A quickened or born again person will not be anointed, sealed, and given the earnest of the Spirit until he rests on the finished work of Christ. Quickening and sealing are two distinct actions of the Spirit that do not occur at the same time in a person’s history with God. A person may be quickened (born again) by the Spirit and the Word without him having any conscious knowledge of the gospel of God’s grace (
John 3:3-8
3
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4
Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7
Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8
The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. (John 3:3‑8)
). But sealing, anointing, and having the earnest of the Spirit require a person understanding the truth of the gospel concerning Christ’s finished work on the cross and resting in faith on it for his soul’s salvation.
These two actions of the Holy Spirit must not be confused. We are
“born of the Spirit”
(
John 3:8
8
The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. (John 3:8)
) and are thereby given a divine life, and thus become the
children
of God. But it is not until we are
“sealed with the Holy Spirit”
(
Eph. 1:13
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, (Ephesians 1:13)
) upon believing on the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work that we become
sons
of God (
Rom. 8:14-15
14
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. (Romans 8:14‑15)
;
Gal. 4:6-7
6
And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
7
Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (Galatians 4:6‑7)
). Sonship refers to having a favoured place in the family of God. (See
Adoption
.) Upon receiving of the Holy Spirit, the believer’s conscience is purged (
Heb. 9:14
14
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:14)
) and he is made part of the body of Christ (
Eph. 2:16-18
16
And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
17
And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
18
For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. (Ephesians 2:16‑18)
). (See
Born Again
,
Deliverance
, and
Salvation
.)
Regarding the difference between quickening and sealing, J. N. Darby said, “The indwelling of the Holy Ghost is a very different thing from the quickening power of the Spirit. The Old Testament saints were subjects of this quickening power of the Spirit, but the indwelling of the Holy Ghost could not be till Jesus was glorified. Instances given in the Acts where there was an interval of time to make us sensible of the distinction of the two” (
Collected Writings
, vol. 26, p. 8). A. P. Cecil said, “I believe Scripture plainly teaches not only a distinction between new birth and sealing with the Spirit, but also an interval of time between the two things. It may be long or short; but the interval of time is there, in the same way as when a man builds his house, and afterwards dwells in it” (
Helps by the Way,
vol. 3, NS, p. 175). F. G. Patterson said, “These two actions of the Holy Ghost are never, as far as I know, synchronous—they do not happen at the same moment” (
Scripture Queries and Answers, Words of Truth,
vol. 3, p. 138).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John 6:27
27
Labor 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)
states that the Lord Jesus was
“sealed”
with the Holy Spirit. This is a reference to what occurred at His baptism (
John 1:29-33
29
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
30
This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.
31
And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
32
And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
33
And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. (John 1:29‑33)
). He, of course, did not need cleansing before the Spirit could rest upon Him, just as Aaron (a type of Christ) did not need to be sprinkled with blood—as did his sons who are a type of the Church—before he was anointed with oil, which is a type of the Holy Spirit (
Lev. 8:12
12
And he poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron's head, and anointed him, to sanctify him. (Leviticus 8:12)
).
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