Ephesians 1:13

And Paul says of it: "You too, were sealed with the Holy Spirit of the promise." Through this seal, the friends are distinguished from the enemies, free men from slaves, heavenly men from the earthly. This seal is imprinted on the forehead of the contemplative …

Once the Apostle has enumerated the blessings offered generally to all the faithful, then those especially given the Apostles (1:8), he begins to recount those granted to the Ephesians themselves. This section is divided into two parts: First, he sets down the favors shown them. …

That is, in Christ. So also to the Hebrews he says: "has spoken to us in the Son" (Heb. 1:2). He calls the preaching "the word of truth" in contrast to the law, which was a foreshadowing and shadow, and "the gospel of salvation" in …

Likewise believed, after ye had heard the gospel - Which God made the means of your salvation; in whom after ye had believed - Probably some time after their first believing. Ye were sealed by that Holy Spirit of promise - Holy both in his nature and in his operations, and promised to all the children of God.

The blessed Spirit is holy himself, and he makes us holy. He is called the Spirit of promise, as he is the promised Spirit. By him believers are sealed; that is, separated and set apart for God, and distinguished and marked as belonging to him.

In whom ye also trusted,....

It is the gospel of our salvation: it publishes the glad tidings of salvation, and contains the offer of it: it points out the way that leads to it; and the blessed Spirit renders the reading and the ministration of it effectual to the salvation of souls.

In whom ye also trusted - This stands in contrast with those who had “first” embraced the gospel. Heard the word of truth - The gospel; called the “word” or message of truth, the word of God, etc. See Rom 10:17. The phrase “the word of truth” means “the true word or message.” It was a message unmixed with Jewish traditions or Gentile philosophy. The gospel of your salvation - The gospel bringing salvation to you. In whom also - In the Lord Jesus.

IT appears from the preceding verse that the predestinating purpose of God deals not only with salvation as a whole, but with the details of it—it includes faith as well as salvation which comes of faith. "Being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who works all things after the counsel of His own will, that we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ." The trust is appointed as well as the justification—the means as well as the end.

The witnessing to our hearts that we are the children of God, and heirs (Eph 1:11), is the Spirit's present testimony, the "earnest of the (coming) inheritance" (Ro 8:16-18). that Holy Spirit of promise--rather, as the Greek, "The Spirit of promise, even the Holy Spirit": The Spirit promised both in the Old and New Testaments (Joe 2:28; "The word" promised the Holy Spirit.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens

If we paused here, we might give up all idea of beholding from our houses of clay that goodly land and Lebanon; but we do not pause, for like the Apostle, we go on with the text and we add, "But He has revealed it unto us by His Spirit." It is possible to look within the veil! God's Spirit can turn it aside for a moment, and bid us take a glimpse—though it is but a distant one—at that unutterable Glory!

If we paused here, we might give up all idea of beholding from our houses of clay that goodly land and Lebanon; but we do not pause, for like the Apostle, we go on with the text and we add, "But He has revealed it unto us by His Spirit." It is possible to look within the veil! God's Spirit can turn it aside for a moment, and bid us take a glimpse—though it is but a distant one—at that unutterable Glory! There are Pisgahs even now on the surface of the earth, from the top of which the celestial Canaan can be beheld; there are hallowed hours in which the mists and clouds are swept away, and the sun shines in its strength and our eyes, being freed from their natural dimness, behold something of that land which is very far off, and glimpse a little of the joy and blessedness which is reserved for the people of God hereafter! Our text tells us that the Holy Spirit is the earnestof the inheritance, by which I understand that He is not only the pledge, for a pledge is given for security, but when the thing pledged is given, then the pledge itself is restored—but He is an earnest, which is a pledge and something more. An earnest is a part of the thing itself—it is not only a pledge of the thing for security— but it is a foretaste of it for present enjoyment. The word in the Greek has a stronger force than our word, "pledge." Again I repeat it—if I promise to pay a man something, I may give him land or property in pledge; but if I pay him a part of the sum which I have promised, that is more than a pledge—it is an earnest, because it is a part of the thing itself. So the Holy Spirit is a pledge to God's people. Inasmuch as God has given them the Graces of the Spirit, He will give them the Glory that results from there.

MANY sincerely seeking souls are in great trouble because they have not yet attained to an assurance of their interest in Christ Jesus—they dare not take any comfort from their faith because they suppose that it has not attained to a sufficient strength. They have believed in the Lord Jesus and they have His promise that they shall be saved, but they are not content with this—they want to get assurance and then they suppose they shall have a better evidence of their salvation than the bare word of the Savior. Such persons are greatly mistaken.

MANY sincerely seeking souls are in great trouble because they have not yet attained to an assurance of their interest in Christ Jesus—they dare not take any comfort from their faith because they suppose that it has not attained to a sufficient strength. They have believed in the Lord Jesus and they have His promise that they shall be saved, but they are not content with this—they want to get assurance and then they suppose they shall have a better evidence of their salvation than the bare word of the Savior. Such persons are greatly mistaken. But as that mistake is a very painful one, and exercises the most injurious influence upon them, we will spend this morning in trying, as God shall help us, to clear up their difficulty. We want them to see that if they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, even though they should not have attained to the precious Grace of full assurance of faith, yet nevertheless they are saved! And being justified by faith, they may rightfully enjoy peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord! Their mistake seems to me to be this—they look for ripe fruit upon a tree in spring and because that season yields nothing but blossoms, they conclude the tree to be barren. They go to the head of a river—they find it a little rippling brook, and because it will not float a "Great Eastern," they conclude that it will never reach the sea, and that, in fact, it is not a true part of the river at all. They look upon themselves as being little children and such they are—but because they cannot speak plainly on account of having been so newly born, they therefore conclude that they are not the children of God at all! They see strong men in Christ Jesus performing great exploits. And because they, as yet, are but young and feeble, they conclude that they are not in the family of Grace.

I HAVE taken the whole passage for the sake of completing the sense, but I have no intention whatever of preaching upon all of it. Practically I only need for the topic of this morning the following words—"In whom also after that you believed, you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise." The sealing of the Holy Spirit will be the subject of our meditation.

I HAVE taken the whole passage for the sake of completing the sense, but I have no intention whatever of preaching upon all of it. Practically I only need for the topic of this morning the following words—"In whom also after that you believed, you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise." The sealing of the Holy Spirit will be the subject of our meditation. There are many who have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ who are extremely anxious to obtain some token for good, some witness from God which shall render them quite sure that they are saved. They have not yet reached the full assurance of faith and they feel uneasy till they attain it. They feel that these matters are too important to be left at all uncertain and they, therefore, pine for some sure witness or seal. Men will not risk their estates and no spiritually sensible man will endure to have his soul and its eternal affairs in jeopardy for an hour—therefore this anxiety. It is true that by the way of faith only the fullest and best assurance may be reached, but many who truly believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are not yet aware of this and their trembling hearts crave for a testimonial from the Infallible God to certify them that they are, indeed, saved. Yes, and I conceive that even more advanced saints, who know more fully where their standing is and confess that they can only walk by faith, yet often sing with very great emphasis of desire— "Might I but hear Your hea venly tongue But whisper, 'You are Mine,' That cheerful word should raise my song To notes almost Divine." Though we can and do believe and can claim the privilege which belongs to those who have not seen and yet have believed, yet we would be glad to sometimes have a sight.

IT appears from the preceding verse that the predestinating purpose of God deals not only with salvation as a whole, but with the details of it—it includes faith as well as salvation which comes of faith. "Being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who works all things after the counsel of His own will, that we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ." The trust is appointed as well as the justification—the means as well as the end. We are not ordained to be saved apart from faith, but those who are predestinated to eternal life are ordained to receive it through faith in Christ Jesus. What God has joined together let no man put asunder. Beloved Friends, I would have you notice in this verse the remarkable object which is set before us as the grand design of predestinating Grace. Observe the singular expression of the Apostle—"That we should be to the praise of His glory." Observe that He does not say, that we should sing to the praise of our glorious God, though we will do that. Nor that we should suffer to His praise, though we would not refuse to do that. Nor that we should work to His praise, though by Grace we will do that—but—"that we should be to the praise of His glory." The very being of a Believer is to the praise and glory of God! It is written, "Whether you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." But this is still more comprehensive—you are to be to His glory—your very existence is to praise Him.

In whom ye also trusted - Ye Gentiles, having heard from us the word, τον λογον, the doctrine, of the truth, which is the Gospel, or glad tidings, of your salvation, have believed, as we Jews have done, and received similar blessings to those with which God has favored us. In whom also, εν ὡ, through whom, Christ Jesus, after that ye had believed, viz. that he was the only Savior, and that through his blood redemption might be obtained, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise; that is, The Holy Spirit, which is promised to them who believe on Christ Jesus, was given to you, and thus you were ascertained to be the children of God, for God has no child who is not a partaker of the Holy Ghost, and he who has this Spirit has God’s seal that he belongs to the heavenly family. It was customary among all nations, when a person purchased goods of any kind, to mark with his seal that which he had bought, in order that he might know it, and be able to claim it if mixed with the goods of others; to this custom the apostle may here allude but it was also customary to set a seal upon what was dedicated to God, or what was to be offered to him in sacrifice. See this proved in the note on Joh 6:27. The Jews themselves speak of the seal of God, which they term אמת emeth, truth, and which they consider as a representation of the unoriginated and endless perfections of God. As the apostle is here speaking of the doctrine of truth, which came by the Holy Spirit, and is sealed on the souls of believers by this Spirit, he may have in view the Jewish notion, which is at once both correct and elevated. This Spirit of truth, Joh 14:17, who leads into all truth, Joh 16:13, and teaches all things, Joh 14:26, makes the impression of his own eternal purity and truth in the souls of them who believe, and thus they bear the seal of God Almighty. […]