The Holy Spirit's ministry of sealing assures believers of their eternal security in Christ. This sealing occurs at conversion, signifying God's ownership and the pledge of future inheritance. Passages from 2 Corinthians 1:22, Ephesians 1:13-14, and Ephesians 4:30 explain that the Spirit acts as a seal, guaranteeing redemption until the day Christ returns. Believers are called to honor the Spirit, not to grieve Him, recognizing His role in their present security and future glory.
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Beloved radio, friends, we greet you in the ever-precious and the worthy name of the Lord Jesus. This is your Bible teacher of the air speaking, J.W. Bramhall, giving you a hearty welcome to the continued study and the precious ministry of the Word of God. We continue the theme that we have been following in recent days, the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. We rejoice in the teaching of God's word concerning the personality as well as the ministry or the work of the Holy Spirit in this present age of the church. We have noted that part of his ministry, which we have already covered is the ministry of convicting the unsaved.
Second, his ministry of regenerating and imparting divine life Eternal life to those who believe upon the Son of God. We have also noticed that he has a ministry of indwelling. That to all who believe upon the Lord Jesus, the Spirit of God takes up his dwelling place within them. Now we would follow a fourth line of ministry, which is the work of the Holy Spirit, during this present age. It is his ministry of sealing. We would read the words that are found in the Holy Scriptures concerning this phase of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit.
For it is a distinct ministry in relation to every believer in the Lord Jesus. And may we add, this ministry of sealing the believer is accomplished for him or her when he or she is converted to Christ and believes upon the Savior. We're going to find and read three specific scriptures touching upon this particular work which we now consider the sealing of the Holy Spirit. The first scripture that we read is found in Second Corinthians, chapter one, verse twenty-two.
And we shall begin our reading with this twenty-first verse, if we may, going through verse twenty-two. Now he which establisheth us with you in Christ and hath anointed us is God, who also hath sealed us and given the earnest, meaning the pledge of the Spirit in our heart. Now let us first of all learn from this scripture that the one who binds the believer fast to Christ is God, and this is true, of not only the strongest believer but even the weakest.
Please may I repeat that precious truth. The one who binds the believer to Christ, as you have it expressed here, He which establisheth us with you in Christ andeth anointed us, is God. And God not only does this for the strongest believer, but also for the weakest. But then in addition, our text declares that the believer is anointed. And this is something that John the Apostle declares as to its meaning. where we have in First John chapter two these words saying, We have received the unction from the Holy One in order that we might know the things of God through the Spirit.
But in our text of Second Corinthians one in verse twenty two, the Apostle Paul tells us that God hath also sealed us. and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. Now what does it mean to be sealed by the Spirit? When the Lord Jesus was upon the earth, it is written of him, him hath God the Father sealed. And we can readily understand why. For Christ was from eternity the Son of God, and also as a man, He was the constant and perfect object of God's delight.
In other words, God's seal was upon His beloved Son, and none of us can ever deny that. But how can we be sealed? Who were in our sins and in our wretchedness by nature? In great contrast to the Lord Jesus, the only ground upon which we can be sealed is because of Christ's redemption that has been completely accomplished and that we have been delivered from Satan's power, we have been born of God, we have been made the children of God, we have been washed from our sins in the blood of Christ, and we have eternally been forgiven.
Now please let me repeat again. There is no way that anyone could be sealed by the Holy Spirit apart from being born of God and made a child of God, washed and cleansed in the blood of Christ, and receiving the forgiveness of his and her sins. So great and so perfect is the provision of Christ's redemptive work that God also has sealed us and given the earnest of the Spirit within our hearts. So that the Holy Spirit is not only the seal of our redemption, but He is also the pledge of our inheritance.
The sealing of the Spirit for the believer in Christ is the assurance of his and her security and safety right now. And the spirit dwelling within is also the pledge of future glory. Now let us turn to another scripture which will further enlighten us as well as corroborate what we have seen in second Corinthians one verse twenty two. Our second scripture is in Ephesians one thirteen and fourteen. Paul writing by the Spirit to state, In whom ye also trusted. That is, you trusted in Christ.
After which he heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also, after which he believed, literally meaning, upon believing, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, who is the earnest or the pledge, of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchase possession unto the praise of his glory once again here in this scripture we have the confirmation of the sealing of the Holy Spirit and please note when taking place when a person hears the truth listens to the gospel of their salvation and puts his and her trust in Christ and his redempted work.
Upon believing it, the Holy Spirit to that believer becomes the seal of his or her redemption. Now let me express this truth in another manner. The seal of the Spirit assures the believer of his eternal security. For how long is the believer secure? Can this seal be broken? And can the believer perish? Never. For again we are told that the Spirit is not only the seal of our redemption, but by this same token he is the earnest, and this is an obsolete English word, better translated to us today, he is the pledge of our inheritance.
Now how long will he be the pledge of our inheritance? Until the redemption of the purchased possession. And the meaning of this last expression is, until the Lord comes to claim his redeemed possession. When the Lord saves the soul that trusts in his redeeming work on the cross, immediately upon believing that soul is sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, And he is called here in Ephesians one, verse thirteen, the Holy Spirit of promise. My friend, take in the meaning of this. When you and I trust Christ as Savior, the Spirit of God assures promises to bring us to glory.
And this is God's perfect redemption. I hope that you have it. But let's refer quickly to one more text in Ephesians four thirty. where we read, grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. And once again we have the seal of the Spirit, as the assurance of the believer's security. For the day of redemption is that glorious day when at the coming of the Lord the believer will be completely in the possession of full redemption, spirit, soul and body. Today the believer happily can say, It is well with my soul, but it may not be well with the body.
But when the Lord Jesus comes for his saints, we shall have, according to Romans eight twenty-three, the redemption of our body. But until that day, every believer should obey the words of Ephesians four thirty in relation to the Holy Spirit. Grieve not the Holy Spirit. We should realize the person of the Holy Spirit, this blessed guest. We cannot break the seal or drive him away, but we can grieve him by our own Christ-like conduct, to which Paul refers in the context of our text, even before and after. We believers should give the greatness of care in realizing our attitude toward and our actions toward the Holy Spirit.
We may be able to grieve him. So may we take these words, grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed, or meaning ye are secure, unto the day of redemption. Now my radio friend, this is the meaning of the seeming of the Spirit of God. But I ask the question, you that are without Christ, do you not long to be in the possession of Christ? Do you not desire to have your sins forgiven? Christ has done the work of redemption for you, and if you by faith will accept it, then may I declare on the authority of God's word, you will be sealed by the Spirit of God unto the day of redemption.
May God make clear the meaning of this precious ministry of the Spirit, the sealing of the Holy Spirit to every heart. Father, we humbly pray in the Savior's precious name, honor and bless and prosper thy word to many precious souls for his glory. Amen.