Hope in Christ, Sealed by the Spirit

I. Introduction to Passage

Illustration: Have you seen a kid that has been overwhelmed by the Christmas presents? There are the lights, the grandparents, parents and boxes upon boxes wrapped in colorful paper. The kid has no idea what to do, and eventually happily plays with the wrapping paper. • Sometimes they cannot process all the generosity of their parents and grandparents. • Or they became enamored with one insignificant blessing and ignore the sacrifice of the parents and grandparents. Historical context: We have seen that the Apostle Paul has been praising God for the blessings that He has granted to the believers. These blessing have been previously a mystery – which has many theological implications. • “He Himself choose” (εξελεξατο Aor. Mid. Indc. 3rd Sg.) v. 4 is the main verb of this very long sentence that is not in a prepositional phrase. Every single one of us deserved judgement. BUT God choose us. • He predetermined to adopt us. • He redeemed us. • He gave us Wisdom and Insight. Proposition: Praise God because we have hope in Christ and we are sealed by His Spirit! II. Observations from Text Eph. 1:11-14 gives us some great hope!

A. You Have True Hope IN Christ vs 11-12

Eph. 1:11 Paul gives a series of prepositional phrases that give a believer a lot of hope. • “in whom/Him” (εν ω) the relative pronoun points to Christ. “The preposition with the relative pronoun (ἐν ᾧ) relates this verse back to Christ mentioned in verse 10.” (Harold W. Hoehner, Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary, Accordance electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2002), 225.)

“we have been appointed by lot” (εκληρωθημεν Aor. Pass. Indc. 1st Pl.) – “1. appoint by lot (act. Diod. S. 15, 18, 3 κληρώσαντες) pass. be appointed by lot” (BDAG, s.v. “κληρόω,” 548.) – The Passive means that the subject “we” was acted upon. So we did not choose ourselves, but we were chosen.

“Having been predetermined” (προορισθεντες Aor. Pass. Part. N. M. S.) – “decide upon beforehand, predetermine,” (BDAG, s.v. “προορίζω,” 873.) •• Acts 4:28 uses this word to talk about Christ being predetermined to die. So it is a choice being done ahead of time.

“according” (kata) being appointed happened “according” meaning that this He was working according to His purpose.

“according” the plan of his Will.

God has a will and purpose to choosing and predestinating them.

Eph. 1:12 Paul tells them the purpose:

“to us to be to praise of His glory” (εις το ειναι ημας εις επαινον δοξης αυτου) Paul told them that their being chosen was for the purpose that they praise God!!!

“who being the first to hope” (τους προηλπικοτας Perf. Act. Part. A. M. Pl.) – “to hope first – “we who have first placed our hope in Christ NT” (The Brill Dictionary of Ancient Greek, s.v. “προελπίζω,” 1761.)” Some have taken this to be an ethnic statement that Jews believed first. But Paul is making a case about the mystery of Christ. So Paul is advocating a dispensational distinction between those who were before and those who are now believing in Christ.

“in Christ” (εν τω χριστω) – IN Christ is in Whom they have put their hope or in whom they have found hope. – This is a specific reference to the importance of Christ in the Gospel message.

1. Meaning for Original Audience

You have true hope in Christ vs. 11-12

They would have understood to main points from these two verses:

1. They have been predestined to be God’s inheritance.

Some take the inheritance to be the believer being the recipient of the inheritance.

But it isn’t that we have “obtained” rather, “we have been appointed by lot” (εκληρωθημεν Aor. Pass. Indc. 1st Pl.).

“in Whom” we become inheritance in Christ, not in ourselves.

Paul is arguing that the ones being chosen are God’s inheritance.

God has worked this according to His purpose and plan. 2. The ones hoping in Christ brings praise of His glory.

“We being the first to hope” (προηλπικοτας Perf. Act. Part. A. M. Pl.) the Perfect has the force of a completed action in the past that has a present effect. The focus is not so much on the past action but on the present effect of the past action.

The participle is active which means that they are “hoping” which contrast with God choosing.

to the praise of His glory. God should be praised for His glorious plan.

2. Application for Modern Audience

We have true Hope in Christ vs. 11-12 These can be applied to us:

1. Christ Redeemed you for God!

Eph. 1:7 Christ redeemed you and we see now that you have become the position of God.

God has worked out your redemption according to His purpose and plan. Was this act out of duty or was it a gracious act? Paul writes: "among whom we all also formerly conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest." (Ephesians 2:3)

Rom. 6:23 says our sins deserve death!

God’s purpose and plan has worked to this purpose.

What should you do for such a gracious act? We should praise God:

1. Praise God with our actions – The things you do and word you speak Your actions should be actions that bring praise to God;

If you are going through life reacting – you will have a hard time praising God because the natural tendency is not towards reacting in a way that glorifies God.

2. Praise God with your thoughts – Our actions and words come from our thoughts. As a man thinks, so is he (Prov. 23:7).

How do you praise God with your thoughts? 1. You must have a change, and transformation that is done through salvation. Unless you are saved, you are a slave to sin and you will not be able to change anything. You might be able to curb actions, but you cannot change the root of your problem, which is your heart.

2. You must continually practice thinking and forcing your mind to think on God and how He would act. Look at Col. 3:1-5 2. Your Hope is past tense, with a present force of a future reality.

In a moment in time you put your faith in Christ as your Savior. But that past action has a present force to it, which means that it is influencing how you act, and think. Where does the future reality come into play? The word “hope” – “1. to look forward to someth., with implication of confidence about someth. coming to pass, hope, hope for” (BDAG, s.v. “ἐλπίζω,” 319.) You are looking forward to the dispensation of Christ being head of everything! Have you put your hope in Christ? Does it have an effect in your life today? Does it impact what you are doing tomorrow?

B. You have been Sealed by the Holy Spirit vs. 13-14

These verses are contingent on the previous hope in Christ. I know that there are different branches of theology where a person is sealed with the Holy Spirit, now in this present Church age, even thought they do not know about Christ. But Paul makes a very clear argument that Hope in Christ comes before being sealed with the Spirit! Eph. 1:13 Begins exactly like verse 11 with the prepositional phrase.

“in whom” (εν ω).

“hearing” (ακουσαντες Aor. Act. Part. N. M. Sg.) “listening, hearing” sometime in the past. They heard.

“the Word of Truth” (τον λογον της αλεθειας) They are a truthful message.

What is the “word of truth?”

“the gospel of your salvation” (το ευαγγελιον της σωτηριας υμων)

“in Whom” (εν ω)

“you believed” (πιστευσαντες Aor. Act. Part. N. M. Pl.) – “1. to consider someth. to be true and therefore worthy of one’s trust, believe” “2. to entrust oneself to an entity in complete confidence, believe (in), trust,” (BDAG, s.v. “πιστεύω,” 816.) Paul says that they “believed.” This is an action that they have done. They have entrusted themselves in the word of truth which is the Gospel.

“You were sealed” (εσφαγισθητε Aor. Pass. Indc. 2nd Pl.) – “1. to provide with a seal as a security measure, seal” (BDAG, s.v. “σφραγίζω,” 980.) The verb is a passive, which means that they did not seal themselves but were sealed by someone else. This verbal form appears some 15 times in the NT, 7 are found in the book of Revelation. It is used in:

Matt. 27:66 that the stone in front of Jesus’ tomb had a seal on it to secure it, certify nobody broke the seal.

John 3:33 has the notion of a seal being approving.

John 6:27 God has set a seal on Jesus to approve of His ministry of giving eternal life.

Eph. 4:30 Paul says the Spirit seals us until the day of redemption (απολθτρωσεως Gen. Fem. Sg.) – Release.

Here the notion of being sealed is to secure someone. When you purchase a plane ticket, your ticket is your seal that you have a stop on that plane, to that destination at that time.

“the Holy Spirit of promise” – The Holy Spirit sealed them. Now we have the whole Trinity being praised for salvation. It started with the Father, Son and now the Spirit.

Two questions come to mind:

1. Who is the Holy Spirit? – The Spirit mentioned is not just a spirit but one that is Holy. To answer this question we would have to answer it theologically because Paul does not go into detail as to who the Holy Spirit is. But notice three things:

The Holy Spirit is different from the Father and from the Son

He is able to secure/seal a person who believes – Which means He has the capacity of knowing all conversations and thoughts that are happening around the world and can seal all those who are believing!

His sealing guarantees their inheritance until they are collect their eternal life (v. 14)! Which means that He is very powerful, and He has to be all knowing, and everywhere present to do such a sealing work!

2. When was He promised? Two passages come to mind:

a. Joel 2:28-29 The prophet told of a day when God would poor out His Spirit upon mankind. Acts 2:33 Peter alluded to this passage to describe the people speaking in tongues

b. John 16:5-15 Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to come. Jesus said He would send an “Advocate.”

Eph. 1:14 Paul praise God because the Spirit was given:

“who is deposit/downpayment” (ο εστιν αρραβων). The word “pledge” carries the idea of “payment of part of a purchase price in advance, first installment, deposit, down payment, pledge” (BDAG, s.v. “ἀρραβών,” 134.)

They were to be sealed until their release, their death

This all works towards the praise of His glory! You were sealed with His Spirit v. 13-14

1. Meaning for Original Audience

What would the Ephesian believers take from such a text? Paul argued two important points:

1. Hearing the truth allowed them to believe and be sealed with the Spirit. 2. The Spirit guarantees your inheritance because it is for God’s glory.

2. Application for Modern Audience

Hearing the truth allows one the opportunity to believe: 1. Salvation – People have to hear the Gospel. How does faith come? By hearing the Word of God explained 2. Sanctification – Hearing God’s word is important for salvation and for sanctification. You do not get more sealed by the Spirit but you do get filled by the Spirit which is where you yield more and more of yourself to the work of the Spirit in your life! Your salvation is about God’s glory! Many people go around wondering if they have lost their salvation. Maybe if salvation were about you, maybe you could loose your salvation, that is a counterfactual. How does it bring glory to God if you get sealed by the Spirit, but then you break the seal and you condem yourself?

That would assume a lot on yourself

And assume the Holy Spirit is very weak!!!

III. Meaning of Passage as a Whole

Proposition: Praise God because we have hope in Christ and we are sealed by His Spirit!

A. Do you have hope in Christ and are sealed by the Spirit? Give the gospel

B. Next steps • Be discipled – learn basic doctrines and how they apply to your life • Be baptized – through the symbolism of baptism make a public statement of your faith • Become a member – Church membership is important, being part of a local congregation brings protection from the devil.