We have discussed before and will now enlarge upon the seal of the Holy Spirit. Three passages mention this function of the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 1:21-22 reads: “now He which establish us with you is Christ, and anointed us, is God; who also sealed us, and gave us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.”
Ephesians 1:13: “in whom (that is in Christ), having also believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.” And Ephesians 4:30 “and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed unto the day of redemption.” Sealing the Christian is not a work of the Spirit. Sealing is the work of the Father and He accomplishes this work by giving the Spirit to the Christian. The Father is the sealer and the Spirit is the seal. The word seal means “to set a mark upon by the impress of the seal, to stamp, to confirm, authenticate.” So, God has approved us as being His by giving us His Spirit! ! John says: “hereby we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He had given us of His Spirit. 1 John 4:13 You may ask, “how do we know that we have the Spirit as our seal?” The answer is simple, we have God’s word on it, therefore, by knowledge of the Word and faith in Christ, we believe it is surely as true as we believe we have remission of sins, when we have been baptized into Christ. Acts 2:38
Again, the gift of the Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance, this is the second thing that Paul says the Spirit is to the Christian. “Now He that hath wrought us for this very thing is God, who gave us the earnest of the Spirit… He is the earnest of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God’s own possession, under the praise of His glory.” 2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:14 The word earnest means “money given as a pledge that the final amount will subsequently be paid.” So, the Spirit is God’s pledge to us that one day we will be full recipients of all His glory! Romans 8:23; Philippians 3:20-21. How wonderful, that He has given us His Spirit! Notice again, this is what the Spirit is to us, not what he does for us. The Spirit, Himself, is the earnest that God has given us in our hearts.
Again, the gift of the Spirit is that motivation that, given to us, is the power that we possess to live godly in Christ Jesus! The faith that the Christian has of the presence of the Spirit within is one of the greatest incentives to godliness that we possess. In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, the apostle Paul is pleading with the brethren not to return to a life of fornication, but to flee from it. He uses several wonderful arguments and then concludes by saying, “Or know ye not, that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which you have of God? And you’re not your own; for you are bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body.” Knowledge of the Spirit’s indwelling was the power that was to enable the Corinthians to flee fornication, adultery, homosexuality, or any decadent sin that they were currently committing. Notice: they were instant changes, but a change in the direction the Spirit of God DEMANDS, to not improve, one is “trying the Spirit”!! Often I am told by young Christians having just been baptized into Christ, that they cannot begin giving or living as Christ commands. The change has been too quick; they cannot alter their finances, they cannot change their plans, their mate is not signed on to this new agreement and they therefore have to change to make things happen for them. Many feel as though they are a failure, they cannot bring about this change, instantly. We who are older in Christ, have the opportunity to teach them of faith, faith demands improvement, and continue to improve, until perfection. Don’t mock the Spirit until attained!! Christianity is a “work in progress,” but progress MUST describe that work!!
