Saturday 2 May 2015

Sealed with the Spirit - Ephesians 1:13-14

In Him also, having heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of it is in our possession, to the praise of His glory.

13 ἐν ᾧ καὶ ὑμεῖς ἀκούσαντες τὸν λόγον τῆς ἀληθείας, τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῆς σωτηρίας ὑμῶν, ἐν ᾧ καὶ πιστεύσαντες ἐσφραγίσθητε τῷ πνεύματι τῆς ἐπαγγελίας τῷ ἁγίῳ, 14 ὅ ἐστιν ἀρραβὼν τῆς κληρονομίας ἡμῶν, εἰς ἀπολύτρωσιν τῆς περιποιήσεως, εἰς ἔπαινον τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ.

This morning I spent time looking into the meaning of the above verses in the first chapter of Paul's letter to the Ephesians.  I found it helpful to read Dr RT Kendall's views (in Holy Fire) and then to listen to a recorded sermon of Dr D Martyn Lloyd-Jones, which is an excellent exposition on The Sealing of the Spirit.


Many of Dr Lloyd-Jones' books were published by the Banner of Truth Trust (BTT), who are Reformed/Calvinistic and cessationist (believing the spiritual gifts are not for today). Kendall informs us that the BTT, although he does not mention them by name but it is clear that he means the BTT, would not publish Lloyd-Jones' books concerning the Holy Spirit, including views on the sealing of the Spirit and spiritual gifts. Some Reformed and fundamentalist authors and pastors ignore and gloss over the late Doctor's views about these matters. They love his teaching on predestination, on the sovereignty of God, on preaching/homiletics, on the Puritans and C.H Spurgeon, but they fail to appreciate his views on the sealing of the Spirit. This is also true of the Doctor's position on the Millennium, especially in the USA where pre-millennialism is very popular.

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