The Sealing of the Holy Spirit
Being Sealed by the Holy Spirit - a Sermon
Originally preached Oct. 22, 1954
Scripture
Sermon Description
Can a Christian ever lose their salvation? What does it mean to be sealed by the Holy Spirit? This term of “being sealed” is used three times in Scripture. Throughout history, seals have been used to certify, authenticate, and demonstrate ownership over something. It also provides an element of security. How does this concept of a seal relate to the life of a Christian? Those who are followers of Jesus Christ have been sealed by the Holy Spirit, who acts as a certificate and authenticator that He lives in the Christian and submits to God’s purpose and plan. To be sealed by the Holy Spirit also means to have the security of belonging to Christ and an eternal inheritance. He has sealed His people, and thus they are secured as His possession. In this sermon titled “The Sealing and the Earnest,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains that part of this security is the Spirit in advance of the promise to be given in full at a later time. What does this mean? This advance of the Holy Spirit is a pledge given by God that He will give the rest of the inheritance to His people when they go to live with Him. Though they can be sealed by the Holy Spirit, they can still grieve Him, as Dr. Lloyd-Jones duly notes. To avoid this, Christians must be willing to live lives in a way that gives full control to God and runs from sin.
Sermon Breakdown
- The Holy Spirit applies the work of salvation to us and makes it actual in our lives and experiences.
- We have been considering the various terms used to describe the work of the Holy Spirit, including baptism of the Holy Spirit and filling of the Holy Spirit.
- We now come to the term "sealing of the Spirit." This is referred to in 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, Ephesians 1:13, and Ephesians 4:30.
- A seal has three main functions: to authenticate, to indicate ownership, and to render secure.
- The Holy Spirit authenticates that we are God's people. His presence in us produces the fruit of the Spirit and shows others we are Christians.
- The Holy Spirit indicates we are God's property and gives us assurance of salvation. The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are God's children.
- The Holy Spirit renders our salvation secure. He guarantees our ultimate redemption and glorification. Nothing can separate us from God's love.
- The sealing of the Spirit is not just intellectual but also experimental. We know the Spirit is in us through His work in our lives.
- The sealing of the Spirit is connected to the earnest or down payment of the Spirit. The Spirit is the first installment of our inheritance, giving us a foretaste of what is to come.
- If the sealing and earnest of the Spirit were not experimental, they would provide no comfort. They show us what awaits us in glory and give us joy.
- We must avoid quenching the Spirit by arguing with His leading or discouraging His work. But we must also test the spirits against Scripture.
- We must avoid grieving the Spirit through sin, doubt, self-assertion, neglect of His Word, lack of interest in Him, and failure to glorify Christ. But He remains with us even when grieved.
- We must be led by the Spirit, walking in step with Him, realizing His presence, and following His promptings. This means reading Scripture, praying, and obeying His guidance.
- The ultimate test of the Spirit's work is our love for and knowledge of Christ, not experiences or feelings.
Sermon Q&A
Lloyd-Jones on the Sealing of the Holy Spirit: Questions and Answers
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones teach about the sealing of the Holy Spirit in Scripture?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the sealing of the Holy Spirit appears in three key Scripture passages: 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, Ephesians 1:13-14, and Ephesians 4:30. He explains that this sealing has three primary functions, similar to what a literal seal does: it authenticates or certifies our Christian identity, it indicates God's ownership of us as "a people for his own peculiar possession," and it renders our salvation secure. The Spirit's presence in our lives is the authentication that we truly belong to God, both to ourselves and to others around us.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones differentiate between intellectual belief and experiential assurance?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones strongly emphasizes that the sealing of the Spirit is not merely an intellectual concept to be accepted by faith, but something genuinely experiential. He critiques modern teachers who suggest we should "just believe" we are sealed without expecting to experience it. He argues that this approach misses the whole purpose of the sealing, which is to provide real assurance. The preacher states: "How can the Holy Spirit be a seal if you don't know it experimentally?" He teaches that true assurance combines believing Scripture's promises with the internal witness of the Spirit that Romans 8 describes as "the Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God."
What does Lloyd-Jones explain about the "earnest of the Spirit"?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that the "earnest of the Spirit" (mentioned in 2 Corinthians 1:22, Ephesians 1:14, and 2 Corinthians 5:5) refers to the Holy Spirit as a deposit, first installment, or pledge from God. Like a deposit on a purchase, it guarantees the full payment to come. The Spirit is given to believers as a foretaste or "first fruits" of their complete inheritance in glory. He explains: "The Holy Spirit, therefore, has been given to us by God in order that we might have some kind of an idea as to what awaits us when we arrive in glory." This earnest provides comfort and encouragement during difficult times by assuring believers that what they presently experience is just a sample of their future inheritance.
How can Christians avoid quenching or grieving the Holy Spirit?
According to Lloyd-Jones, Christians should avoid two negative responses to the Spirit. First, we must not "quench the Spirit" (1 Thessalonians 5:19), which means putting a damper on or discouraging His work by arguing with His leading instead of responding. However, this doesn't mean abandoning discernment, as we must "prove all things" against Scripture. Second, we must not "grieve the Spirit" (Ephesians 4:30) through neglecting His word, doubting Him, asserting self-control over our lives, or committing sin. Particularly grievous is being more interested in spiritual experiences or power than in the Spirit Himself. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that while grieving the Spirit doesn't cause Him to abandon us, it does disrupt our fellowship with Him.
What is the ultimate test of genuine Spirit-filled experience according to Lloyd-Jones?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes that the ultimate test of genuine Spirit-filled experience is not emotional feelings or spiritual thrills but our relationship with Jesus Christ. He states: "The test, the final test, the certain test, always is not what I felt is not some thrill I've had. It is my relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ, my love for him, especially my knowledge of him, and the reality of my relationship to him." The Holy Spirit's primary purpose is to glorify Christ, so genuine Spirit-filled living will always result in increased love for, knowledge of, and communion with Jesus Christ. This Christ-centeredness is the clearest evidence of the Spirit's sealing in a believer's life.
Great Biblical Doctrines
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.