Introduction
When we make a significant purchase or enter into a serious agreement—buying a piece of land, for example—we don't just rely on a verbal promise. We want something official. We want a document, a title, a notarized deed of sale. We want to see that official stamp, that seal. A seal gives us confidence; it proves that the transaction is authentic, that the ownership is legal, and that our claim is secure.
Tonight, the Apostle Paul shows us that when a person enters into a relationship with God, God provides His own divine and unbreakable seal. In the last verse, Paul spoke of the Jewish believers who were the "first to hope" in Christ. Now, he turns his full attention to the non-Jewish believers in the city of Ephesus. With the words "ye also," he throws the doors of salvation wide open, showing how they—and by extension, all of us from every nation—are brought into God's family and stamped with a guarantee that can never be broken.
I. The Divine Invitation: You Heard the Gospel
Paul begins by describing the starting point of every Christian's journey. It doesn't begin with a mystical feeling or a blind leap in the dark. It begins with a message. He says it happened, "...after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation..."
A. A Word of Truth
In our modern world, we are drowning in information and opinions. We are bombarded with "fake news" and endless philosophies that all claim to be the right way. But the message that brings salvation is different. Paul calls it "the word of truth." This isn't just a collection of nice ideas or helpful suggestions for a better life. It is a declaration of objective, historical, and eternal fact. It is the truth about God's holiness, the truth about our sin, the truth about Christ's death and resurrection, and the truth about the forgiveness offered to us. It is solid ground in a world of sinking sand.
B. A Gospel of Salvation
And this truth is not just information to be learned; it is news to be received. Paul calls it "the gospel of your salvation." The word "gospel" means good news. It is the greatest news the world has ever heard: that God has not left us in our sin, but has acted powerfully in Jesus Christ to rescue us, to save us. It's a personal invitation. Notice the word "your"—the gospel of your salvation. This true message is a personal lifeline thrown to you from heaven. It all begins when you hear it.
2. The Human Response: You Believed the Truth
Hearing the good news is essential, but it is not enough. The message demands a response. Paul emphasizes this by saying, "In whom ye also trusted... in whom also after that ye believed..."
A. The Nature of Belief
Biblical faith is so much more than just agreeing with a set of facts. You can believe, intellectually, that Jesus was a real person who died on a cross, and still be lost in your sin. The word Paul uses for "trusted" or "believed" means to rely on, to depend upon, to place your entire confidence in someone. It's the difference between believing that a boat can save you from drowning and actually getting into the boat. To believe, in the biblical sense, is to stop trusting in yourself—your goodness, your efforts—and to entrust your eternal destiny completely to the person and work of Jesus Christ.
B. The Object of Belief
And notice where this trust is placed. Paul repeats the phrase "In whom"—in Christ. Our faith is not in a church, a religion, or a pastor. Our faith is in a Person. It is only in union with Jesus that we find salvation. The process is clear: God sends the word of truth, we hear it, and we respond by placing our trust in Christ.
3. The Sovereign Confirmation: You Were Sealed by the Spirit
This brings us to the glorious climax of the verse. What happens in the moment you truly believe? Paul tells us something amazing: "...ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise." This is not an act we perform; it is a divine act performed upon us. At the very instant of our faith, God the Father places His seal on us.
A. The Meaning of the Seal
A seal in the ancient world was a powerful symbol with at least three meanings, all of which apply to us.
It’s a Mark of Ownership: A king would press his signet ring into hot wax on a document, and that seal marked it as his property. The moment you believed, God the Father placed the Holy Spirit on you and declared to all of creation, "This one is Mine." You belong to God.
It’s a Mark of Authenticity: A seal proved that a document was genuine. The presence of the Holy Spirit in your life is God's authentication that your faith is real. The new desires you have, the conviction of sin you feel, the spiritual fruit you begin to bear—that is the evidence of the Spirit's authenticating work.
It’s a Mark of Security: A seal was also used to protect. A scroll was sealed to prevent tampering; a tomb was sealed to keep anyone from getting in or out. The Holy Spirit is God's seal of protection on you. He secures you, preserves you, and guarantees your safe delivery on the final day of redemption.
B. The Identity of the Seal
And this seal is not an impersonal stamp. It is a person: "that holy Spirit of promise." He is the Holy Spirit who was promised for centuries by the prophets and by Jesus Himself. He is the very presence of God, coming to live inside you, to confirm that you are a true child of God.
Conclusion
Do you see this beautiful, unbreakable chain of salvation? God, in His grace, sends the word of truth. You hear that gospel. The Spirit opens your heart to respond in faith, and you place your trust in Christ. And in that very moment, instantly and permanently, God the Father seals you with the Holy Spirit as His own.
This means your salvation, your security as a Christian, does not depend on your fluctuating feelings or your good and bad days. It depends on the objective truth of the gospel you believed and the sovereign act of the God who sealed you. You are not God's temporary employee, on probation. You are His sealed, adopted, permanent child.
Tonight, you can rest in that assurance. You have heard. You have believed. And you have been sealed. You are His, and you are His forever.
