Ephesians - The Spirit of Promise

And now let's bow to pray. Gracious Father, we always need the work of the Holy Spirit, the ministry of the Holy Spirit, or else the word of God does not come alive to us as it should. And so help us today. Fill with your Spirit. Beyond the sacred page, we seek thee, Lord. Our spirits pant for thee, thou living word. Nurture us and challenge us and convict us and cleanse us as we open your word, I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

Someone has said that happiness consists in three things: someone to love, and something to do, and something to look forward to. And that’s true. We as Christians have someone to love, the Lord Jesus Christ, and of course one another. We have something to do: the job of reaching a world with the gospel. And we have something to look forward to. The future has a tremendous influence on the present. Just talk to a girl who's engaged and she's going to be married. That coming marriage has a tremendous effect upon her present-day life: how she takes care of herself, and what she does, how she spends her money, the plans that she makes. Of course, the future can create joy and the future can create sorrow. Somebody might have an impending surgery coming around the corner, or there are debts that are mounting up, or perhaps you're going to lose your job or change jobs, perhaps you're going to move to a new location. You see, the future has a tremendous impact on the present. And the future is your friend when Jesus Christ is your Lord. 

This is why we have the Holy Spirit of promise. Ephesians 1:13: "In him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the earnest, the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of his glory." Paul has come now to stanza three of his great hymn of praise—a hymn filled with profound theology, and yet basically it's doxology. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," and from verses 3 to 6, he blesses God the Father because God the Father has blessed us with all spiritual blessings: he’s chosen us, he’s adopted us, he’s accepted us in the beloved one. Hallelujah! Then in verses 7 through 12, he blesses God the Son, who has given us redemption and forgiveness and wisdom and made us an inheritance—he's enriched us. He has reconciled us; we're a part of God's gathering process today, and we are experiencing all of these things because of the good counsel of his will. 

Then in Ephesians 1:13-14, the apostle Paul blesses God the Holy Spirit. And he blesses him because he is the Spirit of promise, the Spirit of sealing, and the Spirit of guarantee. The Holy Spirit of God is the Spirit of promise. Let's talk about that. The Holy Spirit of God came to earth in fulfillment of God's promise. Now, you must remember that in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit of God did not come upon everybody. In the Old Testament, the Spirit of God came down upon people to accomplish a special task, and he could leave those people. The Holy Spirit would come down upon Gideon and he would have a great victory, or upon David and David would go out and do great exploits for the Lord. 

There's an interesting passage in Numbers 11. Moses had appointed some elders to help him in his ministry, and he had a meeting for them, and the Holy Spirit of God came down upon these seventy elders according to Numbers 11:25. Now, there were two men who were not in that meeting, Eldad and Medad, and the Holy Spirit came down upon them. And so Joshua, who was Moses' assistant, came to Moses and said, "Moses, my lord, forbid them. Stop Eldad and Medad from prophesying." After all, they're just ordinary citizens. Numbers 11:29: "Are you zealous for my sake?" asked Moses. "Oh, that all the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!" You see, Moses was not jealous for his spiritual gifts or his reputation or his ministry. He said, "I wish everyone had this marvelous gift of the Holy Spirit of God." Well, that has been fulfilled. All who trust Jesus Christ as their Savior have the promised Holy Spirit. 

The prophet Joel in Joel 2:28 and following promised that the Holy Spirit would come down. John the Baptist said, "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." Jesus himself told his disciples in the upper room that when the Comforter was come, the Holy Spirit whom he would send from the Father, he would guide them into all truth. They were told that the Holy Spirit would come in power at Pentecost and they would receive power and be witnesses. Now the Holy Spirit is here. The presence of the Holy Spirit of God in this world is proof that God keeps his promises. The Holy Spirit of God living within the believer is the Spirit of promise. He came to earth in fulfillment of God's promise. 

Secondly, he came into our hearts in fulfillment of God's promise. Notice how this happened. Ephesians 1:13: "In him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise." Notice the sequence here. They heard the word of God. Now what was this word? The gospel of your salvation. I like that personal word there. Not just the gospel of salvation, not just the gospel of God's salvation offered to us, but your salvation. It's personal. "For unto you is born this day a savior, which is Christ the Lord." The gospel of your salvation. So they heard the word of truth, they believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, and they received the Holy Spirit of God within. The Holy Spirit comes into our hearts because we believe God's promise and trust his Son. 

Now this coming of the Holy Spirit into our lives is not subsequent to salvation; it is contemporaneous with our salvation. It's not after you believed; it's when you believed, and the Holy Spirit of God has come in. He is the Spirit of promise because he came to earth in fulfillment of God's promise. He came into our hearts in fulfillment of promise. The fact that the Holy Spirit is in the world is proof that God keeps his promises. The fact that God is living in us is proof that God keeps his promises, and he wants to share his promises with us. You see, the Holy Spirit of God is the Spirit of promise, not the spirit of fear, not the spirit of danger. The Spirit of promise—this is a positive thing that the Holy Spirit is in our lives. 

Thirdly, he sealed us that he might share his promises with us. "In whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise." Now, he picks this up again in Ephesians 4:30: "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." We're going to notice as we continue through Ephesians that in chapters 1, 2, and 3, God talks about doctrine—what he has done for us. Chapters 4, 5, and 6: duty—how we are to respond to him. There are six references to the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 1, 2, and 3, and there are six references to the Holy Spirit in chapters 4, 5, and 6. And they parallel each other. Notice what it says here: we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit, Ephesians 1:13. Ephesians 4:30: because you have been sealed, don't grieve him. 

Now what does this sealing of the Holy Spirit mean? Well, you have seen official seals; they are put upon official documents. Back in Paul's day, seals were put upon merchandise. If you purchased some merchandise, your seal was put upon it, and that meant ownership, identification. When the Holy Spirit of God came into our lives, he identified us with the Lord Jesus Christ, and now we belong to God. The fact that the Holy Spirit of God lives in us is proof that we belong to God. Romans 8:9: "Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." 

How do we know we are born again? Well, someone says, "I've done miracles." No, that doesn't prove you're born again. "Well, I have preached." That doesn't prove you're born again. Read Matthew 7. Not everyone who says to me "Lord, Lord" shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. In that day they're going to say to me, "Lord, Lord, in your name we've prophesied, in your name we've cast out demons, in your name we have done wonderful works." And he's going to say, "Depart from me, you that work iniquity. I never knew you." All of these religious activities are no proof that a person is born again. I would remind you that Judas, one of the apostles, preached; undoubtedly he must have performed miracles or the other disciples would have noticed it, would have noticed that Judas was different. But Judas must have preached and performed miracles, and yet Judas ended up filled with the devil and he goes out and betrays his Lord, commits suicide, and goes to hell. 

What is the proof that we're born again? We have the Holy Spirit of God within. The sealing means ownership, a finished transaction. It's done, it's over with, it's settled. "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace," and the Holy Spirit of God coming into us says, "Alright, the transaction is completed. You belong to God." You know what that means? When God puts his seal upon you, he's purchased you, he owns you, and he is responsible for you. I like that. God is responsible to take care of his purchased possession. Now, we are responsible to obey him, we are responsible to do his will. He is responsible for us. That sealing means ownership, identification, assurance, a finished transaction, and protection. When God seals us, that settles it. The transaction is over; I do not believe I can lose anything that God has sealed. 

Satan himself cannot break the seal. I can claim that I am a child of God. It means authority. You see, at one time I was a stranger from God's promises. Ephesians 2:12: "strangers from the covenants of promise." At one time I was a stranger to God's promises; I couldn't claim God's promises. The only promise I could claim as an unsaved person was "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you'll be saved." And I did believe, and I was saved. I was a stranger; now I have been sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. And having sealed me, now I am a partaker of his promise. Ephesians 3:6: "that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ through the gospel." Isn't that amazing? I can see where God would give great promises to Abraham, a man of faith, or Moses, a great man of dedication and courage, or Paul, a great missionary. Why would he give his promises to me? Why would he ever share one promise with me? But I am now a partaker of his promises because he has sealed me with his Holy Spirit. 

Yes, he's the Holy Spirit of promise. He came to this earth in fulfillment of promise. He came into our lives in fulfillment of promise. He is the seal of God in our lives, and he is the earnest of our inheritance. Ephesians 1:14: "who is the guarantee, the earnest, the down payment of our inheritance." We're talking about the future. We have an inheritance. "I have a future all sublime beyond the realms of space and time," so wrote the hymn writer. This word "guarantee" or "earnest" or "down payment" simply means a pledge that God will keep his promise. The Holy Spirit of God within me is God's first installment of heaven. And what the Holy Spirit is doing in my life today, in your life today, is a first installment of heaven. What's he doing? Glorifying Christ, revealing Jesus to us, enabling us to rejoice in him. He is the pledge of future blessing. 

This word "guarantee" or "down payment" or "earnest" is an interesting word in the Greek. It's the Greek word arrhabon. If you were over in the country of Greece and you walked into a jewelry shop and you said the word arrhabon, you know what they would bring to you? A tray full of engagement rings. That's what the word means: the engagement ring. We have not been married yet; the wedding has not taken place. The bride is being prepared for the bridegroom, but we have the engagement ring. We have that ring in our hearts—the Holy Spirit of God, who is God's heavenly arrhabon, the engagement ring, the pledge of the future inheritance. We have been born of God unto an inheritance. An inheritance that is incorruptible and undefiled and that fades not away, so Peter writes in 1 Peter 1. In other words, the Holy Spirit of God in our lives is the future today. 

Now let that thought sink in. I said earlier in this message that the future is your friend when Jesus is your Lord. Why is that true? Because you have the Spirit of promise living within you, who assures you you belong to God and guarantees you're going to heaven. The future is secure. "Who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession," until our bodies are redeemed and we're taken to glory. Now, having the Holy Spirit within us as the Spirit of promise and the sealing of God and the down payment of God, means we can claim the promises of God and we can, by the Holy Spirit, live by faith. 

2 Corinthians 1:20: "For all the promises of God in him, Jesus, are yes, and in him Amen, to the glory of God through us. Now he who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a deposit." Oh, what is he saying here? The Spirit of God takes the word of God, shows us the promises of God, and we claim those promises by faith. I could write a book about the experiences that my wife and I have had in nearly forty years of ministry, how that God has given us promises just when we have needed them. Just when we've needed them, that promise has been there. And God by his Holy Spirit says to us, "Don't quit. Don't give up. You have the Spirit of promise within. Open your Bible; it's the bankbook. He will show you your riches in Christ. He has sealed you; you belong to me. I'll protect you, I'll guide you. I've given you the down payment of heaven. You'll be there with me. Meanwhile, enjoy the blessings of heaven on earth, fellowship and yield to the Holy Spirit of promise."

[Interview:]

In your commentary on Ephesians titled "Be Rich," you ask the question: are you wearing the graveclothes or the graceclothes? Could you explain the difference?

Well, you remember when Lazarus came forth from the tomb, he was bound hand and foot. And the first thing Jesus says is, "Loose him, let him go." Who wants to live with a living man who's dressed like a corpse, smells like a corpse, and acts like a corpse? So, in the Christian life, we have to change clothes. Paul often compares Christian character to clothing. And so we have to take off the old clothes, those graveclothes, and put on the graceclothes. Paul says, "Now laying aside all these old garments, put on," and he goes right down the line. I like that. Every day we have to take off our clothes so we can go to bed, and we have to put on our clothes in the morning so we can go out in public. And every time I do that, I should say, "Have I done this on the inside? Have I taken off criticism? Have I taken off bitterness? Have I put on love? Is my spiritual wardrobe hanging in the closet or is it on my back?" And that's what he means by that. You've been in the grave; get rid of the graveclothes. Put on the graceclothes.