Ephesians 1:11-14 The Seal of Salvation
It seems that everyone has a different definition for the word ‘promise’. When we promise something to someone, even with the best of intentions, there is a possibility that we might not be able to keep our promises. We all have been victim of broken promises. Things change, people change, priorities change and of course promises change. So when we read the Bible and hear the promises of God we might feel that there is a possibility that one or more of those promises may get broken. God is different, unlike man He never dies (read Isaiah 40:28), He never changes (read Malachi 3:6 and James 1:17), He never lies (read Numbers 23:19, Titus 1:2 and Hebrews 6:18), He is able (read 2 Corinthians 9:8 and Philippians 4:19) plus as we read in the Bible, He delights in keeping His promises (read Hebrews 10:23; Romans 4:20-21 and Genesis 18:14).
These verses in Ephesians complete the long sentence that started in verse three. This sentence so far has referenced the past election (verses 3-6) and the present redemption (verses 7-10) and now Paul will address our future inheritance.
11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
When we hear about someone receiving an inheritance, we almost always think about money and possibly realty. Inheritances can be bitter sweet as they are usually given after the loss of a loved one. The inheritance Paul is referring to may be best described as being indescribable, something beyond our ability to imagine and something that will move any sorrow into complete joy. Paul tells us that the source of our inheritance is in Him, Jesus Christ. You already know that part of our inheritance relates to our salvation, but our inheritance is much more. As adopted children of God we are considered co-heirs with Jesus (read Romans 8:16-18), sharing all things! That’s right, all things! Paul does say as children of God we will indeed suffer with Christ, however as Paul points out in verse 18 of Romans chapter 8, that the suffering we may face is no comparison to our future glory in Him! Always focus on Jesus, not our suffering.
The Apostle Peter is quoted in the Book of Acts as saying, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12, ESV) Peter makes it clear that we cannot obtain salvation in any other way other than by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Unfortunately, there are many Christian groups that have given in to the “politically correct” mindset and have erroneously accepted the idea that there are other ways to heaven (see Galatians 1:7). Beside the Bible clearly teaching that Jesus is our only path to salvation, we read in Matthew 26:39, 42 and Luke 22:42 how Jesus pleaded with His Father to take the burden of dying on the cross away from Him the night before His crucifixion, but knowing there was no other way, Jesus willingly died on that cross for us. And now some people and groups believe there are other ways? By teaching that interpretation they are saying Jesus didn’t have to die on that cross and of course that is simply a lie. A deception that exposes just how depraved the hearts of these false teachers really are (see 2 Peter 2:1-3; Jude 17-19). Why do so many believe these lies? Because they do not know the Word of God well enough to know that what they are being taught is wrong.
The term translated here as ‘purpose’ in verse eleven is often translated as ‘plan’. God’s plan has always included each one of us. He knew from the beginning of time who we were and whether or not we would choose Jesus as our Lord and Savior (Remember the discussion in Chapter 3 regarding predestination). We also see that the term “counsel” can be translated as ‘purpose’. When used in verse 11 where it says, “all things according to the counsel of His will,” the phrase means that things are going to occur according to His purpose. Purpose of what? God’s purpose and plan for sending His Son to die for us, His purpose for providing His Word, His purpose of revealing Himself to us, it’s all for the same purpose…He loves us and wants us to live with Him for eternity, just like we were meant to do prior to the fall of man and the beginning of sin. Paul often uses the phrase, “in Christ,” (see 1 Corinthians 15:22 and 2 Corinthians 5:17), referring to someone who has accepted Jesus, someone who responded to the invitation to “abide in Him” (John 15:4-7) leading to an intimate relationship with Him.
New Christians are often needlessly concerned when they don’t, “feel any different” or see any changes in their lives after accepting Jesus. They may even begin to doubt their salvation, this can even occur with mature Christians. Our minds can become cluttered with thoughts and questions like: “what if I really don’t believe,” “maybe I’m not ready,” “could it be I did something wrong,” “perhaps I am not supposed to be a Christian” or something similar. This is normal; we all can be tempted to doubt our salvation or even wonder about God’s promises. The good news is that God provides a guarantee for our salvation; He seals us with the Holy Spirit. Paul uses the illustration of a seal (not the animal kind) to explain this guarantee. Seals have been used for thousands of years. Most seals were applied by melting wax and then placing a signet-like object onto the cooling wax with a unique design. The signet’s design would typically represent someone like a king or some other position of authority, which would include a substantial penalty if the seal were ever broken prematurely or by the wrong person. When a seal was used on a package, pouch or envelope it would provide some level of security for the sender while the recipient could see it was authentic granting the person the appropriate authority. A seal could also be placed on something demonstrating ownership such a brand on cattle.
To understand the type of seal Paul is talking about here, we should look at how a ‘seal’ is used elsewhere in Scripture. In Esther 8:8-12 the seal was used to show authority, in 1 Kings 21:6-16 it was for authenticity, in Jeremiah 32:6-12 the seal was to demonstrate ownership, in Daniel 6:17 it is was to assure security and in Matthew 27:63-66 it was also used for security. So how is the word ‘seal’ used here in verse 13? The seal was primarily to show that our salvation is indeed secure, however all four uses of the seal found in the Bible are also applicable. Paul says we have not yet fully received our inheritance (which includes heaven). However the seal provides us assurance that our inheritance is secure until we acquire possession of it. “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39, ESV)
Note in verse 13 that the Holy Spirit was given to us as a deposit and has sealed our hearts! Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:5 uses the Greek term arrabṓn meaning a ‘pledge’ or referring to part of the price paid for beforehand. The Lexham English Bible (LEB) translates verse 13, “Now the one who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the down payment, the Spirit.” The Holy Spirit has also been given to us as a guarantee of our inheritance!
Not only are we to praise and bring glory to God, we see that what He is doing for us brings “praise of His glory.” In other words His reputation for keeping His promises is praiseworthy, ultimately bringing glory to Him. He truly does delight in keeping His promises.