As a Christian (someone who has heard this message about salvation and believed it v13), you are given the gift of the Holy Spirit. Why is this good news?
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, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
(Ephesians 1:13-14 ESV)
(Ephesians 1:13-14 ESV)
A seal was used on letters or documents as an official sign to indicate authority and possessions - this has the emperor's seal, it is definitely his. God has put his seal on you and me, the Holy Spirit, marking us out as his possession, we belong to Him.
When we read all the great statements about what it means to be a Christian - that we are chosen, adopted, forgiven, redeemed - they can seem detached from everyday life, because we still struggle.
There is a ‘now and not yet’ aspect to all of this - we have been redeemed but still experience the presence and power of sin (eg. in v7 we are described as having redemption but also, in v14 we are looking forward to the redemption of those who are God’s possession). We are forgiven but still feel guilt, we are adopted into the family but can still feel disconnected from God.
These things are true and we understand and experience them now, in part, but one day we will know them in full. How do we know that is true? Because the Holy Spirit is a guarantee of our inheritance.
God has put his deposit down - his Holy Spirit. He’s coming back. We see the Holy Spirit at work in us and others as we respond to the gospel and are empowered to grow in our likeness to Jesus. As we see the Holy Spirit at work we get a foretaste of what will be normal life with Jesus in eternity
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