Ephesians 1:13–14
> “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 guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” (Ephesians 1:13–14)
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The Spirit’s Seal and the Believer’s Responsibility
Every believer who truly belongs to Christ is sealed with the Holy Spirit at conversion. The Spirit’s presence in us is the guarantee that those who have Him possess the promise of eternal life.
Paul’s point in Ephesians is not that the Spirit’s presence is unconditional, but that the Spirit Himself is the pledge—the down payment—of what is coming. The seal confirms ownership and identity, not automatic perseverance.
God has promised that His Church will always have the Spirit in her midst. But Scripture never says that every individual who once received the Spirit will always continue to walk with Him.
➡️ The presence of the Holy Spirit is our guarantee—but the presence of the Spirit is not guaranteed.
Those who have the Spirit have the hope of eternal life—but that hope must be guarded, not presumed.
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Led by the Spirit: The Ongoing Condition of Sonship
Paul clarifies this in Romans 8:14–16:
> “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”
Notice: it says “as many as are led by the Spirit”—not “as many as were led.” Sonship is proven by present obedience, not past experience.
Our assurance cannot rest on what God did for us once; it must rest on whether we are now walking in the Spirit. This is why Paul warns:
> “We appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says, ‘In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.’ Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:1–2)
Yesterday’s obedience cannot sustain today’s salvation. That is why believers are told to “examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith.” (2 Corinthians 13:5)
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Life or Death: Walking According to the Spirit
Romans 8 also shows that having the Spirit does not unconditionally guarantee perseverance:
> “So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Romans 8:12–13)
Paul is not warning unbelievers here—he is warning Christians who already have the Spirit. The Spirit gives life to those who obey Him, but those who return to the flesh invite death.
Later, Paul reinforces this same truth:
> “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” (Galatians 6:7–8)
The seal of the Spirit confirms that we belong to God, but it does not mean we can live contrary to Him without consequence. Hence the warning:
> “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30)
The Spirit’s seal is meant to secure, not excuse, us.
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Saved Already—but Not Yet Completed
Paul’s teaching in Romans 8 forms a consistent picture:
> “And if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified with Him.” (Romans 8:17)
> “Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.” (Romans 8:23)
We have already received the Spirit as a deposit, but the full inheritance is still future. Our salvation is real, but it is not complete until the end. We have assurance, but it is conditional assurance—secured in Christ, maintained by abiding in Him.
> “But Christ is faithful over God’s house as a Son, and we are His house if indeed we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of our hope firm to the end.” (Hebrews 3:6)
> “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.” (Hebrews 3:12–14)
“Brothers” already—but not yet resurrected to eternal life.
Security—yes. But conditional, not unconditional. Saved already, but not yet glorified.
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The Spirit Empowers—but Does Not Override
Receiving the Spirit means we have the power to overcome sin. But it does not mean we will automatically walk in that power.
> “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Therefore, brothers, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Romans 8:11–13)
The Spirit enables obedience, but does not force it. God gives us grace, but warns us not to waste it.
> “Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires.” (Ephesians 4:22)
> “For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them.” (Ephesians 5:5–7)
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The Spirit’s Presence: Our Hope, Not Our License
The presence of the Holy Spirit is our guarantee—but the presence of the Spirit is not guaranteed.
That statement captures the heart of the matter. The Spirit’s presence gives us hope, assurance, and confidence that we belong to God’s people. But Scripture never teaches that His presence remains unconditionally with those who turn to sin.
The Holy Spirit seals the faithful for redemption, but He can be grieved, resisted, and ultimately withdrawn from those who harden their hearts.
The Spirit is the deposit that gives us reason to hope.
But the Spirit’s continuing presence is not promised apart from faithfulness.
Salvation is both gift and calling—a finished work in Christ, yet a race that must be finished in us.
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Selah
The presence of the Spirit is the guarantee—but the presence of the Spirit is not guaranteed.
He seals us for redemption—but only as we continue to walk in Him.
> “He who endures to the end shall be saved.” (Matthew 24:13)
Tag: #gospel of salvation
The Gospel is NOT about YOU!
Many times when Chiristians think about the Gospel they think about the good news about salvation from sin, death and hell. Thought this is certainly an important aspect of “the Gospel” it is not the primary aspect. The tendency for modern Christians is to make the Gospel about them and their salvation. But the biblical Gospel is first and foremost about Christ and His kingdom. To illustrate this tendency, let’s consider the following verses:
But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Savior and believe in your heart that He died for your sins, you will be saved.
– Romans 10:8-9? NKJV
These are very familiar verses. But did you catch the fact that verse 9 is misquoted? Here is the correct quotation:
But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
– Romans 10:8-9 NKJV
Can you spot the difference? In the first quotation is talks of Jesus as Savior who died for our sins. But the verse actually talks of Jesus as Lord and points to the fact that God raised Him from the dead. This might seem like a small difference, but actually it completely changes the focus of the message. The misquoted version puts the emphasis on us and our salvation, but the biblical quotation puts the emphasis on Christ and His kingship as the risen Lord. Though it is certainly true that Christ is our Savior Who died for our sins, this is secondary to the fact that He is the risen Lord over God’s kingdom.
If you take a few moments to read through the first public proclamation of the Gospel after the resurrection of Christ in Acts chapter 2 you will note something quite surprising; though Peter refers to the death of Jesus Christ, he never mentions that Jesus died for the sins of mankind. Instead, he mentions the death of Christ only in order to emphasize the fact that Jesus was raised from the dead and exalted to the right hand of God. The conclusion of his Gospel presentation is found in the following verse:
“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
– Acts 2:36 NKJV
Peter’s emphasis is not on Jesus dying on the cross for our sins; he doesn’t even mention that fact! His message is focused on the fact that God has raised Jesus from the dead to be Lord of all. This is the same emphasis we read about in Romans 10:8-9. The Gospel is first and foremost about the risen Lord. I encourage you to skim through the book of Acts and note that in every public proclamation of the Gospel the apostles and evangelists never mention that Jesus died for the sins of mankind. This is not to say that Jesus did not die for our sins on the cross, it is only worth noting so that we see that though HIs death on the cross for our sins is an important aspect of the Gospel message, it is not the primary emphasis of the biblical Gospel. The primary and central emphasis of the Gospel message is that Jesus Christ is the risen Lord!
What difference does this make? I mean, if both His death for sin and His position as Savior as well as His resurrection from the dead and His position as Lord, are part of the Gospel message, why emphasize the latter above the former? If for no other reason, we should do so because the biblical writers emphazize the latter in their public proclamation of the Gospel. But also because what we emphasize in our Gospel proclamation will affect how people respond to the Gospel and how they walk out that response.
If a sinner hears that the Gospel is that Jesus died for our sins so that we can be forgiven of our sins and go to heaven if we believe He is the Savior Who died for us, this will not necessarily lead to the repentance that leads to life. One could sincerely believe those facts and yet continue in rebellion to Christ without a second thought. On the other hand, if they hear from us that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead by God the Father to be Lord of all, and they sincerely believe this message, they will immediately understand that they are required to submit their lives to His Lordship. We must present Jesus Christ as the risen Lord that has power to save because He died for our sins, and power to judge those who continue to live in rebellion to His lordship because He is Lord of all.
Though the Gospel certainly includes the fact that Jesus died for our sins so we could be forgiven of our sins and receive the gift of eternal life, this is not the primary emphasis of the Gospel, but a consequence of it. The primary emphasis of the Gospel is the lordship of the risen Christ. And from this risen King salvation flows to those who will submit to His lordship and trust in His gracious mercy. The Gospel is first and foremost about Christ and His kingdom; then, and only then, is it about us and our salvation.
A Brief Note:
Let me make a quick note for those who might be wondering why Acts does not emphasize the atoning death of Christ, but it seems to be mentioned everywhere in the epistles (i.e. the letters of the apostles). The difference is found in the audience. When preaching to the lost, the emphasis is on the lordship of the risen Christ. We point to Him so that people will submit to Him and find salvation in HIm. But when the apostles wrote to believers they answered the question as to why the risen Christ can save us, namely because He died for our sins and rose again to give us new life. Since the epistles were written to believers, the apostles explain in more depth how Christ saves us.
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