Well, you can turn with me in your Bibles once again to the book of Ephesians, chapter one. The book of Ephesians, chapter one. We're going to continue our exposition of chapter one, verses three through 14. We're going to finish that tonight.
We're going to look at verses 13 and 14, specifically the work of the Holy Spirit in the redemption of sinners. And so we will read chapter 1 verses 3 through 14 to set the context. Let us read together. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace, which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth in him. In him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of his glory. 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, amen. Well, let us pray.
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day, Lord. We praise you for the work of predestination, how you chose sinners in Christ before the foundation of the world, how you elected us in love, and how you adopted us to be your sons. And Father God, we thank you for the work of the Son, the Son who lived, died, and rose again, and who purchased, paid the ransom that we were supposed to pay to you. We thank you that Christ has redeemed us, has forgiven us of our sins because of the work of Christ.
And Father God, we also thank you for the work of the Spirit, who makes known to us these truths. And Father God, I pray that your Spirit would be here now, that your Spirit would impress on the hearts of believers that they are the children of God, and so also that they would live as children of God by your Spirit, that you help me as well in this endeavor, for we know that we fail most of the time. but also for the unbeliever as well, Lord God. I pray that by your Spirit, you would convict them in their hearts, that you'd help them see their sin and the need for the Lord Jesus Christ. And we thank you for the work of the Spirit who points us to Christ.
His purpose is so that we might see who Christ is. Father God, we pray that you would forgive us of our sins. Forgive us for our wretchedness. Father God, I pray that you would help me now.
Help me preach the truth with clarity, cogency, and beauty, Lord God. but ultimately that I would be a no-name herald, that people might hear your truth, and be edified, and sinners might be saved, but ultimately, Lord, that you would be glorified. Please give me strength and aid. Amen.
Introduction
Well, as I said last week, we are continuing our exposition of the book of Ephesians chapter 1, verses 3 through 14. And remember that a lot of these concepts that are introduced in Ephesians 1 verses 3 through 14 are fleshed out in the rest of the book of Ephesians. And the book of Ephesians itself can be separated into two main headings. Chapters 1 through 3, which is right doctrine, right teaching.
And chapters 4 through 6, which is right practice in response to that teaching. And also here we're talking about theologically the covenant of redemption. or the pactum salutis, or that pact of salvation. The Father promises to give a people to the Son, and the Son then willingly consents to pay that price for the people that the Father has given to Him. But now we see the work of the Spirit.
The Spirit takes these truths, the truth that God the Father has predestined the sinners in Christ, the truth that the Son has purchased these elect from sin, and the Spirit applies these things then unto the believer. And so, the covenant of redemption can be summarized this way. The Father plans and elects, the Son accomplishes, and the Spirit applies. So, as I said, tonight we are looking at the application of redemption by the Spirit.
Now, tonight is meant to be an encouragement. I'm sure there are many out there. I know I myself have been there and still am there in many ways. When we sin, sometimes our faith is weakened.
Sometimes our faith is shaken. We are concerned whether or not we are actually believers, whether or not we are actually saved, because we understand our conviction and see our need for Christ. But even in weak faith, weak faith still saves because of the great work of Christ. And so tonight is meant to be an encouragement to those that struggle.
It's meant to be an encouragement to lift you up, that we have assurance of the salvation that is in Christ Jesus. So in Ephesians 1, verses 13 and 14, Paul praises the Father for the Holy Spirit, who is a seal and guarantee for redemption, which is impressed on the hearts of believers. indicating to them that they are children of God. So what the Spirit is meant to do, specifically in Ephesians chapter 1, is to impress on the hearts of believers that they actually are the children of God. If you believed on Christ, you are a child of God.
If you believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and have been saved, you are a child of God. And we're going to look at this work of the Holy Spirit under two points tonight. We're going to look first of all at the seal with the Holy Spirit and secondly the guarantee of the Holy Spirit.
The Seal of the Holy Spirit
So let's first look now at the Holy Spirit as this seal in chapter 1 verse 13. We're actually going to go backwards in the verse. We're going to start with the end of the verse and move our way backwards. Not quite like that, but we're going to start with the end of the verse.
And at the end of the verse, the Apostle Paul says, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. Now, what does this idea of seal actually mean? It carries with it the idea of a mark of identification, a mark or a seal. And what it does is it denotes ownership.
And also the idea is that the owner would protect the thing that was sealed, kind of like a father would protect his children. Right? So it's meant to be a sign for us and it's usually the primary basis or the imagery which speaks to those who enter the Christian community. We are sealed by the Holy Spirit.
And I liken it to an engagement ring. Right? When you're a dude and you want to propose to a lady, you take a ring and you put it on the ring of the lady that you love. And what you're doing is you're marking out to the rest of the world that this is your gal.
No one else is going to take her. Don't you dare look at her, other men, because she's my lady. And the same is true when you get married for men as well. I need to flaunt my ring around so that ladies see that I'm sealed and I belong to my wife now.
So that's what the idea of sealing does. It's meant to indicate something concerning who the believers actually are. Who the believers actually are. And what this seal is, as it says in chapter 1 verse 13, it is the Holy Spirit Himself.
The Holy Spirit Himself functions as the seal for believers. And notice it says, this promised Holy Spirit. This promised Holy Spirit. What that probably means is it probably refers back to the Old Testament prophecies where we had the promise of the coming Spirit.
I think of Ezekiel 36 verse 27, where the Spirit would come, take out hearts of stone, give hearts of flesh, and those who have these hearts of flesh would then seek to obey the law and to walk in the statutes of the Lord God Most High. The Spirit has come. But also this promised Spirit is not only for Jews, This section is speaking about Gentiles as well. The Gentiles have this promised Holy Spirit.
So there's a retrospect, a retroactive idea with this idea of the promised Spirit. There is also a bit of a future aspect as well. The Spirit is meant to be a seal, and as we'll see in a moment, a guarantee or a down payment of the promises that we will receive one day. But I think the focus primarily here is on the promised Holy Spirit of the Old Testament is for Gentiles as well.
Now what does it mean to be sealed?
What the Seal Means
Now we understand that it's a mark, it's an identification, But what does this actually mean? I think John Eady nails it. He says, The divine image in the possession of the Spirit is impressed upon the heart, and the conscious enjoyment of it assures the believer of perfection and glory. That is, the idea of the image is impressed on the heart of the believer, working with us to indicate that we are children of God.
He also says, Edi says, whatever bears God's image will be safely carried to his bosom. Will be safely carried to his bosom. Now in Romans chapter 8, I think it clarifies for us this idea very well. Romans chapter 8 at verse 16.
The Apostle Paul says, the Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we might also be glorified. So we get this seal of the Holy Spirit impressing on our hearts, the inward dwelling that yes, upon salvation, we are sealed. We are children of God, even now.
Even now. And I think this idea has something called a definitive sanctification to it. We all hear the term sanctification, which is what? That process by which we are made holy.
There's also a definitive aspect as well, that is, we are set apart. Right? And so what the idea here is, as well, is it's not only impressed on our hearts, but we are set apart as other people, as children of God. And so we see this in Romans 6, 6 through 11.
That is, we are crucified with Christ, and we are no longer enslaved to sin. In the book of 1 Corinthians at verse 20, I believe it's verse 2, The idea is the believers are sanctified as if it's already happened. That is, the people of God are set apart. So there's this definitive aspect of it.
There's also a progressive aspect of sanctification as well. But the idea here in Ephesians 1, verse 13 is that the Spirit bears in our hearts that we are set apart and that we are the children of God. But it also gives us, as well, this idea of assurance. This idea of assurance that we are actually saved.
Going back to this idea of the promised spirit, we also see examples of this spirit, the promised spirit who has come, being fulfilled right here. The Gentiles received the promised spirit. So the idea is that we can have assurance because we have the Holy Spirit. What does the Apostle Paul say also in Romans 8? just a few verses before.
He says that the Spirit of Christ dwells in you, and if you do not have the Spirit of Christ, then you do not belong to Christ. We need that Spirit working within us, convicting us, showing us our Christ, pointing us to our Savior, that we might have assurance that this salvation is sure. We might have assurance that the Father who predestined before the foundation of the world fulfills his promises. And we have that confidence even now as believers.
And I think the London Baptist Confession has a chapter on, I don't think, I know it has a chapter on the assurance of grace. And what it says here in paragraph two of the Baptist Confession is that this Certainty is not a bare conjectural and probable persuasion, rounded upon a fallible hope, but an infallible assurance of faith, founded on the blood and righteousness of Christ, revealed in the gospel, and also upon the inward evidence of those graces of the Spirit, onto which promises are made, and the testimony of the Spirit of adoption, witnessing with our spirits that we are children of God, and as a fruit thereof, keeping the heart both humble and holy as well. So we have this assurance. We can be sure that we are saved.
We can be sure if you believed on Christ, have this impression on your heart that you are a child of God because of that spirit. We need that spirit in us. Convicting us, changing us, not only showing us that we are children of God, but helping us live like we are children of God as well. But I'll get to that a little bit later.
So we see what this seal is.
Who Receives the Seal
But notice as well who receives this seal. Back to the beginning of Ephesians chapter 1 verse 13. In him you also. In him you also.
Now remember last time in chapter 1 verse 12 we're talking about the Jews in that section, right? Here the Apostle Paul is now setting apart the Gentiles. You also. You also, but the also includes the Jews as well.
But the focus here is more on the Gentiles, that they are included, that they have this promised Holy Spirit. Remember, the flow of salvation is for the Jew first, then for the Greek. The Apostle Paul talks about that in Romans 1, verses 16 and 17. So we see this impression upon the heart is not only for Jews, but also for Gentiles as well.
How and When the Seal Is Received
But notice as well how it is and how and when we receive this seal. How and when we receive this seal. The Apostle Paul says, in him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also having believed. So we see the hearing of the gospel.
The gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ must be preached in order for the Spirit to work, in order for the Spirit to convict, and in order for the Spirit to confirm sinners that they are children of God. That's one aspect we need to hear. The means by which we can receive the seal is, first of all, by preaching, by hearing. Remember the Apostle Paul in Romans chapter 10, verse 14 through 17, he says this, How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed?
And how are they to believe in him whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news.
But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us? So faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ. The means by which this seeing of the spirit can come is through the proclamation of the one who redeemed sinners.
The proclamation of the truth of Christ who brought us up out of slavery in order that we might be what? Children of God. But notice the preaching, but the content as well, the gospel, this word of truth, the gospel of our salvation. There is only one truth in this world, and that is God's word.
We live in a day and age where truth is relative. What's true for you is true for you, and what's true for me is true for me. That is totally bogus, and it goes against what scripture says. We know that God has given us his word.
It is the word of truth. for salvation. The word of truth unto salvation. It is salvific. Remember in Ephesians 1 verse 7, redemption through his blood is meant to save sinners.
It's meant to bring us out of slavery. It's meant to pay the price that we could not have paid on our own. And so we see this seal, we see the recipients, and we also see how it is we are supposed to receive it. But notice how and when as well.
It's the response to this word. After you believed. after you believed on the Lord Christ. And what this idea of belief here has is that you have complete confidence in the one in which you are believing in. You believe in or trust in.
The only instrument by which we can receive justification, that is, the pardoning of sin and being accepted as righteousness, the way we receive that is through faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. So what do we see here? We see this seal coming upon us, but we see after the Word was preached and after one had faith in Christ. So we see this sealing right away upon conversion, upon faith, upon trusting, in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
And so I think the application I want to draw out for us here is that there is assurance and hope for the believer. There is this assurance and hope about who God is, what He said He would do. We know that God is unchangeable. We know that He will fulfill His plan.
And He says that in Ephesians chapter 1, right? He is the one who predestined. He is the one who sent forth His Son. And we know that it's been accomplished. through the eyewitness testimony.
We also have the inward testimony of the Holy Spirit impressing on us the truth of Scripture.
Assurance from the Seal
I have a lengthy quote from Ryle, but it's gold. This is what he says. Assurance goes far to set a child of God free from this painful bondage of fear and doubt, and thus ministers mightily to his comfort. It enables him to feel that great business of life is a settled business, the great debt a paid debt, the great disease a healed disease, and the great work a finished work.
All other businesses, diseases, debts, and works, then by comparison, are small. In this way, assurance makes him patient in tribulation, works then calm under bereavements, unmoved in sorrow, not afraid of evil tidings, in every condition content, for it gives him a fixedness of heart. It sweetens his bitter cups. It lessens the burden of his crosses.
It smooths the rough places over which he travels. It lightens the valley of the shadow of death. It makes him always feel he has something solid beneath his feet and something firm under his hands. A sure friend by the way and a sure home at the end.
Amen. So we've seen this seal. We see that we are marked as children of God. Spirit impressing on his heart that we are set apart as these children of God.
The Guarantee of the Holy Spirit
But now we look secondly at the guarantee of the Spirit or the down payment of the Holy Spirit. Chapter 1 verse 14. This further fleshes out what this seal looks like. Who is the guarantee?
Who is the guarantee? And what this idea is highlighting is a present down payment for a future blessing. What it is, it's something, it's kind of functioning like collateral, if you will, indicating to us that what we receive now in imperfection, we will receive in its perfection one day. And so it highlights the idea of paying for a payment of a part of a purchase in advance.
Kind of like the down payment on a house, right? Jessica and I had to put a down payment on our future place in California. We had to secure it to make sure that no one else takes that place from us because we need to live somewhere. And so that's kind of the idea here.
It's meant to be a down payment for the fullness that we will receive one day. For the fullness of the inheritance that one day we will fully receive. And I think the Apostle Paul highlights this very well in 2 Corinthians 5, verse 5. This word guarantee is only used three times in scripture.
It's only used three times in scripture. All three times are in the Apostle Paul. But we see this word here in 2 Corinthians 5, verse 5. I'm actually going to read 5, verse 1.
For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent we groan, being burdened, not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
We have a guarantee, that house idea, we have a guarantee of our heavenly dwelling one day. We have a guarantee, we have a down payment of what we will receive in fullness and when glory is ushered in. And remember, when we come to the Sabbath on the Lord's Day, it is meant to be for us a glimpse into what heaven would be like. It is a preparation Remember, the proper Lord's Day worship gives us this idea of what a never-ending Sabbath will be like when we will sing those great hymns unto the Lord God Most High for what He has done.
These times that we come together are blessed and wonderful and sacred and give us that glimpse into what heaven will be like. And so we have this down payment.
Already and Not Yet
But again, it's an already-not-yet idea. We already have the guarantee We haven't received that fullness. John Eady says, the holiness that is created is still imperfect and is surrounded and often oppressed with remaining infirmities in this body of death. And the happiness he infuses, often like gleams of sunshine on a dark and cloudy day, faint and few and ever fading.
You see, we get to see that glimpse of the sun during our dark days here. We get to see the fullness, we get to see a glimpse into what heaven will be like one day. So we see this security, this down payment of the Holy Spirit, but notice now what it is that is secured for us. Verse 14, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession?
Again, this idea is meant to be a guarantee of what? The future blessings that we will receive. It's meant to strengthen our inheritance and our assurance. And the word here is used with the idea of a transcendence or an otherworldly inheritance, a heavenly inheritance, if you will.
The word is also used in Ephesians 5, verse 5. This is more of a negative aspect, but this is what the Apostle Paul says. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man who is an idolater has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God." Same idea here. No fornicator, idolater has any possession or guarantee of what this inheritance will be like one day.
So it's a transcendent, it's an otherworldly, it's meant to show us that one day we will receive this full inheritance.
The Purchased Possession
But notice as well, this idea of setting apart is drawn out as well in verse 14. The redemption of the purchased possession. The redemption of the purposed possession. That is, God has sealed and set apart a people for himself.
And the people that he has sealed and set apart will receive this future blessing. And what this idea means, it's something that is acquired. Something that is property and how God uses it for people. Remember in Exodus chapter 19, the people have just been taken up out of the land of Egypt.
This is probably a good summary statement of that old covenant with Israel in Exodus chapter 19. And this is what he says in Exodus chapter 19 verses 3 through 8. While Moses went up to God, the Lord called to him out of the mountains, saying, thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the people of Israel, you yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I bore you on eagle's wings and brought you to himself. Now, therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples for all the earth is mine. and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." That's speaking about the people of Israel.
The Apostle Peter uses this well in 1 Corinthians chapter 2 verse 9. That is, the Church of God is a people for His holy possession. We are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a people for His own possession. The Church of God is God's possession. the people that He has acquired through the purchasing of the work of Christ.
So we are the people that have been redeemed. And this future idea is once again drawn out in the idea of redemption. We saw the term redemption in chapter 1 verse 7. 1 verse 7 probably talks about the present idea of redemption, that we are redeemed, we are purchased. But there is this future aspect as well, which is probably what's being talked about In chapter 1, verse 14, there is a future aspect.
You are sealed for that day of redemption. And that is exactly how Paul uses this term again in Ephesians 4. 30, he says, and do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. So he's using it again there as well. There's this future aspect to it, right?
We have future redemption, something that we can look forward to. I know sometimes life looks bleak even now. But we know we have the Spirit who functions as that guarantee for that day when we will go into the new heavens and the new earth because of the work of Christ. It's going to be wonderful.
And what Bruce says, redemption is already theirs through the sacrifice and death of Christ. But one aspect of that redemption remains to be realized. One aspect of that redemption remains to be realized. So we see the security, and we see what is secured.
The Progressive Work of the Spirit
But what this is also meant to do is that there's a progressive aspect to it. Yes, the work here is meant, the Spirit's meant to impress on our hearts that we are children of God. But there's also this progressive idea, because there's a not yet idea going on. This is meant to prepare us for heaven.
This is meant to be a preparation for heaven. Gil says, for this sealing work of his leaves a great impress of holiness upon the soul. And engage more to acts of holiness. That is, sanctification is meant to prepare us for heaven one day.
It's meant to show us our fitness for it. And this holiness idea is a fruit of the assurance that we have with Christ. And we see that in Ephesians chapter 3 verse 16. The Spirit is meant to strengthen our inner being.
Right? Obviously, if we are weak, we need the Spirit to strengthen us. But notice as well, we have the preaching ministry in Ephesians 4, verse 4. There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling.
This is talking about the idea of God, the Christ giving gifts to the church, namely men who preach the truth. And so we have the preaching ministry. So if you're struggling, come and attend the means of grace, especially in a church that preaches the truth. Especially in a place where men are faithful to rightly divide the Word of God.
Attend, be here, and grow in grace and knowledge through that. But also, there is the private means as well. You know, reading our Bibles, praying daily, growing in knowledge, understanding good theology as well. There is this idea that these are meant to prepare us to know who the God is that we are going to see one day. and also to show us how we are to rightly conduct ourselves with Him.
But this idea of new life is found, the idea of this holiness being a fruit of assurance is also found in Ephesians 4.30. We just saw that. Sealed for the day of redemption. That comes in the section on sanctification or right practice.
But even Ephesians 5 verse 18. And do not be drunk with wine in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit. These are sections, this is a section concerning that progressive, that imperfect idea already. But notice as well, there's prayer as well.
Chapter 6, verses 17 and 18. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, praying always with all prayers and supplications in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. So the book of Ephesians itself fleshes out what this seal actually means. Not only is it meant to impress on our hearts that we are children of God, but it's meant we are supposed to live like children of God as well.
Putting on the new man, putting off the old. But notice as well, the same refrain is here at the end. Praise to the Father for the Spirit that impresses on the hearts of His children that they are actually His children. That they are actually His children.
We need to praise the Father, not only for His work, we need to praise the Father for Christ's work and the Spirit's work as well.
Application
And so the application, I think, from this section of guarantee, I hope was clear, but there's this progressive aspect of this ceiling. There's this fruit of assurance that prepares us for heaven. We must live, we must live like we are actually dead to sin and alive in the new man, alive in Christ. Again, Ryle talks about how sanctification is that which makes us ready for the new heavens and that prepares us to enjoy it.
Why is the Lord's Day such a drudgery sometimes? Because it's totally a wonderful glimpse into what heaven will be like. If you find it a burden, if you find it a pain to come to church, may I implore you now to fight, fight, Pray to the Lord God for this assurance that you have, that you might see the beauty and the wonder of coming into the Lord's house on the Lord's day to hear the Word of God preached. Even when it's scorching hot, there's no better place to be than in the house of the Lord, because it prepares us one day for heaven.
What Ryle does in his book on holiness is he has some interesting questions concerning about the preparation for heaven and mainly for those that do not like or do not impress this idea of holiness on their heart. He talks about how the idea that if you like to hang out with covetous people, revelers, idolaters, that there's going to be no such in heaven. But if you hate hanging out with the people of God, If you think they're uptight and weird, there's going to be no other company in heaven. And moreover, as I've already drilled, hopefully said, the Sabbath is meant to be a glimpse into that never-ending Sabbath.
If you hate the Lord's Day, how are you going to enjoy heaven? It's meant to be a time when we come and have refreshment with the Lord God Most High, when we hear His Word. And thanks be to God that we can come to a place where our wonderful pastors preach the truth faithfully day in and day out. And what this is meant to do also in this progressive idea of sanctification, I meant to encourage you to press on, to fight, to move forward.
The Apostle Paul talks about this war imagery, right? You put on the armor of God, you go into battle. It may seem like there are 600 men in your way, but swing your ox code like Shamgar, right? It may seem like there are a thousand Philistines in your face, but take that donkey's jawbone and bash them over the head with it. by the Spirit, fight on, move forth, right?
There's nothing better. And I hope to encourage us, myself as well, that we might ask the Lord for this assurance, that we are children, and that we might fight on, move on, press on for that one day when we will not be able to sin, when dudes who dress up like women will not be praised, when babies are murdered and their organs are harvested will be judged and condemned, and none of those things will happen in the new heavens and the new earth. I look forward to heaven one day, and I hope you do as well. And I hope you see that the Church of God is meant to be a glimpse into that.
Are we perfect? Absolutely not. But there is something to be said about what we should do. Preach the truth, sing the truth, pray the truth, day in and day out, every Lord's Day.
And I think the London Baptist Confession on assurance, paragraph three says, that thereby his heart may be enlarged in peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. I want your heart to be enlarged and have joy in the Holy Spirit and love and thankfulness to God and in strength and cheerfulness of the duties of obedience. Again, the proper first fruits of this assurance. So far is it inclining men to looseness.
We're meant to press on and fight.
Conclusion and Final Exhortations
So in conclusion, we must remember that we must praise the Father for not only the work that He does, not only the work that Christ does, but also the work of the Holy Spirit. Specifically in this context, impressing on our hearts, enlarging our hearts that we know that we are the children of God, giving us that assurance that we are saved, but also the idea that He works with us as we fight on. We have no better artillery than the Holy Spirit when we fight. We have no better weapon than the Holy Spirit working with us.
Be encouraged, brothers and sisters, to move forward, press on in Christ. We saw that the Spirit is our seal and our down payment, this impression on our heart, but also the down payment of something that we have not fully realized yet. And we will receive that and see that one day. And I'll close with several applications.
Again, this is meant to be an assurance of our faith. be encouraged. God is unchangeable. He would do what He said He would do. He's given us His Spirit to encourage us, to work in us, that we might see the wonderfulness of Christ as we move forward, day in and day out.
Now, I want to say something else as well. There are many sensitive souls here. I know I'm one of them. And we live in Canada, so it just makes us more sensitive anyway.
But we can be assured Because sometimes our faith can be shaken. Sometimes our faith can be diminished. But, if you're convicted, if you're concerned about the sin that you have, that's a good sign. If you're questioning whether or not you have been saved, that is a good sign that you're thinking of these things.
The Spirit is working in you, so be encouraged. I hope and pray for you, and I hope that you pray as well, that you would be encouraged and enlarged at the inward work of the Holy Spirit. And the idea that our assurance can be shaken as well. whether it's sin, whether it's the things that we see in the world. But nonetheless, that assurance is meant to help us go through tough times as well.
Remember that Ryle quote. It's meant to help us in times of disease, in times when we face persecution. It's meant to help us be content. I would encourage you to read his section on assurance.
He's got some wonderful things I couldn't say here. But again, also for believers, The proper fruit of assurance is obedience. We are soldiers in battle, and the Spirit is meant to point us to Christ and make us Christ-like. And also, again, for believers, we need to praise God the Father for this assurance.
Now, I have applications as well for what the Confession calls temporary Christians and unbelievers. Now, temporary believers, I would probably summarize them in this way. There's probably no or little evidence of the conviction of sin in their hearts. They're not thinking about the things of the truth, thinking about the things of God.
The Sabbath day is a drudgery for them. They're not growing in holiness, yet they profess. Maybe it's because they were baptized as a child. Maybe it's because their parents are believers.
Or they said the sinner's prayer in their hearts when they were five. But I implore you now, to believe on Christ. Look to Christ, for He is the only one who can save you from your sins. Believe on the Lord Christ and you shall be saved.
And the same message is true for unbelievers as well. Hear the word of truth. Believe on Christ. And here's what I can assure you if you don't believe, you'll receive condemnation.
You will receive eternal punishment one day for your sins, for you have sinned against a holy God. You've transgressed His holy law and you will face Him one day. Why would you not believe? Why would you not have this blessing, and this security, and this assurance?
Believe on Christ, and hopefully the Spirit will work in you to assure you that you are saved. But believer, unbeliever, temporary believer, believe on our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I'll close by reading chapter 18 of our Confession, paragraph 1. Although temporary believers and other unregenerate men may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presumptions of being in the favor of God and state of salvation, which hope of theirs shall perish, yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus and love him in sincerity, endeavoring to walk in all good conscience before him, may in this life be certainly assured that they are in the state of grace, and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, which hope shall never make them ashamed.
Amen. Well, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who has predestined us in love, who has redeemed us in Christ, and assures us and works in us and impresses upon us that we are children of God. Amen. Let us pray.
Closing Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day, Lord God. We thank you for the Lord's day. We thank you that we can come and hear your truth proclaimed to us. We thank you that your spirit is present with us, giving strength to the preacher and aid to the hearer as well.
Father God, we long for that one day when we will be in heaven. We thank you for the spirit who is the down payment of that inheritance, Lord God. We thank you that you've chosen a people, you've called them out of darkness into marvelous light to believe on Christ. And Father God, we thank you that Christ is our seal, or that the Spirit is our seal in Christ.
And Father God, we thank you that the Spirit works in upon us to assure us that we are children of God. Father God, I pray for those that are unbelievers here today and who may be listening. I pray that you would convict them of sin by your Spirit, that you would give them that heavenly heart surgery, that they might see their need for Christ and believe on the Lord Christ, that they will not only be justified but sanctified as well, Lord God, and that many sinners might come unto you, that they might believe you and see you, and that they might have joy unending, Lord God. And for those, for our believers here who are weak in their faith, Lord, I pray that you would strengthen them.
You would strengthen us, Lord God, that we would know of this assurance, that it would give us boldness to live, to know the truth, know that you saved us, but also to help us walk in a manner consistent with the gospel. Father God, we pray that you would forgive us of our sins. We pray that you would help us go forth into the world shining as lights and that by your spirit many might be saved. Father God, I thank you for your help and your strength and aid today.
May you be glorified in all things. Amen.