Q. Eph. 1:1313In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, (Ephesians 1:13). In what way is the believer now sealed with the holy spirit of promise? There was a manifested presence of the Holy Ghost in the early Christians. “received ye the spirit by the works of the law?” to what extent may we apply such confident assertions as, “ye have an unction from the holy one and ye know all things?” (1 John 2:2020But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. (1 John 2:20); see all ver. 27 of the same chapter.) Can this be said of believers now? R. B. A. It is extremely important not to carry any passage as doctrine beyond what is stated in it. The question with the Galatians was how they had received the Holy Ghost was it in connection with works or with faith? How they knew they had received him is not touched upon. I have no doubt that his presence there was manifested in such a way as enabled the apostle to appeal to it as a known thing. Nor is it necessarily the personal experience each one had of it in his soul that was the means of his knowing it was there, though that knowledge could not be separated from its presence in the man. “but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you.” but he does abide and dwell with us, and forever—does not leave the church as Jesus did his disciples. The manner of his displaying his presence is another thing. This may be outwardly sensible or inwardly known. If outwardly sensible, it can be appealed to; if inwardly known, the person who has it can be appealed to as to his knowledge of it. And so can any body of Christians who own his presence in the degree in which that presence is felt, as it often is very really
But the Holy Ghost once given does not leave the Church again. This is certain from the Lord's words. The manifestation of the Spirit, of which the Scripture also speaks, is another thing. It may be by gifts which are only for edification, flowing from the head. The first may fall as ornaments put on the body; but in principle, the latter forms an essential part of the work of God in Christ. God was in Christ committing the ministry of reconciliation. He called His own servants, and gave them money to trade with; and then return and takes account. Men are to hear, and they cannot hear without a preacher. Now this is a gift. He gave evangelists. But the presence of the Holy Ghost is shown in another way, more important even than this. A man might be even partaker of the Holy Ghost as power, and be lost, but not one sealed, or bearing fruit: that accompanies salvation. This (not presence, but) special character of the presence and work of the Holy Ghost in the believer personally is twofold. There is liberty, joy, and love shed abroad in the heart, the crying Abba Father on the one hand, and the producing fruits on the other. This is not the public display of His presence in outward signs of power, but is connected with divine life The fruits of the Spirit are such and such. “God is not faithful to forget your work and labor of love.” This accompanied salvation. Hence what is ascribed to the Holy Ghost in Ephesians is considered as life in the Colossians. And in the eighth of Romans, the Sprit is first named as the source of life, and identified with it, and with Christ too, and then looked at as personally apart, bearing witness with our Spirit. So He who searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the φρόνημα, the moral mind in us of the Spirit; for He maketh intercession for us, and it is said to be according to God. So he that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit. Fruits then, in life on the one hand, and the conscious joyous liberty of children with God in love on the other hand, and the work and presence of the Spirit of God—one giving us the consciousness of His presence within, and of our relationship with God in Christ, the other the proof to others of the reality of what we profess to enjoy, to the consciousness of the union of the body—the knowledge that Jesus in the Father, we in Him, and He in us.
All depend on the presence of the Holy Ghost, which we thus consciously possess. The presence of the Holy Ghost is a revealed fact, and it was to abide forever. The presence of the Holy Ghost must not be confounded with the manifestation of the Spirit. The manifestations, or their absence, depend on the wise and holy government of God in the Church. The presence of the Holy Ghost is certain by the Lord's word. Men may have grieved Him, so that He does not manifest His presence as He would—that depends on the government of God. He distributes as He will; but His Presence depends on Christ's being in heaven, and is the witness of it, and of divine righteousness therein, and cannot cease as long as that is to be made good for faith (that is, as long as Christ sits at God's right hand) The Holy Ghost came on the day of Pentecost, and that day the saints were baptized, and the Church formed into one. This remains till He goes. For individual believers, who have submitted to the righteousness of God in Christ, who have believed, this presence of the Holy Ghost becomes an unction, a seal, and an earnest. “He that stablisheth us together with you in Christ, and also hath sealed us, and put the earnest of His Spirit in your hearts.” “In whom, after ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of your inheritance till the redemption of the purchased possession.”
Hence, I judge, that the presence of the Spirit is an essential scriptural truth, a matter of faith; that His presence is not to be confounded with the manifestations of His presence, which may vary with the perfect government of God; that for the individual this presence with him becomes an unction, a seal, and an earnest, being founded on and making certain to. hilt the righteousness of God in Christ, and giving the consciousness of His presence, and of the love of God. The lively sense of this will vary with his walk, and further making abound in hope, and know that the inheritance of all things is his, giving him the consciousness of being Christ and Christ in him, and being a Spirit of adoption in his heart towards His Father. This unction and seal and earnest is the undoubted portion of all those who have a part in Christ by faith, having submitted to the righteousness of God. As the Spirit works as to understanding by the word, the degree in which this is intelligently realized will depend on being divinely taught of God from His word. This will enable the believer to account for what he has.