Q. “M, M.” What is the thought implied in the Holy Spirit as a Seal? Could a soul be sealed without knowing experimentally complete deliverance by death and resurrection?
A. The thought seems to be that God puts a mark upon those who believe, as His, by the gift of the Holy Spirit of Promise (Eph. 1:14), who is the earnest of their inheritance with Christ, over all things (creation, etc.) yet to come. This seal is the demonstration and earnest of their participation in that inheritance which Christ has purchased with His precious blood, and which He will take by power out of the hands of the enemy; that will be its redemption, the purchase having been made. This is when they look forward. Looking back, He is a seal of the perfection of the work in which they stand, and which was wrought by Christ on the Cross. In connection with the inheritance, as not yet possessed, the Spirit is here named the “Spirit of promise.” While in connection with life, and what we have now in Christ (Eph. 4:33), He is termed the “Holy Spirit of God,” the same Spirit most surely, but in a different connection of thought (ch. 1) being in connection with what they have not (ch. 4) with what they have.
They had heard the word of truth; they had believed the gospel of their salvation; and they were sealed — having done so. It was not that they were sealed as sinners, but as believers. By hearing and believing, a person is quickened; on believing (the gospel of his salvation, Eph. 1:13), he is sealed. God does not seal a sinner merely as such. That would be to seal him in his sins. He quickens a sinner; He seals a believer. These two actions never happen together, as far as I know; frequently there may be an interval of years between them. To speak in general terms, the moment a person believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, and receives remission of sins (having rested on the finished work), he is sealed. He may not know deliverance, by death and resurrection, for long after this, and yet have the Spirit in him as a seal. Cornelius’ case is one in point. He was a “devout man,” and “one that feared God,” etc.; his soul really lived to God. But it needed that his conscience should be purged by the work of Christ, and this he had not yet known. Peter tells him — already a quickened soul — of Christ and His work, and the moment he names “remission of sins” (Acts 10:31), the Holy Spirit is given to him. He “set to his seal that God is true,” and God set to His seal on him that did so. There is always life in the soul first, before forgiveness of sins is really sought; then, when it is known, the gift of the Holy Spirit follows, and that soul is sealed. Deep lessons may be learned of his nature, and the experimental truth of death and resurrection may not be known for long after this. Even the experience of Romans 7:14-24 may be learned in a modified way after the Spirit has been given. However, the experience there given does not suppose this to be the case. Where free grace is preached, souls that have life find forgiveness, and then they are sealed. The complete deliverance may not yet be known, nor for long.
1. the man in Romans 7 is in “captivity to the law of sin” (Rom. 7:24);
2. whereas “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and of death” (Rom. 8:2);
3. and thus, where the Spirit is, there is “liberty” (2 Cor. 3:17);
4. so that his cry, “who shall deliver me” (Rom. 7:24) is answered when he looks to One who has finished the work on the cross. Resting in His person and work, he is delivered and sealed with the Spirit.
If we seek to understand Romans 7 by trying to fit all sorts of cases of persons into it, rather than being guided by the Scripture itself, we shall have difficulty with the subject.
After this deliverance, the soul learns still more deeply what self is, and what God is for us, in spite of what we are in ourselves; learning more fully Christ’s death and resurrection for us, and our death and resurrection with Him, etc.)