" In 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."
This is a remarkable passage, demanding careful examination. What is meant by " the gospel of your salvation "? There are many sincere souls, who have put their trust in the Savior, and are saved accordingly, but perhaps because of a defective presentation of the gospel, or other causes, if you asked these sincere souls were they saved, they might reply that they could not be so presumptuous as to say their sins were forgiven, and their soul saved. Such people have believed on the Savior, but have not believed in " the gospel of their salvation," that is a message, which would assure them of their salvation before God. They have no settled peace with God.
But when a soul hears " the gospel of their salvation," that is, believing on Christ, and apprehending that the gospel brings the believer the forgiveness of sins and salvation, and they know with assurance that it is so, that individual is sealed with the Holy Spirit of God.
It is like a man building a house with the express purpose of living in it. So the Holy Spirit sanctifies the individual, sets him apart for eternal blessing, the new birth takes place, giving the individual new desires and capacities, and the gospel is received. As it were the house is built and the Holy Spirit comes to indwell.
To put it simply, as soon as a soul realizes the gospel as that which brings the assurance of salvation, that soul is there and then sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.
A question was asked in a Bible reading concerning the Scripture, " In 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 " (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)).
The question was, How long AFTER the believing does the sealing take place? The answer given was, It is not a question of time, but of order. The illustration was used of the blow of a sword and the resulting cut. The order could not be reversed. There must be the blow of the sword first and then the resulting cut. The stroke and the cut are one act. A trembling sinner may under a defective gospel be found trusting the Savior, and yet not for long years may he enter into peace with God, and the consciousness of sins forgiven and salvation, but the moment he does receive " the gospel of his salvation " that moment he is sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.