What's With The Seal?

[Webers_Home]

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†. Eph 4:30 . . Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were
sealed for the day of redemption.

According to Eph 1:12-14, the Holy Spirit serves two purposes.

First off, the Holy Spirit himself is the "seal" which is from the koiné Greek
word sphragizo (sfrag-id'-zo). The word has no reference whatsoever to a
zip lock bag, or a strip of tape, or a gasket, or that little doo-dad that the
power company clips onto electric meters, or a cork, or a bottle cap, or the
lid on a jar, or glue, or the ring of bee's wax that goes in between the base
of a toilet and the flange of the soil pipe it drains into.

Sphragizo refers to the impression that's made upon wax with a signet ring.
In other words: the Holy Spirit is God's own personal signature on the dotted
line; and it serves a very important purpose.

The Holy Spirit is also the "earnest" of a believer's inheritance. Let me
explain.

The koiné Greek word is arrhabon (ar-hrab-ohn') which refers to a pledge;
viz: part of the purchase-money or property given in advance as security for
the rest.

When I bought my home, I had to submit, along with the escrow papers, an
amount of money called a "good-faith" deposit. In the event that my wife
and I backed out of the deal, for any reason at all; we would've forfeited our
good-faith deposit. That's no doubt an incentive to make sure people mean
business about buying a home.

Bottom line is: at this point in the plan of salvation, should God not spare
my soul from the sum of all fears; then He has to forfeit the Holy Spirit. In
other words: should I end up in hell, I get to keep the Holy Spirit and take
Him down there with me because that's the way an arrhabon works; and I
have God's signature holding Him to it.

According to Eph 1:12-14, the information in this post pertains to believers
only. Anyone else will of course quite naturally think it's all a big joke.

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[Wormwood]

Weber,

I think you are reading too much into these concepts. You are correct about the nature of the seal. It was a means of putting one's stamp of ownership or identification on an object. Paul is teaching here that we have been marked by God and claimed by him as his property. Therefore, we should not live as pagans or in a manner that grieves the God who has placed his seal of ownership on our lives.

There are other verses that clearly indicate that we can no only grieve, but reject the Holy Spirit after partaking of Him. This is not to say that we can sin and make the Holy Spirit leave us. However, we are saved by grace through faith. If we denounce the faith and reject the Lord, there is nothing here that would indicate that God could not remove his seal from our lives. This context is clearly talking about how we should live based on the one to whom we belong. It is not addressing the issue of eternal security in any way, shape or form. To read that into Eph. 4 is to take these verses in a way that the author did not intend them...IMO.

 

[clark thompson]

The seal can not be broken it keeps us in Him.

 

[Wormwood]

Clark,
The "seal" was a mark to indicate possession. It is not something that is used to contain or lock something in place as we think of a seal.

 

[Webers_Home]

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If we denounce the faith and reject the Lord, there is nothing here that
would indicate that God could not remove his seal from our lives.

You just try and remove your signature from an escrow document and see
what happens.

I'm appalled at the low opinion some people have of God's integrity.

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[Wormwood]

This has nothing to do with God's "integrity." It has everything to do with God's self-disclosure as seen in the pages of the NT. I think you are taking metaphors beyond their contextual meaning in order to satisfy a systematic theology. If you would like to discuss the topic, fine. However, lets commit to discussing rationally and in a kind and Christ-like manner. There is no need to smear each other's opinion of God or the Scriptures. I assure you I do not have a low opinion of God's integrity.

 

[Webers_Home]

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Eph 1:12-14 explains a difficult spiritual truth by putting it into a context
easy to understand by anyone familiar with the process of buying a home.

Another context, also easy to understand, is located in the 38th chapter of
Genesis. Long story short, Judah left his staff and signet with Tamar as a
pledge that he would pay her with a young goat as compensation for
sleeping with him. (Gen 38:18)

The Hebrew word for Judah's pledge is 'arabown (ar-aw-bone') which is
equivalent to the Greek word for "earnest" in Eph 1:14.

Well; Judah was unable to make good on his promise because Tamar
took a powder. So his response was:

"Let her keep what she has or we will become a disgrace." (Gen 38:23)

You bet your bippy they would have been a disgrace because until such a
time as Judah paid Tamar what he promised; she had a legitimate right to
keep his staff and his signet because that's the way an 'arabown works.

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[the stranger]

I was just thinking of that story. Seems there had to be commitment on both sides for the deal to be complete and in this case never was. A crazy question for you all. I have not yet a solid answer. The Holy Trinity is a anchor for the Christian faith. God says many times over if we forsake Him He will forsake us and says I am the vine. Those like Israel who rejected that vine, John talking to believers here, will be gathered up and burned and if Any Israelites return they again will be grafted in. If God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit are one, can we forsake the vine and be forsaken by God yet still have the Holy Spirit dwell in us?

 

[Wormwood]

Weber,

I agree that God will not back out on his promises. His promise is to save all the faithful (those who are believing in Christ). If we trust in Christ, we will never be put to shame. This is NOT to say that we cannot reject Him! That is a completely different discussion, and one that is very clearly spelled out in the NT (IMO).

Paul was concerned that he had "wasted his time" with the Galatians because they were starting to embrace a false Gospel. Why would he say this if they were sealed once for all? Paul clearly says that if they allow themselves to be circumcised (and embrace a righteousness by works-type Gospel), Christ will be "of no value" to them. Why would he say that if their moment of original faith was irreversible? Clearly they believed because Paul says they embraced him as an angel of the Lord and they were "abandoning" the one who called them. How can you leave someone you never were with? Again, this had to do with THEIR rejection of the Gospel, not God's faithlessness to his promise.

Moreover, we see many other warnings and declarations about people "shipwrecking" their faith (which indicates total destruction and loss). We read of those who were "washed" that go back to wallowing in the mire and are worse off than before. (Clearly "washed" here indicates the cleansing that comes from being forgiven) The author of Hebrews says that he will not allow people to "crucify the Son of God all over again." The context clearly seems to indicate those who had embraced the blood of Christ but then flatly rejected it and went back to Judiasm and animal sacrifice. Such an act would harden them so much that they would be unable to come "back to repentance."

The references and warnings are legion. The issue is not about God's faithfulness, but our holding fast to the faith. Even the Apostle Paul did not declare himself to have received the crown until he had "finished the race...kept the faith." Most of the words for "faith" in the NT are present participles...which mean they are ongoing actions. For instance, "whosoever believes (or "is believing") in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." These words indicate an ongoing, present faith. They are not aorist verbs that indicate a momentary act in the past. (i.e. "whosoever believed") Salvation is a gift that we do not earn. However, we must believe...and that belief is ongoing...a race that must be finished. It is why "endure" is such a significant word in Revelation. Christ calls his church to endure, even to death...and they will receive the crown of life. The clear implication is that if they do not...they will not receive it.

the stranger -
Yes, Jesus very clearly teaches his own disciples in John 15 that they must remain in the vine in order to produce fruit. We do not create fruit by our own acts...rather, fruit is a natural byproduct of remaining in Christ. However, even the disciples were capable of severing their relationship with Christ, which would make them shrivel, fruitless and worthy of being burnt. Thus, the warning is for everyone. The only means to a fruitful life is to abide in Christ.

In regards to the Holy Spirit, I think that if someone really has come to a point where they reject the Savior they once received, they reject the Holy Spirit as well. “For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.” (Hebrews 6:4–6, ESV) This verse indicates that they at "have once been enlightened..., have tasted..., have shared..." and indicates they no longer are enlightened or share in the Holy Spirit.

Thus, if someone is "forsaken" then they would no longer have the Holy Spirit. If you have the Holy Spirit, you belong to Christ.
As we read in Romans, “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” (Romans 8:9, ESV)

 

[the stranger]

Wormwood, thank you. That was a fantastic biblical and enjoyable read.

 

[brakelite]

Like the stranger said.....