The Sealing of the Spirit
A Sermon on John 1:26-33
Originally preached April 4, 1965
Scripture
26John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; 27He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose. 28These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where …
Sermon Description
Scripture teaches that Christ, through having died, risen, and ascended to the right hand of God, has purchased a glorious inheritance that is waiting for all those who believe in Him. But how do God’s people know this inheritance is waiting for them? In this sermon titled “The Sealing of the Spirit,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains from John 1:26–33 that God seals His people with His Holy Spirit as a guarantee. This sealing is something most believers would be familiar with in theory, but how many could explain what it actually is? Some base their explanation on their own experience, directly connecting the seal of the Holy Spirit to the work of producing the fruits of sanctification or to the baptism of the Holy Spirit. But both of these explanations pose problems to the understanding and experience of the work of the Holy Spirit. Drawing from various pertinent Scriptures, Dr. Lloyd-Jones brings forth the meaning, purpose, and comfort of the sealing of the Holy Spirit in believers’ hearts as a sign of ownership, security, and, ultimately, an authentication and confirmation for the believer of all God has promised.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul reminds the Ephesians of what they have as Christians.
- God's eternal purpose is that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.
- We have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ.
- God is redeeming the cosmos and making a people for himself out of Jews and Gentiles.
- Paul prays that the Ephesians would know the hope of God's calling and the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.
- Believing, the Ephesians were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.
- The Holy Spirit is the seal and the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession.
- Christ purchased an inheritance for us, but we do not yet possess it fully. The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee of that inheritance.
- The main meaning of sealing here is authentication or confirmation. The Holy Spirit confirms that we belong to God.
- Sealing with the Spirit is not the same as sanctification. It is something that follows faith and is given to those who walk closely with God.
- Jesus was sealed by God the Father at his baptism, when the Holy Spirit descended on him and the Father declared him to be his Son. This was his authentication.
- The sealing of the Spirit, like the baptism of the Spirit, is a visible, tangible work of God that provides assurance and power for witness.
- The witness of the Spirit in Romans 8:16 is the same as the sealing of the Spirit. The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are God's children.
- This witness of the Spirit is not based on our feelings or sanctification. It is an objective work of God that provides unshakable assurance.
- We should seek the sealing of the Spirit rather than dismissing it as foolishness. It brings unspeakable joy.
The Book of John
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.