+I. That believers are sealed by the Spirit implies that they are
recognised and set apart and in a peculiar sense the Divine
property.+--1. A seal is often a distinguishing mark or token by
which a claim to property may be shown and established (Rev. iii. 2,
3). 2. That believers are thus sealed proves that they are His in a
peculiar manner. 3. The sense in which they are His is clearly
brought out (1 Cor. iii. 23). They are Christ's by gift, by purchase,
by conquest, by surrender. Christ is God's, and His people in Him.
4. They who are sealed are thus a peculiar people, separated to God's
worship, service, and glory. 5. Have you recognised practically that
you are God's?
+II. That believers are sealed implies that attempts will be made to
alienate them from God's possession.+--1. A mark or token is affixed
to that which is in danger of being taken away. 2. We are distinctly
taught that believers are exposed to efforts to separate them from
God (John x. 7-10, 27-29). 3. The activity of the wicked one seems in
a great measure directed to this point. 4. The doctrine of the
perseverance of the saints does not lead him to indolence. 5. Your
safety is not merely to get into the place of safety, but to continue
there.
+III. That believers are sealed implies that they have received the
impress of the Divine image.+--1. The sealing is the work of the
Spirit, whose office it is to regenerate and sanctify. 2. The seal is
that which distinguishes the believer from the unbeliever, and the
true distinguishing mark is regeneration. 3. We therefore conclude
that the seal has engraven on it the image of God, which it leaves.
4. The confidence of no one should outrun his sanctification. 5. Can
you discern the outline of the image? There are counterfeits.
+IV. That believers are sealed implies that, though associated and
mixed up with others, they are not confounded with them.+--1. A
distinguishing mark is necessary when things which are again to be
separated and classified are mingled with each other. 2. The seal
leads to recognition. Hence the believer is known by himself,
fellow-believers, the world, the devil, angels, Christ, the Father.
3. This recognition takes place in time, at the judgment, in eternity.
+V. That believers are sealed implies that God will visit the earth
with distinguishing judgments.+--In proof and illustration (Exek.
ix.; Rev. vii., ix.). The Passover. The destruction of Jerusalem.
Now. The judgment day. Are you prepared for such a season?
+VI. That believers are sealed implies that they are in a state of
reservation.+--A seal is a pledge, a signature. An engagement
presently fulfilled needs no pledge.--_Stewart._
_The Office of the Holy Spirit and the Danger of grieving Him._
+I. His office is to seal us unto the day of redemption.+--That day
in which the people of God will be put into complete possession of
the blessings purchased for them by Christ. To seal us to this day is
to prepare us and to set us apart from it, to fix such a mark on us
as in that day shall distinguish us from others and make it fully
appear to whom we belong. When a man sets his seal to a paper, he
thereby declares his approbation of it and acknowledges it to be his
own deed. Those who bear the seal of the Spirit will be approved by
Christ and acknowledged for His own in the day of resurrection. A
seal stamps its own image on the wax. The Spirit stamps on the soul
the image of Himself. This seal is said to be the earnest of our
inheritance. An earnest is a pledge of something to be bestowed and
enjoyed hereafter--a part of it is already bestowed to assure us that
in due time we shall receive the whole.
+II. He is not to be grieved.+--1. Beware of doing anything which
your conscience, enlightened by the Word of God, forbids you to do.
2. Beware of running into temptation. 3. Beware of indulging fleshly
lusts. 4. Beware of practising deceit and falsehood. 5. Beware of
profaning the Lord's Day. 6. Beware of cherishing evil and malignant
tempers.--_E. Cooper._
_On Grieving the Holy Spirit._
+I. Our duty is to render to the Holy Spirit cheerful and universal
obedience.+
+II. The Spirit is the great Sanctifier.+
+III. We must co-operate diligently in the production of the fruits of
the Spirit.+
+IV. Our danger is in quenching the Spirit.+--Our light grows dim,
and we gradually adopt evil habits. We neither see nor heed
spiritual dangers. Religious sensibilities are blunted. How far
any of us have gone in resisting the Spirit God alone knows.
Many who resist great light and strong impressions seem never
to feel again.--_Olin._
_Grieving the Spirit._
+I. Indifference and carelessness in religion+ is opposition to the
grace of God.
+II. Spiritual pride+ grieves the Divine Spirit.
III. The Spirit is grieved +when we neglect the means appointed for
obtaining His influence.+
+IV. Opposition+ to the strivings of the Spirit is another way in
which He is often grieved.
V. There are +particular sins+ which are opposite to the work of
the Spirit. Impurity, intemperance, dissipation, and all the
vices of sensuality. The indulgence of malignant passions
grieves the Spirit. Contentions among Christians are opposite
to the Spirit. Men grieve the Spirit when they ascribe to Him
those motions and actions which are contrary to His nature. If
they blindly follow every impulse of a heated imagination,
every suggestion of the common deceiver, every motion of their
own vanity and pride, they profane and blaspheme His sacred
name.--_Lathrop._
_Grieve not the Spirit._--But wherewith can we so grieve Him? Alas!
that one must rather ask, "Wherein may he not?" I fear that one of
the things which will most amaze us when we open our eyes upon
eternity will be the multitude of our own rudenesses to Divine grace,
that is, to God the Holy Ghost whose motions grace is. Oh, let not
that His seal upon you, the gift of His Spirit, mark you as a
deserter! O Holy Creator Spirit, come down once more into our souls
in Thine own thrilling fire of life and light and heat, kindling our
senses with Thy light, our hearts with Thy love! wash away our
stains, bedew our dryness, heal our wounds, bend our stubbornness,
guide our wanderings, that Thou, being the inmate of our hearts, the
instructor of our reason, the strength of our will, we may see by Thy
light whom as yet we see not and know Him who passeth knowledge, and
through God may love God now as wayfarers, and, in the day of perfect
redemption, in the beatific vision of our God!--_E. B. Pusey._
_The Sealing of the Spirit._--1. The seal is used in conveying and
assuring to any person a title to his estate, in delivering which a
part is put into the hands of the new proprietor. We are sealed as an
assurance of our title to our inheritance until the redemption of the
purchased possession. 2. In sealing any person, the contra-part of
the seal is impressed on that which is sealed. We are thus sealed by
the Spirit, stamped with the image of God. 3. Sealing is used for
preservation. It is by this we are to be preserved until that day. By
grieving the Spirit we break this seal.--_E. Hare._