Ephesians 1 has given praise to God based upon the three persons of the Trinity. The word Trinity is not found in the Bible but the reality of the Doctrine of the Trinity is all throughout the Bible and vital to a Biblical understanding of God.
We have seen that we are to praise God-the-Father because He predestined us. He predestined us to be holy and thus live lives marked by holiness. He also predestined us to Sonship. He predestined believers to be changed into children of God and thus we have a wonderful inheritance with Him.
We have seen that we are to praise God-the-Son because He has redeemed us. Jesus was our ransom on the cross and thus paid our debt. He redeemed us from eternal punishment for being so in love with ourselves and things that make us feel good, over being primarily in love with God and His will.
This final section regarding praising the Trinity is focused upon the work of God-the-Spirit. The Holy Spirit bookends our Christian experience. First, we hear the gospel truth. Second, we believe in Christ. Then third, the promised Holy Spirit seals us.
Ray Stedman says, “What does it mean to be sealed with the Spirit? This is undoubtedly a reference to the ancient practice of sealing letters or other official objects with sealing wax and impressing the wax with a raised seal worn on a ring, bearing an identifying image. The use of the seal always denotes two concepts: ownership and preservation.” (pg54)
The Holy Spirit places the final approving stamp on the deal of our adoption. He guarantees the transaction is final and legal. He makes it official; we are children of God. His stamp of approval gives the Father ownership and preserves His children to the end.
Sinclair Ferguson says, “The spirit himself constitutes the firstfruits of final redemption. He is the earnest or deposit and the seal or guarantee of what is yet to be (Eph. 1:13-14; 4:30). In light of this, the believer no longer lives as a debtor to the flesh, to live kata sarka; he is not mortgaged to it; rather, his outstanding debt is to the Spirit, to live kata pneuma, because he belongs to Jesus Christ and is mortgaged in faith and love to him for all eternity in a debt that can never be repaid (Rom. 8:12).” (pg162)
The Holy Spirit is the final seal of approval. We are children of God therefore we are to act as children of God. We are made alive by the Holy Spirit therefore we are to live according to the Spirit. Christians are to live lives yielded to the power of the Holy Spirit.
God-the-Spirit is to be praised because He seals us and guarantees our redemption and adoption.
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