Scripture Analysis:
(Eph.1:13)
A powerful verse, not only in what it says, but in what it
does NOT say!
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As good as reading the Bible is, we miss a LOT of valuable details as our
eyes simply pass over the words. To really get into the heart of the
verse, it is important to —slow down, to —take note what it
says, and to —understand it in the context of rightly dividing the
passage in which it resides.
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Eph.1:13 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,
There is a lot of information in this verse, but what is of greater interest,
as I write this, is not what is written, but what is NOT written in
this verse. I shall get to that in the
red highlighted section below, but
let's start at the beginning of it.
"In whom ye also trusted,"
Based on aforementioned verses 1-12, 'in whom' is in reference to Christ. Paul refers to this (and similar) phrases 11-times in this chapter alone, as he stresses the new positional relationship we have before God in Christ.
The word "in" shows where God places the believer's location. We are in the
sphere of Christ, the Beloved (see
v.6). God’s acceptance of us is
in the circle of His Beloved Son. Jesus is the object of God's love. God
associates our acceptance to Him with the Son of His love. Since God loves
the Son and believers are in Him, we are the objects of God's love.*
"after that ye heard the word of truth,"
Our positional stance in God is a result of hearing the word of truth. The word 'hear' is not necessarily to do with physical hearing, but more to do with reception and comprehension; to understand the message of the gospel. In order to comprehend the gospel, it needs to be communicated to us so that we can fully understand who Jesus Christ is, and what He has done for us.
There is an innate power in hearing the gospel, as it releases the convicting power of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8). Paul says that he is not ashamed of the gospel for it is the POWER of God unto salvation to ALL who believe, (Rom.1:16). This power is the Holy Spirit who works within the one who hears (comprehends) the gospel and it is the Holy Spirit who generates the faith to believe it. A great example of this is found in Acts 16 when Lydia hears the gospel for the first time. Notice the pattern,
Acts 16:14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.
Lydia heard the gospel being proclaimed by Paul. She comprehended the details of the message. At this point the Holy Spirit was able to release faith within her heart (her heart was opened) so that she could believe the message and respond to the truth in the gospel. The response by faith to this message is the miracle of regeneration in the heart of a person.
Additional information and confirmation that salvation is a gift to be received from God, not a something you must do or say or feel.
Salvation "by grace through faith" requires God's enablement —"it is the gift of God" (Eph.2:9). An unsaved person cannot pump up (or create in themselves) genuine faith to believe. Why not? Because they are spiritually dead. (1 Cor.2:14; 2 Cor.4:3; 1 Cor.1:18; Eph.2:1). No person arrives at the point of genuine "saving faith" by or of their own mental ascent. It is the result of God's work and grace in our spirit by His Holy Spirit conviction.
"the gospel of your salvation:"
The word of truth is the gospel, God’s salvation plan, that is true above all other claims to truth (Col.1:5). God’s message is truth because it demonstrates man's true condition and the way to resolve that condition.*
What is the gospel? It's the message of Christ and what He has done for us;
His death on the cross, His burial and His resurrection. Salvation is
in the simple response to this message of truth. Your response by faith is to
identify that you are hopelessly lost and separated from God without Christ,
and that His cross work is the full payment for your redemption; His blood is
for the forgiveness of your sins and His resurrection is for your
justification, (Rom.4:25).
"in whom also after that ye believed,"
The real learning point I want to extract from this verse is actually NOT WRITTEN in the verse. So, what is not written in it? Well, we can glean that from what is written in it. It says, "after that ye believe". Do you get it? Just believe! There is absolutely no reference to believe and water baptism, or to believe and Spirit baptism, or to believe and speak in tongues, or to believe and confess your sins, or to believe and do good works, etc. No! Just believe! Just put your trust in the fact that Christ has done it ALL, that His cross work has completely fulfilled ALL the requirements to justify you before God. There is nothing more you need to add to or do in order to be saved! Just believe! That's it!
"ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,"
So then, what happens when you 'just believe'? Having just believed in the cross work of Christ, you are immediately sealed with the Holy Spirit.
The idea of "sealed" carries the idea of security (Eph.4:30; 2 Cor.1:21-22). A seal gives validity to a contract. It is a sign that we belong to God. A seal in ancient practice was a sign of ownership. People sealed letters with wax and then pressed a ring or another object with an image onto the wax. We are God’s; we bear His image. We have the mark of His ownership on us. Sealing speaks of security, identity, and ownership.*
In addition to being sealed with the Holy Spirit, there are MANY other
miraculous things that happen to us at the moment we are saved. For your
interest,
review this list of actions
that occur in the spirit at the moment you are saved.
Conclusion
As you can see, this single verse is so rich with content that can bless you and edify you. I want to encourage you to slow down your pace from time to time when you read the Word, and to chew a little on the incredible blessings there are when you understand a verse in its fulness and in the correct context.
God bless.
* Asterisk indicated quotes by: Grant C. Richison
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