Sealed and Seated

We must reconsider the main emphases of Paul’s teaching in the previous studies. From chapter 1- 2:9, we have three long, lyrical outpourings showing the apostle’s enthusiasm for his subject. Other than the interposed prayer, his emphasis is on the riches of our blessings “in Christ”. Two major blessings are our being ‘sealed in Him’ (1:13) and our being ‘seated in Him’ (2:6). We shall now consider these in more detail. They need to be ‘reckoned to us’ and appropriated by us, i.e. we must actively pursue them.

Sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of Promise. (1:13) “… in whom, having believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise.”

This is what the disciples experienced on the Day of Pentecost having been instructed by Jesus to ‘wait in Je rusalem for what the Father had promised’ (Acts 1:4). This promise can be found in Isaiah 44:3 (“I will pour water on him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour My Spirit upon thy seed and My blessing upon thy offspring”) ; Ezekiel 36:26,27 (“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put in you….”) ; Joel 2:28 (“I will pour My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and daughters will prophesy…”), and was added to by Jesus in John 7:39.

Peter understands this promise for he quotes from Joel in his great sermon on the Day of Pentecost, adding that “Jesus, having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Sp irit, has poured forth this which you both see and hear.” (Acts 2:33) The disciples had been ‘born again’ (received new life) when Jesus breathed upon them on the Sunday following His resurrection (John 20:22 – enthusao – I breathe into). They were there given power ( exousia ) to become the sons of God (John 1:12). On the day of Pentecost they would receive power ( dunamis ) to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8). Too many believers today are operating in exousia power and not the dunamis power which alone can enable us to be the overcomers we are called to be. Dunamis is the Greek word from which we get dynamite!

When Paul came to Ephesus on his last missionary journey, he asked the local disciples if they had received the Holy Spirit when they believed. They had repented, become believers, but had not been ‘sealed’. After Paul laid his hands on them, they received the same experience as the disciples did in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost. (Acts 19:1-7).

To the early church, the sealing of the Spirit (‘baptism with the Holy Spirit’ – Acts 1:5) was the normal expectation and experience of the believers. To those who had drifted from this teaching, Paul would write letters such as his thesis to the Romans – see chapter 7 for the conflict that arises when operating only in exousia power, and contrast it with chapter 8 onward, where he constantly talks about the ministry of the Holy Spirit within us.

How, then, does one come to this realisation or experience this ‘sealing’? One must believe that such a sealing is for us - there must be a wanting and longing to be filled with the Spirit. The early disciples were told to ‘tarry’ in Jerusalem. This is not just waiting patiently, but was a time spent in eager expectation, prayer, and worship. See Luke 11:9-13 – all three verbs are continuous present – keep on seeking; keep on asking… and He will give the Holy Spirit.

We are called to come ‘with clean hands and a pure heart’ if we would enter His presence. Moses wanted to know the glory of God, so he was instructed to prepare himself before presenting himself to the Lord. (See Exodus 34:2).

Ephesians 5:15-21 tells us that the Spirit-filled life is evidenced by (a) a worshipping attitude (v19); (b) a thankful attitude (v20); (c) a servant attitude (v21). Maybe we should practice these attitudes as a precursor to receiving that fullness.

O Comforter, gentle and tender; O holy and heavenly dove, I’m yielding my heart in surrender, I’m waiting Thy fullness to prove Anoint me with gladness and healing, baptize me with power from on high, O come with Thy fullness and sealing while low at Thy footstool I bow. A B Simpson “When a man is filled with the Spirit, he knows it!” A W Tozer Seated us with Him (the Father) in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. (2:6) To be ‘seated’ with the Father means to have ceased from our efforts to please Him. He has accepted us in Christ and we are n ow called to enter into “His rest” (Hebrews 4:9). We may miss this rest by disobedience to the call of faith – His promptings within us (Heb 4:11). “The one who entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His” (Heb 4:10).

A good picture is given to us by the wanderings of the Children of Israel in the wilderness. They had been delivered from Egypt with all its bondage and task masters and were called to enter into Canaan, the land of (God’s) promises. Because of their unbelief , they had to wander for 40 years in the wilderness before finally entering the land under Joshua.

Egypt represents our life without Christ – the ‘natural man’. The wilderness represents the ‘carnal man’ – believing but not resting in ‘heavenly places’ i n Christ. He has crossed the Red Sea where the former taskmasters were cut off from him – I see this as a work of water baptism (see Col 2:11, 12 ), but has not yet entered into God’s purposes for him. Canaan represents the promises of God, being sealed in the Holy Spirit, and being seated in heavenly places. It is the place of giants and overcoming (by His Spirit, not our efforts!), of ‘milk and honey’ and feasting with Him. It does NOT represent heaven or life after death – but should be the experience of all believers NOW.

I exchange my struggles for His victories; my weakness for His strength; my wishes for His will; my understanding for His faith; my burden for His yoke.

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Gal 2:20) We need to understand that this is G od’s will for you and me . We need to “reckon ourselves” dead to sin (Rom 6:11) and alive to God. We need to cultivate “abiding in Christ” in heavenly places by regular devotions and worship. Only as we abide in Him there, can we overcome (by His power) all the forces of darkness which are “beneath His feet” (Eph 1:21 , 22). Claim your place in heavenly realms now.

Though being “seated in Christ” is a theological truth, too many believers are not abiding there.

Jesus said, “If you abide in Me…” implying tha t it is very possible to not be doing so. Should you visit my h ome, you might truly say, “I am seated in Gareth’s home, unless you receive my invitation to stay with me, you could not say “I am abiding in Gareth’s home”! Those who do ‘abide’ share my table and the comforts and fellowship that it affords.

To those who abide in Christ, Jesus has promised a maturing fruit of the Spirit: power in prayer and a closeness of fellowship. (John 15:7-11) I would suggest that this is also the meaning of Isaiah 40:31, where the Hebrew word qavah (translated as ‘wait’ in the KJV) has the root meaning of being “bound together”. Are you tightly bound together with the Lord; i.e., abiding in Him? Only those who are such can “ gain new strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not grow faint.”