The Application of God's Word with Power
"In Whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise." -Ephesians 1:13 [KJV]
Sealing
is subsequent to believing: "In Whom after ye believed, ye were
sealed." In legal documents the writing always precedes the sealing.
That is the last act, and follows even the signing, putting an attesting
stamp on the whole document, from the first word to the last signature.
So in grace. The Spirit begins the work. He writes the first lines of
divine truth on the soul; He makes the first impression on the heart of
stone, which under His operation becomes a heart of flesh; He writes
every truth that He thus makes known on the fleshy tables of the heart.
He thus gives faith and hope, and then He comes with His special inward
witness, and seals the truth and reality of His own work, so as not only
to make it plain and clear, but to ratify and confirm it beyond all
doubt and fear, questioning or dispute, either by ourself or others.
The
work of God on the soul sometimes seems to lie as if dead and dormant;
little prayer goes up, little answer comes down. Then doubts and fears
arise whether the work be genuine, and much bondage and darkness
sensibly gather over the mind like a dark and gloomy cloud, which much
obscures the handwriting of the divine finger. Now the blessed Spirit
revives His work by some application of the word with power, some
softening and melting of the hard heart by His divine influence, some
communication of a spirit of prayer, some discovery of the gracious
Lord, some strengthening of faith, reviving of hope, and drawing forth
of love.
He thus puts the seal on His own work, and stamps it as
genuine. Under the sweetness and blessedness of this attesting seal many
a poor child of God can look back to this and that testimony, this and
that Ebenezer, this and that hill Mizar, this and that deliverance,
blessing, manifestation, answer to prayer, special season under the word
or on his knees, which were almost lost and buried in unbelief and
confusion.
But especially when He bears witness with their spirit that they are the children of God, and shedding abroad the love of God in their heart becomes in them the Spirit of adoption, whereby they cry, "Abba, Father," is His sealing manifest and complete.
-preacher J.C. Philpot (1802–1869 A.D.)
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