9. "Sealed."
"Ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise" (Eph. i. 13). See also 2 Cor. i. 22. This "sealing" in Eph. i. 13, is the "receiving" of Acts xix. 2; the "coming on them" of Acts xix. 6; for here, in this epistle, Paul is evidently referring to the incident related in Acts xix. 1-7. In Eph. i. 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," we see the successive stages through which the Ephesians passed in their spiritual history. (1) There was a time when they had not heard the Gospel; they were living in the darkness of heathenism. (2) Then came the day when they "heard the word." (3) Then they "believed." (4) Succeeding this they were "sealed," "after that ye believed ye were sealed;" a very distinct and definite blessing this for the Ephesians, as definite as their salvation when they believed. And yet, in face of this, some will affirm that there is no such thing as a Christian receiving a new distinct blessing after his conversion! If these Ephesians had this experience, why may not believers still?
When a Christian is "sealed" by the Holy Ghost, "sealed" as the property of his Master, there will be no need to ask, "Whose Image and superscription is this" upon the "sealed" one? The King's, of course. Any one can see the Image. Of what use is a "seal" if it cannot be seen? Is the King's Image visibly, permanently stamped upon us? It is on every Spirit-filled "sealed" believer.
CHAPTER IX.
HOW OBTAINED?
We come now to the practical side of our subject. Surely the unprejudiced reader, if he has not already "received the Holy Ghost," has at least come to the conclusion that there is such a blessing mentioned in the New Testament, and lying in God's Treasury, Jesus Christ, for all New Testament believers, and therefore for him—for me. Until it dawns on one's consciousness that there is such a blessing as "being filled with the Spirit," it is not likely that he will trouble about seeking it, and therefore will never obtain it. In all fairness these terms which we have just been considering—"Filled," "Baptized," "Rivers," etc.—mean something. There is some blessing represented by the terms, some substance at the back of the shadows. God the Holy Ghost knows what that blessing is. "Have I got that?" Is there anything in my life and experience to correspond with that? Now comes the question, "How am I to get it?" The Bible answer may be summarily comprehended in three words—CLEANSE, CONSECRATE, CLAIM.
CHAPTER X.
WRONG MOTIVES.
But before proceeding to consider these words, it is absolutely necessary that we be on our guard against desiring this so needful a blessing from wrong motives. We must seek it for one supreme reason—for the glory of God. If self is at the root of our motives at all, God will most surely block our way to Fullness of blessing. If we are thinking in our heart of hearts that it would be a good thing for us to get this blessing for our own happiness or satisfaction, or even that we might be more useful, or that in any way we might have the pre-eminence, our eye is not single, our whole body is not full of light (Matt. vi. 22). There is therefore need for the refining fire to go through our heart. God must be Alpha and Omega in the matter. "For God's glory, and for God's glory alone" must be our watchword as we proceed with our search after the Fullness of the Spirit.