Ephesians 1:13

In contrast to the Jews, who were the first to hope in Christ (Ephesians 1:12), Gentiles also had come to salvation when Paul wrote this epistle. The vehicle God uses to bring his elect to faith is the message of truth, namely, the gospel message, the good news of salvation. When Gentiles heard it, they listened to it and believed it. This resulted in their salvation and their sealing by the Holy Spirit. There are about 59 references to the Holy Spirit in Ephesians, one-fourth of the total references in the New Testament. The AV translation implies that the sequence is hearing, believing, and then sealing. However the sealing takes place at the same time as believing (cf. Acts 19:2). It is not a second or later work of grace.

When the Gentiles in view believed, God sealed them in Christ. This provided a guarantee of their eternal security. [Note: See Eldon Woodcock, "The Seal of the Holy Spirit," Bibliotheca Sacra 155:618 (April-June 1998):139-63; Robert G. Gromacki, Salvation is Forever; Michael Eaton, No Condemnation: A New Theology of Assurance.] Seals at the time Paul wrote indicated security (Matthew 27:66; Ephesians 4:30), authentication and approval (John 6:27), genuineness (John 3:33), and ownership (2 Corinthians 1:22; Revelation 7:2; Revelation 9:4). God seals the believer by giving him or her the indwelling Holy Spirit who keeps the Christian in Christ. The Jews incorrectly regarded circumcision as a seal of their salvation (Romans 4:11). The Lord Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would permanently indwell believers (Luke 24:49; John 14:16; John 15:26; John 16:13; Acts 1:5). That is evidently why Paul referred to Him as "the Holy Spirit of promise" (NASB).

"The arrabon [pledge, deposit, earnest, guarantee] was a regular feature of the Greek business world. The arrabon was a part of the purchase price of anything paid in advance as a guarantee that the rest of the price should in due time be paid." [Note: Barclay, p. 101.]

The Spirit seals all believers, not just Gentile believers. Though Paul addressed Gentile believers in particular in this verse, "you also" shows that what he said of them was also true of Jewish believers (cf. Ephesians 1:11). All the blessings that Paul spoke of become the possession of both Jewish and Gentile believers.