SERMON MANUSCRIPT
There’s a sense in which home ownership has two corresponding realities. There’s the objective reality. When the funds are confirmed and the mortgage is signed the house is owned. It’s a done deal.
But there’s also the subjective reality. This is the process by which the owner grows in their experience of ownership. For a first-time buyer, signing a mortgage, as objective as it is, can seem surreal but moving in starts to make it real. Unpacking and renovating further solidifies the truth. Finally, they start sharing their home and posting pictures of what is now their property. In these ways the objective reality becomes increasingly experienced and enjoyed.
Similarly, when someone becomes a Christian, the payment has been made and the deed has been signed. As Paul writes in Romans 14: “whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” He owns us at the moment of faith. It’s objectively a done deal.
But there’s also a subjectivity to this reality, a process by which we grow in our experience of our salvation. This happens as the Holy Spirit moves-in to his new home (he indwells the believer), unpacks in his new home (he seals the believer), and announces his new home (he testifies to the believer). And these are the three ministries of God’s Spirit that we’re going to look at this morning.
THE SPIRIT’S INDWELLING WORK
My prayer this week has been a bold one: that every single one of us would leave this room today more sure of our salvation then when we walked in. And, to begin, please turn to Romans 8 where we’ll see the first of those ministries, the Holy Spirit’s indwelling work.
While the Spirit never changes, the way he works in this world does. His permanent indwelling is one such way as seen in how it was anticipated. [Read John 7:37–39; 14:16–17; Acts 1:4–5]
That anticipation became realization in Acts 2 when, at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples. Peter quickly explained that this was what Joel had prophesied: “And it shall be in the last days … That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind” (2:17).
That this new work of the Holy Spirit wasn’t just for the apostles but for all disciples going forward is obvious when we keep reading Acts. [Read Acts 2:37–39; 8:14–15; 10:44–45]
As Jesus promised, “it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” Jesus did go, ascended back to the Father, and he that was once with all disciples is now in all disciples.
In fact, the indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit is a mark of a believer. [Read Romans 8:9, 11] Contrast that with Jude 19. The Holy Spirit indwells all believers and only believers. If you’ve trusted in Jesus, you have the Spirit of God living in you and all the power that comes with him.
While the OT saints had God’s presence in the temple, we have his presence in us. Whereas they had to draw near, we’re always near.
I saw a neighbour the other weekend out cutting her grass. She has an electric lawnmower and I watch as she dragged and dodged the extension cord all over her lawn as she worked. I have an electric lawn mower too, but mine has a battery. The power goes with me.
The power of God goes with us, brothers and sisters. We’re not restricted by geography or proximity, personality or ability. The power of God lives in all who have believed in Jesus. Power to obey and serve, to kill sin and court righteousness, to love and to learn. As Peter says, “his divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness” (2 Pet 1:3). And when we experience that presence and power it reminds us of our Owner, our salvation.
To the Corinthian Christians, Paul writes even more clearly: “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you” (1 Cor 3:16)? And again a few chapters later: 1 Corinthians 6:19–20.
We’ve been bought by the blood of Jesus. He owns us. But we can grow in our enjoyment of the reality by understanding that the Spirit of God has moved-in. Our hearts are his home, our bodies his temple.
People who own and manage AirBnB’s screen potential tenants. Why? Because they want to make sure that those who use their property treat it with respect and care not recklessness. They want people who understand that they don’t own the place in which they’re staying.
We are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Are we treating our bodies like our own personal playground or like the issue of stewardship it is?
THE SPIRIT’S SEALING WORK
God bought the house and the Spirit moved-in. But, more than that, he’s unpacked as well. This is where we shift from the indwelling to the sealing ministry of the Spirit.
Turn to Ephesians 1. Starting in verse 3 the apostle Paul begins a long sentence celebrating all that’s ours in Christ Jesus. This list includes guaranteed holiness and adoption (1:4–6), redemption and forgiveness (1:7–8), revelation and an inheritance (1:9–11). It’s truly a remarkable resume that we’ve been given.
As he reaches his crescendo, Paul arrives at the work of the Holy Spirit in verse 13. [Read Ephesians 1:13–14] Let’s follow the flow of thought. Speaking to believers, Paul says, after listening to the message of truth (and he clarifies what that is: “the gospel of your salvation”), and having also believed. Hearing that Jesus Christ died for your sins and rose from the dead is not enough. We must believe it. And the Ephesians had.
Notice what happens next: “you were sealed in [Christ] by the Holy Spirit of promise.” Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Joel, and Jesus all promised the Spirit would come. Now he’s here. Moved-in. And not only does does he move-in when the house is purchased, but he settles-in; he unpacks. He seals the believer in Christ.
A wax seal on an ancient correspondence guarantees at least two things. First, that what’s inside belongs to the one sending it as that seal is unique to them. It’s their ID. Their confirmation of ownership.
Second, the seal guarantees that the letter arrives at its intended destination untampered with. You don’t break the seal if it’s not addressed to you.
So too with the believer. We’ve been sealed with God’s Spirit, identifying us unmistakably with the only owner of that seal. We are his. The seal also ensures we arrive at our intended destination, a destination Paul has already stated. [Read 1:4] All who are sealed will arrive.
Similarly, in Ephesians 4:30. The day of redemption is when all will be made right, it’s the resurrection. We’re going to arrive, brothers and sisters. Not because of our efforts, our godliness, our repentance, our church attendance, and our witness. We will see the day of redemption, we will stand holy and blameless, because the Almighty God has sealed us unto that day, given us his Spirit as a pledge, a downpayment that ensures full payment. [Read 2 Corinthians 1:21–22]
Brothers and sisters, if you have placed your faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ, you have been indwelled by the Holy Spirit and sealed by the Holy Spirit. And it doesn’t matter if you feel like that’s true or not. Your feelings are fallen. God’s promises are sure.
But, as we know, even a state-of-the-art home security system doesn’t ensure peace-of-mind. People can be totally safe and totally scared at the same time. It unnecessary but possible; nonsensical but common.
God wants us to know we’re safe and secure. He wants his children to have peace and fearlessness, liberty and rest. The sealing of the Holy Spirit is state-of-the-art security.
Do we live like we’re secure? Not leaning into sin but into an awe of the incredible blessings we’ve been given—including security—that we, as Paul says in Ephesians 1:3, bless God; that we worship him with our obedience, joy, peace, liberty, and service?
THE SPIRIT’S TESTIFYING WORK
We’ve seen so far that all Christians, when they believe in Jesus, are indwelled by the Holy Spirit and sealed by the Holy Spirit. There’s one more ministry left to examine this morning and that’s the testifying work of the Holy Spirit. Turn back to Romans 8.
This whole chapter, like Ephesians 1, is a treasure for believers. Paul declares that, in Christ, we have no condemnation (8:1), liberty and power (8:2–9), life and leading (8:10–14).
[Read Romans 8:15] While sin enslaves us, the Spirit frees us as children. We are not in bondage but brotherhood, a status that doesn’t produce fear nor coercion but love. When the Spirit of God regenerated us, indwelled us, and sealed us, it was as sons and daughters of the Most High. Because of this we can call out in intimacy, “Abba, Father!”
(By the way, adoption is permanent. You can’t be unadopted anymore than you can be un-born again. In both cases there’s a irrefutable change that takes place, status in the former, essence in the latter. We can become estranged but not dismissed; he’s always our Father.)
[Read Romans 8:16–17] Not only does the Spirit of God indwell us and seal us, he reassures us that we belong to him. Like the parents who dropped their children off this past week at VBS and, before saying goodbye, gave them a hug and said “I love you.” There’s a reassurance; a reminder of their belonging and to whom they belong.
So it is with the Spirit of God who lives in us and who has sealed us. Especially when we are walking in the Spirit, not grieving the Spirit, obeying the Spirit, we can hear the Spirit testify with our Spirit, “You belong to me. I love you. You’re mine.”
Home ownership begins, objectively, when the deal is done. At the same time, buyers grow in their enjoyment and experience of that purchase as they move-in, unpack, and share their home with others. At no point is the home not theirs, but it increasingly feels like it is.
So it is with our salvation, friends. The deal was done when we trusted in Jesus Christ for eternal life. We became new creatures, the old has passed away. But we can and should grow in our experience and celebration of that reality by understanding the work of the Spirit.
God’s Spirit has moved-in to his new home. He indwells the believer, bringing with him all the power and perfection of the Most High God. When you experience him helping, leading, comforting, teaching, and convicting, you are confirmed in your status as his child.
The Holy Spirit has also unpacked in his new home. He’s sealed the believer for the day of redemption. We are not kept because we hold on to him but because he holds on to us. And when we understand our eternal security rightly, it moves us to holy living fuelled by gratitude, worship, humility, and power.
Finally, the Spirit of God has shared his new home, bragging of his purchase. He testifies to the previous owner that the deal has been completed. He’s the owner, tenant, and current renovator.
We are not our own, brothers and sisters. We’ve been bought with a price and are under new management. Let’s live like it. As we close I want to speak to three groups of people who I know are represented here this morning.
First, to those who doubt their salvation.. I want to encourage you to stop looking to yourself for assurance—your strength, goodness, and growth. You, like all people, are fickle, untrustworthy, and weak. The solution is to turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look, not to yourself but to the God of all strength, knowledge, and truth. Look to the promises he’s made and the Spirit he’s sent.
Understand that if you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that he shed his blood for your sins, taking the punishment you deserve on himself and, instead, graciously giving you his righteousness, then you are saved, secure, new, regenerated, and kept. It’s time to live like it. Take your eyes off yourself, and turn them to Jesus.
Second, to those believe they can lose their salvation. I think you’ve been taught wrongly, obviously. And I think it’s a harmful teaching, motivating obedience to God through fear and insecurity rather than love and liberty. I also don’t think it’s what the Bible teaches.
Again, the solution is to turn your eyes upon Jesus. I encourage you to stop thinking about what sounds fair to you, what sounds realistic or logical and, instead, submit yourself to what you know about him and what he’s said. If you’d like help doing this, please talk to the elders. We want you to experience freedom from fear.
Finally, to those who already know they’re saved. Turn your eyes upon Jesus and worship him for it. His Spirit has drawn you, regenerated you, indwelled you, sealed you, and testifies to you that you are his own. What fodder for worship! Let’s do that together now.
Josiah has served the Oakridge Bible Chapel family as one of its elders and one of its pastoral staff members since September 2018, before which he ministered as an associate pastor to a local congregation in the Canadian prairies. Josiah's desire is to be used by God to help equip the church for ministry, both while gathered (edification) and while scattered (evangelization). He is married to Patricia, and together they have five children—Jonah, Henry, Nathaniel, Josephine, and Benjamin.
