The Work of the Trinity in Salvation
By Pastor Matt Black
28 May
2006
Lord's Day morning
Ephesians 1:14
Introduction: Open your Bible to Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. We are going to see today how each Person in the Trinity works in our lives to bring us to redemption. The title of this morning’s message is “The Work of the Trinity in Salvation.” Let’s stand together and read Ephesians chapter 1 and verses 3 through 14.
[Stand and read Ephesians 1:3-14]
Our text is found specifically in verses 12 and 13:
Ephesians 1:13-14
13 …after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
In these verses we see how each person of the Trinity works in our salvation.
I. The Pledge of the Spirit (the present) “sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance”
The Spirit of God has always been the one who gives life to man dead in his sins. In the Old Testament this was the case. The Spirit Himself is the pledge that God gives which guarantees our inheritance—and what is our inheritance? It is all those blessings in Christ found in verse 3. It is the pledge of the presence of God!
Ezekiel 36:26-28 is an important passage that speaks about God’s work of regeneration in the Old Testament. Ezekiel gives the message of the LORD, “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.” And what does God say in verse 28? “…ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.” That is our inheritance!
So the Spirit of God was alive and well in the Old Testament as He is in the New. If anyone was saved under the Old Covenant, it is because God gave them a new heart by regeneration. God changed and transformed them, just like we are in this age. And this is all the earnest, or pledge of what God has reserved for us in heaven.
A. This pledge is a First installment of our inheritance (like a payment plan). That is what the word “earnest” means.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
John Phillips said this about the Holy Spirit being the earnest of our salvation:
“The Holy Spirit is not only the seal; He is also the earnest. He is not only the proof of our position in Christ; He is also the pledge of our possessions in Christ. He not only confirms our faith; He also confirms our future. He not only guarantees our etneral security; He also guarantees our eternal satisfaction.”[1]
God gives the Holy Spirit to believers to confirm the guarantee of our eternal salvation. It is like that first payment you make when you buy a house. The one thing that is wonderful about that Lord is that He will never default on the payment plan! He owns us, and He has given us the seal and earnest of the Spirit to prove it!
This also tells us that there is much besides this old sinful world. There is an inheritance coming where sin will be banished from your soul! There is coming a time when we will be with God forever more. “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:52)!
So we see this earnest is like the first installment of our inheritance. Then…
B. This pledge is the Firstfruits (or Foretaste) of our inheritance (like a harvest)
Paul uses this very language in Romans 8:23, “And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” There’s going to be a harvest at the end of time when God is going to say to the reapers “gather the wheat into my barn” (Matthew 13:30). That day hasn’t come yet, so we actually get a little foretaste of what it’s going to be like in the Master’s barn! We get a taste of heaven!
Let me just apply this right now. Are you experiencing the fullness of the Spirit in your life? God has given you a taste. Are you taking it in in its fullness?
Psalm 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good
Ephesians 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
You say how do I know if I’m filled with the Spirit? Look at Galatians 5.
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
So we see this earnest is like the first installment and a foretaste, or firstfruits of our inheritance. Then…
C. This pledge is also a Faithful betrothal of our inheritance (like an engagement ring). Do you realize that Christ has betrothed his loyalty to you? Is there anyone more faithful than Christ? Christ has called you his “beloved”!
Look at Ephesians 5:25-27. Paul says, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”
Jeremiah 31:3 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.
This word “earnest” came to be used for betrothal. You know that in the NT, when someone was betrothed, they were as good as married. That is why when the virgin Mary said she was with child, Joseph, even though the marriage had not been consumed, wanted to divorce her. They were as good as married.
Do you take your marriage to Christ seriously? Are you serving him as a faithful spouse, or are you committing adultery on him?
James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
So we see we see that God has given us the Holy Spirit as a pledge—a guarantee that we will receive our inheritance. So this pledge is in the present—it is here and now, but let us see something in the future. In our salvation the Son gives us a promise! He’s going to bring us to final redemption!
II. The Promise of the Son (the future) “until the redemption of the purchased possession”
A. This promise is for our glorification.
Look at Romans 8:29-30 “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”
We see that there is a promise of glorification. That is what final redemption is. This final redemption is more clearly seen in 1 Corinthians 15. Turn there.
1 Corinthians 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
John 6:37-39 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
Romans 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint–heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Romans 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
B. This promise is also for our purification.
1 John 3:2-3 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
2 Thessalonians 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
C. This promise is then also for our expectation.
Have you ever had to wait for something you really wanted? Each year the children wait for their birthdays. They eagerly anticipate it. We used to look forward to coming home from Spain to see family and friends. It was an 11 hour flight. Have you ever taken an 11 hour flight with 3 children? At that time they were all under the age of 5. William was an infant. We could wait through that flight, even at times with the children
Romans 8:17-23 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint–heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits [EARNEST] of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience [EXPECTATION] wait for it.
2 Corinthians 5:1-5 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. 5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.
III. The Purchase of the Son (the past) “until the redemption of the purchased possession”
This word “purchased possession” is found in several other places in our New Testament.
Titus 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar [PURCHASED]people, zealous of good works.
1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar [PURCHASED]people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
1 Thessalonians 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain [OF THE PURCHASED] salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 Thessalonians 2:14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining [OF THE PURCHASED] salvation of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
All of these passages tell us that Christ actually did something! He came to purchase a people for Himself.
A. The purchase is specific.
We think about the song “Crown Him with Many Crowns”
Crown Him the Lord of life,
Who triumphed o'er the grave.
Who rose victorious in the strife
For those He came to save.
His glories now we sing,
Who died and rose on high.
Who died eternal life to bring,
And lives that death may die.
Who did Jesus come to save? Paul says in our text (Ephesians 1:14) that there’s going to be a “redemption of the purchased possession.” One day God is going to actually possess what He has purchased. But who are these people that Christ has purchased?
Look at Titus 2:14. This verse tells us that “[CHRIST] gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar [PURCHASED]people, zealous of good works.
The word in our KJV translated “peculiar” is the same word as “purchased” possession. We are a PURCHASED people! We see here that Christ purchased a very specific group of people. Who are these people?
Look back at John 6.
John 6:37-39 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
This theme is also addressed in John 17, the Lord’s high priestly prayer:
John 17:9-11, “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. 10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. 11 ¶ And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.” Look down at verse 24 “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.”
So this is a specific group of people.
John 10:27-29 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
It is this specific group of people that Christ came to die for. And that brings us to our next point.
The purchase is not only specific…
B. The purchase is accomplished. When Christ died on the cross, He actually accomplished something.
John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
Hebrews 10:14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
IV. The Praise of the Father (eternity-outside of time) “unto the praise of his glory”
Isaiah 43:20-21 “…I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen. 21 This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.”
John 7:37-38 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
It is the Spirit that will ensure that now and for eternity we will be giving praise the Father. We are His chosen people. We are the “purchased possession”! To God be all the glory!
Conclusion: Are you enjoying your inheritance? Are you a faithful bride to Christ? Are you fearful of doing God’s will? Think of all Christ has done for you! The Father chose you, the Son died for you, and the Spirit has sealed you! Are you serving the blessed Triune God?
Closing Hymn: 41 Spirit of the Living God