30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Chapter four closes with a sort of summary of the practical topics addressed in verses 25-29, but sandwiches it between tremendous doctrinal truths. Verse thirty establishes 1) the effect of sin for the believer, 2) the sealing of the Holy Spirit, and 3) eternal security. It is sobering to think that our sins grieve the Holy Spirit, the very One who keeps us secure. But those griefs do not unseal us – we have a guaranteed preservation until the day of redemption built in to the verse, which hearkens back to Ephesians 1:13. This truth does not excuse a sinful lifestyle, but does show that it is possible for a sealed, born again child of God to live out of the will of God, and thereby grieve Him.
The promise that the seal is secure until “the day of redemption” is significant, in that is references a specific event. As we saw in Ephesians 1:7, there is a redemption that we have (present tense) “through his blood” (also echoed in Colossians 1:14). But shortly after that, in Ephesians 1:14, we have a “redemption of the purchased possession” which is spoken of in the future tense. The key is II Corinthians 1:22, which establishes the connection between the believer’s sealing and the Holy Spirit as verse thirty does here. Specifically, the Spirit is the “earnest” (a down payment on a promise, or “firstfruits” as expressed in Romans 8:23). We have redemption in part right now through the indwelling Holy Spirit and the quickening of the new man (II Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:1, Ephesians 2:5, Ephesians 4:24, Colossians 2:13, and Colossians 3:10). But we also look forward to the fulfillment of the rest of God’s promises, specifically those mentioned in the first chapter of Ephesians: the redemption of our bodies (seen also in Romans 8:23).
Connecting Ephesians 4:30 back to Ephesians 1:3-10 and Ephesians 1:11-14 allows us additional clarity on the issue of predestination. In addition to the comments that have already been made on the doctrinal misconceptions surrounding the issue, we can also see that predestination occurs in two phases: the present and the future. Ephesians 1:3-10 shows the present fulfillment in the adoption, acceptance in the beloved, forgiveness of sins, and knowing the mystery of His will. Ephesians 1:11-14 reveal the second part of predestination: the future redemption of our physical bodies. This is the full inheritance bestowed on those who have trusted Christ, His purchased possessions. This is complete and eternal freedom from sin, the cleansing of the spirit, soul, and body. That is the pre-determined destiny of any and all who will place their faith in Christ: to be like Him.
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