AI Summary
5 min readIn a 1992 sermon, Tim Keller opens with a startling statistic: when people were asked to choose a noun that describes time, a large minority chose "my enemy." One CEO told him that after she makes her list of absolute priorities, she only gets a third of the way through the "musts." Keller uses this image of being trapped by time to introduce a passage from Ephesians 1:13-14, which he says contains the resources to break out of that prison cell. The passage describes the Holy Spirit as both a "seal" and a "deposit" — two concrete, palpable realities that change how a Christian experiences the present and the future.
The Spirit as a Seal: Making Doctrine Vivid
Keller explains that a seal in the ancient world was a king's signet ring pressed into soft wax on a document, proving it was authentic. The Holy Spirit, he argues, is a seal placed on a believer's life, making them know they belong to the King. This is not an abstraction. The Spirit's job is to take the doctrines of the Christian faith — justification by faith, adoption as sons and daughters — and turn them from intellectual concepts into "vivid realities" that actually comfort and change a person.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:02) **Introduction and Cultural Context** - The sermon series focuses on seeing life as part of God's bigger story, and Keller opens by connecting the passage to modern feelings of being trapped by time.
- 2 (03:14) **The Holy Spirit as a Seal** - Keller explains the first function of the Holy Spirit: a seal that marks a believer as authentic and belonging to the King.
- 3 (07:25) **How to Seek the Fullness of the Spirit** - Keller gives practical advice for experiencing the Spirit's work, moving beyond abstract methods to focused engagement with God's "favorite subjects."
- 4 (11:16) **The Holy Spirit as a Deposit** - Keller shifts to the second function of the Spirit: a "deposit" or "first installment" of the promised inheritance.
- 5 (14:19) **You Are God's Treasured Possession** - Keller unpacks the radical claim that believers are God's "portion" or "special treasure," a source of profound identity and self-worth.
- 6 (21:21) **The Multi-Dimensional Nature of Redemption** - Keller resolves the apparent contradiction of being already redeemed (past tense) and yet waiting for redemption (future tense).
- 7 (24:25) **The Glorified Body and a New Creation** - Keller describes the future inheritance, starting with the redemption of the body and the renewal of the entire universe.
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Guests on this episode
Show Notes
This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on September 20, 1992. Series: Salvation From the Outside In. Scripture: Ephesians 1:13, 14.
Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
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