Charles Spurgeon Commentary Ephesians 1:12-14

"to the end that we should be unto the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ: in whom ye also, having heard the word of the truth, the gospel of your salvation,-- in whom, having also believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is an earnest of our inheritance, unto the redemption of [God`s] own possession, unto the praise of his glory." — Ephesians 1:12-14 (ASV)

That we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after you believed, you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance unto the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory.

You have the Holy Spirit. He is God's seal upon you that you are indeed saved men and women. By receiving that, you have already received the earnest, that is, a part of the inheritance never to be taken back. A pledge has to be restored, but an earnest is kept forever: the Spirit of God is ours, and in having Him, we have all things.

That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom you also trusted, after that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that you believed, you were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Twice more, in these three verses you have this expression, "to the praise of his glory," making a third time with that which he said before, "to the praise of the glory of his grace." The true gospel glorifies God. False gospels may have what is called "the enthusiasm of humanity" about them, but the true gospel has an enthusiasm for the living God, and it magnifies and glorifies him.

Note, O believers, that you first trust in Christ, and after that you have the seal of the Spirit. There are some who look for the sealing of the Spirit before believing in Jesus; but neither God nor man will set a seal to a blank paper; there must be the writing of faith upon the heart, and then the Spirit of God comes in, with his blessed seal, and sets it at the bottom as his divine and gracious token of acceptance. The Holy Spirit is "the earnest of our inheritance."

Now, an earnest is a part of the possession itself; it is not simply a pledge, it is more than that; so the Holy Spirit in our heart is heaven begun below, it is the young dawn of the everlasting day. Blessed be God, we have his Spirit within us, and we rejoice in his indwelling.