Understanding Ephesians 1:13-14

Ephesians 1:13-14 says, NASB, "In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation – having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of Promise who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory."

If we break this down, this is what jumps out:

In Him refers to individuals, who have been spiritually placed in Christ,

You also refers to those in the audience that have been placed spiritually in Christ,

After listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation refers to an action that preceded being spiritually placed in Him. Those in Christ not only heard the gospel message, they believed in Christ such that God credited their faith as righteousness.

You were sealed in Him refers to being in Christ spiritually, and then the Spirit being put in you spiritually, such that you are in Christ and Christ is in you.

With the Holy Spirit of Promise – now here is where we must consider our options. If we accept that “redemption of God’s own possession” refers to our bodily resurrection at the second coming of Christ then the Holy Spirit is given as a pledge of our resurrection unto life, eternal life with God.

We can observe that the promised Holy Spirit, Jeremiah 31:31-35, is also the Spirit of Promise where Gentiles (Galatians 3:14) are grafted into the promises made to Abraham. Not to get too far into the weeds, but this points toward progressive dispensationalism.

Which is given as a pledge of our inheritance. To inherit, one must be an heir, a descendant, and so when we arise in Christ a new creation, we are a spiritual child of God, giving us the right to become a physical child of God, and so the Holy Spirit guarantees that we will be bodily resurrected at the Lord’s second coming.

To the praise of His glory refers to what His own possession does, which according to 1 Peter 2:9, is to declared the excellencies of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.