Ephesians 4:30 and OSAS

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I have done a lot of reading lately on the doctrine of OSAS, or “eternal security of the believer” as its adherents prefer to call it. For the most part it is a shallow doctrine based on wishful thinking, and easily refuted. However, I ran across Ephesians 4:30 which says: “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” If we are sealed for the day of redemption, that certainly implies something very permanent. Any ideas on how this verse should be interpreted? That is, the part about being sealed, not about grieving the Holy Spirit.
 
I would think that Paul is talking about being sealed with the Holy spirit during baptism. (see 4:5 - “one Lord, one faith, one baptism”)

Read chapters 4 and 5, to understand this passage in context.
especially 5:5.
“For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person— such a man is an idolater— has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.”

Paul is telling the Christians how to live their faith, and to correct other Christians, and then goes on to tell them that if they don’t live that way, they will not go to heaven.
 
Zenas said:
I have done a lot of reading lately on the doctrine of OSAS, or “eternal security of the believer” as its adherents prefer to call it. For the most part it is a shallow doctrine based on wishful thinking, and easily refuted. However, I ran across Ephesians 4:30 which says: “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” If we are sealed for the day of redemption, that certainly implies something very permanent. Any ideas on how this verse should be interpreted? That is, the part about being sealed, not about grieving the Holy Spirit.
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Actually, if we are “permanent[ly]” sealed, why should we give a fuss about “griev[ing] the Holy Spirit” if the Holy Spirit can’t change the fact that we’ve been sealed?

God has sealed us with the Holy Spirit by our baptism, which is a “first installment” to show He makes good on His promises (cf. Eph 1:13f, Eph 4:30, 2 Cor 1:21f). But Paul makes it clear in his letters that our behavior (even after our baptism) must not revert to that wickedness which does not inherit the kingdom of heaven.
 
I think we should keep in mind not just one scripture and have that form our opinion. We should keep in mind all scripture and of course what the Holy Church has said regarding OSAS.

Here’s an example:

Matt. 24:13 But he who endures to the end will be saved.

Matt. 25: 31-46 Implies we must act upon the grace God gives us for our own salvation.

We can also look at Matt. 7:21 "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Notice the severity of St. Paul in Rom. 11:22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off.

And how about Heb. 10 26-29 For if we sin deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire which will consume the adversaries. A man who has violated the law of Moses dies without mercy at the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment do you think will be deserved by the man who has spurned the Son of God, and profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and outraged the Spirit of grace?

2 Peter 2:20-21 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overpowered, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.

Phil. 2:12…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling
 
Many feel that this “Seal” is what Ezekiel was talking about when the angels of the Lord traveled through Jerusalem slaying everyone (man, woman, and child) except for those with the seal of the letter “tau” on their forehead.

The letter “tau” is often represented as a Cross, which of course is what happens during the Sacraments.

Though isn’t it at confirmation that we are sealed with the Holy Spirit and not Baptism? For adults, it doesn’t matter since both occur at the same time, but not so for infants who are confirmed as adults.
 
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