Paul the apostle wrote the following words to the church at Ephesus: “…After that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession….” (Ephesians 1:13b, 14a, KJV).
Of course, the purchased possession refers to what Jesus procured for us on the cross at Calvary. We have eternal life and will spend eternity with the Lord. In the interim, God has “sealed” us by way of the Holy Spirit. This serves as the earnest (a pledge) of our inheritance.
When I went to buy my first home, the realtor told me I had to put up some earnest money. This money was a small portion of the purchase price of the home. But it also gave the realtor some assurance that I was a serious buyer. I am sure that realtors get their share of buyers who have no intention or means of buying a home. The earnest money served as a means for the realtor to be compensated for her work, should I awake a few days later and decide to change my mind.
God Sealed the Deal by the Holy Spirit
But God is not a man. We need not be concerned that He will change His mind. If He has already given us the earnest of our inheritance in the person of the Holy Spirit, we know also He will make good on our full inheritance.
When God seals us by way of the Holy Spirit, He validates us as His own. For the Bible says, “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his” (Romans 8:9, KJV). Moreover, “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God” (verse 16, NASB).
Some unbelievers are mystified by the depth of our conviction about Christ. “How do you know that Christ is real?” they ask. “How do you know God is real?” And think about the millions of people who faithfully attend a local church every week and who have been doing so for decades. What causes them to do that?
It is this work the Holy Spirit in our lives that makes Christianity more than mere religion. We have a personal relationship with Christ through the Holy Spirit. Our eternal hope is not some far-fetched idea. God has already given us the earnest of our inheritance. He is faithful and cannot lie. We are confident that He will make good on our full inheritance.
Imagine that what God has given us through the Holy Spirit is just a token of the totality of what awaits us!
Copyright © 2021 by Frank King. All rights reserved.