“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory” Eph. 1:13-14.
Did you read that? Read it again. This is huge, my friends. If we ever doubted the kindness of God, His goodness and grace, this promise should convince us completely that God, the Father, means business. What He says He will do . . . is already done. No turning back. He poured His Holy Spirit upon this earth two thousand years ago, and He is still here infilling those who trust Jesus. But His presence is just the beginning. He’s the down payment for what’s to come.
a non-refundable down payment promise
A down payment is a promise, a non-refundable, can’t take back promise. We recently put a hefty deposit on a home we were building. Our deposit was non-refundable. Even if we couldn’t follow through with the house build, we’d never get it back. We were locked into an agreement with the builder that we’d build a home with them one day no matter what. Eventually, that deposit became part of the down payment for the house (thank goodness!).
When God gives a believer His Spirit, it’s a non-refundable deposit or down payment–a promise of what’s to come: Redemption of these dying bodies; Heaven on earth one day; Jesus returning to take us home. This is His perfect nature. His undying, unwavering commitment to those who have trusted in Jesus as the savior of the world. A dear author-friend of mine wrote this in one of his recent posts as he nears the sunset of life:
God’s Holy Scripture tells me just enough to cause my enthusiastic anticipation. I learn that I’m not going to a heaven in the sky as I have been led to believe. Rather, in some way, God will cleanse and renew this earth where I now live and all will be good and perfect once again just as he enjoyed it after its original creation.
Never more will any evil, sickness, pain, or decay, be part of my life. I will have a new healthy body like I have never known. I will live with God’s people on this clean and perfect earth.
And best of all God will come down to our neighborhood to live among us. We will get to know God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Spirit in a more complete way than we can possibly imagine. What a Walk into The Unknown!
He knows us too well
I love Gary’s words, especially the part about the restored earth being our heavenly dwelling. It makes me want to jump up and down in anticipation. No more death, mourning, or cancer! Hallelujah! Ya’ll, this is our, never to be taken away, promise. But the Lord knew we would need more than words. We would need evidence to hold on to. That evidence is the Holy Spirit.
But how many of us walk this faith journey never fully appreciating Holy Spirit’s presence? I’m hoping if you’re a follower of this blog, this year’s focus on His names is drawing you closer to Him more aware of His presence and role in your life.
Are you beginning to activate His help? Have you experienced a softened heart when you’d normally be angry, or help when you did not know what to pray? Has He guided you in big life decisions, or given you discernment about a relationship? The Holy Spirit awaits our invitation into every inch of our lives. Whenever we do experience His leading, comfort, or peace, we’ve just tasted a small drop of what He has for us. I believe this is what Paul wrote about in Ephesians 3.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 3:20
July Bible reading plan
Come study with me about this precious promise of God. Come read about this deposit, a pledge and seal for a future with Him. If you need hope, please use this reading plan. If you need more of Holy Spirit and your faith strengthened, spend a few minutes everyday for 31 days reading verses all centered around Holy Spirit as the greatest down payment ever given.
Click on the image or here to grab the printable.
How do you know if you have the holy spirit?
How do you know if you have the greatest down payment ever given? It’s simple. Peter explained it this way: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call” Acts 2:38-39.
To repent means recognizing your need and desire for Jesus–exchanging your old way of independent, “do it my own way,” thinking to His wisdom. And baptism is a beautiful tangible gift He’s ordained for us to do when we’ve come to faith. It represents death to our old life and new birth into the kingdom of God as a child of God. Paul explains it better:
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
Romans 6:3-4
Oh friends, I want this so much for you and your family, and those who will come after us. This truth sets us free. Do you want freedom? Me too. Come study these scriptures of the Holy Spirit’s purpose of promise. Hopefully, we will never be the same as we experience His presence and taste the glorious future for those who believe.
