GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT CUARANTEES OUR INHERITANCE!

GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT GUARANTEES OUR INHERITANCE!

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. —Ephesians 1:13-14

            These two verses are so rich with what happens to those who call on the Name of the Lord for salvation from sin to a relationship with God through Him.

            First, we “heard the word of truth.”  Many people “hear” but don’t really “hear.”  They hear with their physical ears but what they hear does not make sense to them.  Jesus gave the reason why some people, many people do not “hear.”  He said, “I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God” (John 8:46-47).  Those who hear and believe are those who belong to God.  Those who hear and do not believe do not belong to God.  Jesus made this very clear.

            Second, what is it that we “hear.”  We have heard “the gospel of our salvation.”  The gospel is believed by us.  And what is the gospel?  Well, in a nutshell, the gospel is given to us in I Corinthians 15:1-4 —

 “Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.  For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”

            Third, here is the key… we believed the gospel.  We did not come to belief on our own.  Satan “has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (II Corinthians 4:4). But… it is God who has said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ” (II Corinthians 4:6).  It is God who has given us understanding of the gospel, but to many “the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (I Corinthians 1:18).

            Fourth, upon belief we “were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.” The seal of the Holy Spirit signifies God’s ownership.  Those who call on Jesus now belong to Him and Jesus said, “All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away” (John 6:37) and “I have not lost one of those you gave me” (John 18:9).  The seal of the Holy Spirit signifies whose we are.

            Fifth, the Holy Spirit “is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it.”  Wow!  Being sealed at salvation by the Holy Spirit secures our inheritance in glory which we will one day take possession of!  Oh, glorious day!

            Sixth, this is all “to the praise of his glory.”  Praise our Lord God Almighty! You are so good to us.  Thank You for Your great love for us.  I do not fully understand that but I accept that by the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Your Son Jesus.  May I become more like Him!