"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having 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."
Ephesians 1:13-14 (New International Version)
As most people would understand, ultimate gift of God is salvation, eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven. Yet, they overlook the gift of the Holy Spirit, who is God dwelling within us, guiding us along His righteous path, acting as a conscience to turn us away from sin, and a lifetime- no, an eternal- guarantee that He is ours, and we are His. Praise be to the Lord God, who has given this amazing gift unto us, so that we may honor Him with it. Emphasis on the word "gift" there, as we can neither be born with nor earn the Holy Spirit alone, it must be bestowed on us by God Himself.
The "deposit," or "earnest" is the guarantee that we will be married to Christ, when we are made perfect in the Kingdom of Heaven. The Greek word for "earnest" is arraborn, which, in modern Greek, translates to "engagement ring." Of course, as an engagement ring acts as a pledge to marriage, the Holy Spirit acts as a promise of Christ's wedding to His Church. Deuteronomy 7:6 adds to this, "For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth." Wow, how amazing is it to know that we have been chosen as a special treasure to the God of the universe? It may not sound important, as we hear this all the time, but blow it out of normal proportions for a moment- this is the GOD OF THE UNIVERSE we're talking about! He loves us so much, a part of Him dwells within us, making us holy to Him, outweighing our sinful natures to make us perfect in His eyes. And with this piece of God, we are not only guaranteed a spot in Heaven, but we are "engaged" to Christ Jesus, the Son of Man. Don't think about anyone else when you read these words: YOU WILL INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, BECAUSE GOD LOVES YOU SO MUCH, HE BOUGHT YOU WITH THE BLOOD OF HIS SON, AND A PIECE OF HIS OWN HEART. Can you believe that you're that special to Him? YOU HAVE VALUE.
On my last journey to Canada, I was given a passage, Psalm 34:3, "Glorify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together." Today, live by that passage. Look at what all God has done for you, and give Him the thanks He deserves for all of it. Let all your actions today add to the honor and glory of God, and let it shine so brightly, others can't help but notice. Praise be to the Living God, who is worthy.
-Alex Baldwin
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Wow...awesome insights Alex,
ReplyDeleteGod realy spoke to my heart,
UG
Dear Alex, my brother in Christ Jesus. Yesterday, the Lord's Day, our Sunday Bible study was focused on the word HOLY. We came away from the study knowing that we had encountered Holy God in a very clear way. He is separate from every created thing. Self-existent. HOLY HOLY HOLY. We came away KNOWING that in Christ He chooses each one who is in His family. He is the One who separates each believer from the world. He is separate, and in Christ He has joined us to Himself. Thus separate from the kingdom of this world and set apart for His will and good pleasure to the kingdom of His dear Son, forevery indwelt by His Holy Spirit. Then during the worship service the clear word on the Holiness of God, the morning's message, was presented...... during which a portion of your insights from this blog was read to us. Dear brother, indeed the Holy Spirit of God did and is speaking to His people through you. My heart leaped with joy to hear the words you had written, how glorious to my ears and heart, moreso His. I HEARD HOLY GOD SPEAKING TO ME YESTERDAY MIGHTILY. Joy unspeakable! May our Holy God continually be your's and my counsellor directing all we think or say and do. May He raise up multitudes of young (and older) followers who will brace themselves and stand firm, live and speak and teach His Holy Truth for His eternal glory. I love you Alex, Your sister in Christ Jesus, our Holy Redeemer.
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