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A Sealed Bargain

He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.  2 Corinthians 1: 21-22 

 

As we trust in Christ, God gives us the Spirit as a pledge or, as some translations read, an earnest guarantee. He . . . put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

In the apostle Paul's day, a deposit or pledge did three things: it was a down payment that sealed a bargain, it represented an obligation to buy, and it was a sample of what was to come.

As an illustration, suppose you decided to make a down payment on a new car. What does your deposit represent? First, it seals the transaction; from now on, both you and the seller are committed. Also, it shows that you have committed yourself to pay the rest of the purchase price. Finally, it enables you to take possession of the car right now even though it still belongs to the bank.

In the same way, the Holy Spirit in our hearts is God's pledge or deposit to us--sealing His commitment to save us, guaranteeing that someday our salvation will be complete, and enabling us to experience its joys right now.

From, HOPE for Each Day: Morning & Evening Devotions, by Billy Graham.