The Earnest of the Spirit

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d. The Earnest of the Spirit. “[God] hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts” (). See also II Corinthians 5:5; Ephesians 1:13, 14.

“Earnest” is an which speaks of the . It is a of that which will be at a future date. When earnest money is paid on a piece of property, both parties are bound. When God bestows His Earnest on us, He is bound for all time and eternity. The is God’s Earnest, God’s down payment of our . The believer has not all things as yet which he is to receive. There is more to follow. Indeed, this does stagger the imagination. If the Holy Spirit is only part of what we are to receive, and He is God, and God is , what will the be?

If earnest money has been placed upon a piece of property, and the purchaser should fail to complete the transaction, he will have lost his earnest money. God has given us His Earnest, the Holy Spirit. Should He fail to complete our salvation, He will have lost His Earnest; but we know this is impossible. Thus, it is a guarantee of our eternal salvation.

(1) Illustrations of Earnest.

(a) The (). These presents were the earnest of what was to follow.

(b) The (). The fruit was the earnest of that which was promised, a foretaste of their inheritance which was to come.

(c) The (). The handfuls of grain left for Ruth, and only for Ruth, were just an earnest of what Boaz had to offer in marriage.

(d) The (). This wave offering to God was man’s earnest that one tenth of his harvest was yet to go to God.

(2) God is the Giver! “Now 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” ().

(3) of the Earnest. The Holy Spirit is the earnest: “The earnest of the Spirit” (II Cor. 1:22b).

(4) The of the Earnest. That place is our hearts: “The earnest of the Spirit in our hearts” ().

(5) Guarantee of the Earnest.

(a) Guarantees Our . “Not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body” ().

(b) Guarantees Our . “If children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together” ().

(c) Guarantees Our . “We are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” ().


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