In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14)
Receiving the Holy Spirit of Promise
When I hear and believe the gospel, God gives me the Holy Spirit. Jesus first promised the gift of the Spirit in John 3:5-6, saying unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. I must be born again to enter the kingdom. Acts 2:38 says that if we repent and are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, we will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. God gives the Holy Spirit to all who obey Him.
The Holy Spirit of Promise as a Deposit
The Holy Spirit serves many functions, but among them is His role as a deposit. The inheritance God has reserved for us is eternal life in heaven. Heaven is a spiritual realm where flesh and blood cannot exist, so God promises to change our bodies when Jesus returns. According to 1 Corinthians 15, He will raise the dead or transform our physical bodies into spiritual ones. God gave the Holy Spirit of promise as a down payment, a guarantee that He will keep His word to us.
Redemption of the Purchased Possession
The Holy Spirit operates as God’s deposit and the symbol of His pledge to raise us from the dead. Paul describes the resurrection as the redemption of the purchased possession. To redeem means to purchase slaves to free them. The blood of Jesus redeems us from slavery to sin. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 reminds us that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and we were bought at a price. We are God’s purchased possession. When Jesus returns, He will complete this redemption by transforming our decaying bodies.
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