THE LORD KNOWS THOSE WHO ARE HIS

In 2 Cor. 1:22 God has “sealed us” and given us the “earnest of the spirit.”  In Ephesians 1:13 “having believed,” we are “sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise.”  In Ephesians 1:14 the Holy Spirit is described as the “earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession.”  In Ephesians 4:30 we are “sealed for the day of redemption” by the Holy Spirit, where the word “redemption” literally means “deliverance to Jesus at His coming.”  And 2 Timothy 2:19 states, “The solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: The Lord knows those who are His.” The word “earnest” (gr., arrhabon) means a down payment or security deposit guarantee made by a purchaser and is in common usage in real estate transactions (i.e., earnest money).  The word “sealed” (gr., sphragis/sphragizo) means to mark indicating ownership, security and destination.

The Holy Spirit which Christ promised is the first installment, first portion or foretaste, of the manifold blessings to come, of our inheritance in Christ Jesus. It’s just a taste, a snippet of what Daddy has prepared for us, signifying Christ’s love and commitment to us, and the guarantor of our inheritance in God’s kingdom. Having believed, we are marked with the ownership of God, His righteousness, secure in His promises and destined to be with Him.  This mark (seal) is more than just an identifier; it is the essential component of our relational dynamic with God. Reconciliation, the cross, reestablished access to God. The imputing of God’s righteousness enables us to come into His presence without getting fried, making communion now and forever possible. We are cloaked like a coat, clothed with His righteousness, sinless in His sight, sinless but not perfect.  The down payment has been made, the Holy Spirit has been “deposited” in our earthen vessels to secure the purchase transaction with God and guarantee our inheritance in His Kingdom. Notice the reciprocal nature of the word “earnest”; it guarantees the purchase, ownership, to the buyer and guarantees the purchased item an inheritance in its new owner. The Holy Spirit has clothed us in the very righteousness of God, giving us access into the King’s presence – the King’s scepter is always lifted for us – and marked us as God’s purchased property until Christ’s return to claim and pick up His own.  And the foundation of God’s promise is firm and strong (i.e., “sure”, gr., stereos) providing this security to us, “The Lord knows those who are His.”

THEREFORE, COMFORT AND ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER WITH THESE WORDS