“In Him, you also, when you heard the word of truth, the good news of your salvation, and [as a result] believed in Him, were stamped with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit [the One promised by Christ] as owned and protected [by God]. 14The Spirit is the guarantee [the first installment, the pledge, a foretaste] of our inheritance until the redemption of God’s own [purchased] possession [His believers], to the praise of His glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14 AMP

We are looking at the importance of the gift OF the Holy Spirit to the believer. Clearly, as believers we have been given something that is very important and essential to our continuing walk in Christ. The Apostle Paul is reminding us that we were “stamped” with a seal at the moment of our salvation. We are told that a deposit has been paid on the promises given to us by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! A deposit guarantees that the payor is guaranteed payee that the merchandise is secure from sale to someone else! The enemy no longer has a claim on our lives for an eternity of punishment. Look at the verse again. The Holy Spirit is also the “first instalment, the pledge, a foretaste of what is to come…” Our experience with the Holy Spirit is to comfort and encourage us that while we do not see and things subject to Christ, He will make good on every promise He has made to us! 

The Holy Spirit is the Lord’s deposit in us. He has made a down payment on the life that is to come! Jesus said this,

“Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise [from the dead].” 24Martha replied, “I know that he will rise [from the dead] in the resurrection on the last day.” 25Jesus said to her, “[d]I am the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in (adheres to, trusts in, relies on) Me [as Savior] will live even if he dies; 26and everyone who lives and believes in Me [as Savior] will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:23-26 AMP

Death is the thing that most people fear most. Here we have a demonstration of the power of Christ over death. None of us is truly looking forward to the moment we move from this body to our next one. The book of Hebrews says that,

“Therefore, since [these His] children share in flesh and blood [the physical nature of mankind], He Himself in a similar manner also shared in the same [physical nature, but without sin], so that through [experiencing] death He might make powerless (ineffective, impotent) him who had the power of death–that is, the devil– 15and [that He] might free all those who through [the haunting] fear of death were held in slavery throughout their lives.” Hebrews 2:14 AMP

Do you see it? “…[that He] might free all those who through [the haunting] fear of death were held in slavery throughout their lives.” WOW! We can be assured that Jesus will make good on the promise of a new life in Him following our exiting of this place! If you are not experiencing a relationship with the Holy Spirit, I would encourage you today to press in and seek His voice! His job is to confirm to us the reality of the promises, power, and authority of the work of Jesus Christ in our lives. Have a blessed day, Pastor Ken