OCTOBER 29
THE DOWN PAYMENT OF THE SPIRIT
2 Corinthians 5:5-9
5 Now he who made us for this very thing is God, who also gave to us the down payment of the Spirit. 6 Therefore, we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord; 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are courageous, I say, and are willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be at home with the Lord. 9 Therefore also we make it our aim, whether at home or absent, to be well pleasing to him. (WEB)
If my wife and I decide to buy another home, the first step would be to make a down payment on the desired house. Once the home sellers accept our deposit, they are contractually obligated to sell it to us.
In today's Daily Reading, the Apostle tells us that our God and Father actually gave us His own Spirit as a down payment to declare His ownership of us. In 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, he also refers to this down payment again when he said... 21 Now he who establishes us with you in Christ, and anointed us, is God; 22 who also sealed us, and gave us the down payment of the Spirit in our hearts. (WEB)
If we could see into the spiritual realm as angels do, every believer would bear the seal of the Holy Spirit. This heavenly deposit of God's own Spirit has guaranteed our eternal inheritance. Paul explains that although there is a physical separation from the Lord while we remain in our natural bodies, our heart connection remains secure. One day, we will see Jesus face to face, but until then, we live by faith and not by sight.
My prayer today is that we all become aware of the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit, which has been given to us as a gift from our Father. May we recognize that His own Spirit, which lives within us, actually guarantees our inheritance as His children.
While we are called to live in this world, we are still affected by many broken elements of an orphaned world system. However, I pray that the abiding presence of God's indwelling Spirit within us will encourage us that what we are experiencing now is just a down payment of what is yet to come for all of eternity!
Ephesians 1:13-14
13 in whom you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good News of your salvation—in whom, having also believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is a pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory. (WEB)
5 Now he who made us for this very thing is God, who also gave to us the down payment of the Spirit. 6 Therefore, we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord; 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are courageous, I say, and are willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be at home with the Lord. 9 Therefore also we make it our aim, whether at home or absent, to be well pleasing to him. (WEB)
If my wife and I decide to buy another home, the first step would be to make a down payment on the desired house. Once the home sellers accept our deposit, they are contractually obligated to sell it to us.
In today's Daily Reading, the Apostle tells us that our God and Father actually gave us His own Spirit as a down payment to declare His ownership of us. In 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, he also refers to this down payment again when he said... 21 Now he who establishes us with you in Christ, and anointed us, is God; 22 who also sealed us, and gave us the down payment of the Spirit in our hearts. (WEB)
If we could see into the spiritual realm as angels do, every believer would bear the seal of the Holy Spirit. This heavenly deposit of God's own Spirit has guaranteed our eternal inheritance. Paul explains that although there is a physical separation from the Lord while we remain in our natural bodies, our heart connection remains secure. One day, we will see Jesus face to face, but until then, we live by faith and not by sight.
My prayer today is that we all become aware of the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit, which has been given to us as a gift from our Father. May we recognize that His own Spirit, which lives within us, actually guarantees our inheritance as His children.
While we are called to live in this world, we are still affected by many broken elements of an orphaned world system. However, I pray that the abiding presence of God's indwelling Spirit within us will encourage us that what we are experiencing now is just a down payment of what is yet to come for all of eternity!
Ephesians 1:13-14
13 in whom you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good News of your salvation—in whom, having also believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is a pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory. (WEB)