A Guarantee – July 23, 2021

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 1:13,14

A Guarantee

When a person agrees to purchase a home, it’s customary to put down a deposit. The seller wants to know that the buyer is really serious about closing the deal. A deposit serves as a kind of guarantee that the transaction will happen. If the buyer steps away from the deal, they lose their deposit.

We like promises to be kept. When reliable people give us their word, it provides a sense of certainty and peace about the future. If we know what’s going to happen, we can take a deep breath and relax.

That’s how our heavenly Father wants his people to feel about his eternal choice to save them. He doesn’t want them to fret and stew. He doesn’t want them to wring their hands, wondering anxiously whether or not he’s going to follow through on his plan. He wants them to have certainty and peace about their eternal future, planned from eternity.

So what did he do? First, he revealed his perfect love, forgiveness, and salvation for all people in the person and work of his Son, Jesus Christ. But now he has also sent his “promised Holy Spirit” to his people through his Holy Word, written down in the Bible.

For what purpose? To reassure them. The Holy Spirit is “a deposit,” Paul tells us, “guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession.” In other words, while God’s people await Jesus’ return on the Last Day—when he will take them to life everlasting—their heavenly Father continually sends and plants his Holy Spirit deeper in their hearts through his Word of promise. And why? So that they can be certain, confident, joyful, and at peace that eternal life is theirs—guaranteed!

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, help me daily to listen to your Word and to trust your promises without fail. Amen.