The Holy Spirit of Promise

 

Ephesians 3:20 tells us that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above anything we could ask or think. The value of the gifts that God has given us exceeds our comprehension of their worth. On the flip side, you and I don’t have the capacity to measure the evil, darkness, and terror of hell. The best that we can do is imagine the pain and horror of a soul continually burning, but even this is a poor description. Our worse fears cannot adequately portray the torment of hell, and because of Christ, for the believer those fears will never be realized. We will never see hell because of what Jesus Christ has accomplished for us through his sacrifice and resurrection.

In John 3:16(NLT), our blessed Lord and Savior said, “16 For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” Romans 10:9-10 says that if we confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe wholeheartedly that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved. His blood paid the ransom for our sins and washed them away, and because of this, Ephesians 1:7 declares that we have redemption through his blood. God forgives our sins, and His forgiveness provides an indication of the enormity of His immeasurable grace. Heavenly Father has lavished this grace upon us, and with it, He made sure that we also understood the mystery that He purposed in Christ.

This mystery revealed that God had a plan from the very beginning to expand His family through Jesus Christ. We’re at the beginning phase, but Ephesians 1:10 says that at the end phase of the plan, when times reach their fulfillment, all things will be unified in heaven and on earth in Christ. Everything will be under his feet. Glory to the Father for making a way through His Son to include us in His glorious plan! Our God is brilliant beyond brilliance. He’s magnificent beyond magnificence. Making things up as He goes along isn’t the way He does things. He is Alpha and Omega. He knows the end at the very beginning, and He knows the beginning at the end. He knew all along that you and I would be alive today, and Ephesians 1:11 tells us that He chose us and predestined every believer according to His marvelous plan.

A lot of us, especially in the time in which we now live, are hitting a lot of roadblocks. For some, life is spiraling out of control and we think there’s nothing we can do. In truth, life is created to mirror what’s happening in our souls. The soul is where the action takes place. The soul is what God is after. Rather than playing the blame-game for the condition of our lives, we would do well to start paying attention to the condition of our souls. In the grand scheme of things, very few will take the time and have the humility to look inwardly rather than looking outwardly, but when we understand, even remotely, that the craziness in our lives is spiritual, we can then begin to open our hearts and minds to God’s spiritual solution. This spiritual solution is found in Jesus Christ.

A very important piece to opening our hearts and minds to Christ is recognizing that we are not random beings, and nothing about our lives is random. Our Creator is an on-purpose God, and He created us to be an on-purpose people. Ephesians 1:4 declares that He chose us in Him even before the foundation of the world. He chose all of us for His purpose, and make no mistake, Heavenly Father is relentless about His plan and purpose. They will prevail no matter what.

The accomplishment of Jesus Christ marked the end of the Law Administration and the beginning of the Grace Administration of which we are now living in. God showcased His favor on the Children of Israel, but He fully unfolded His grace-plan through the finished work of Christ. We are the live, up-close, and technicolor vision of His love—His finest work. First, He made us worthy through Christ and gave us HIS righteousness, then, the grace He’s shown towards us puts our worth on full blast, for everyone to see. We are the manifestation of God’s dream, and there’s even more glory to come!

Ephesians 1:13-14(ESV) says, “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” Our wonderful Heavenly Father has given us an inheritance through Jesus Christ! We’ve been signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit, who God promised to Old Testament prophets that He would pour out on His people. Adam and Eve lost their holiness, and not only did God restore to us what they lost, but He took care of the sin issue for all eternity. The Holy Spirit indwells us. He is God’s seed, and he lives inside the human spirit of born-again believers.

The inheritance that God has for us is more than just deliverance from darkness and ruin. It includes extravagance feasts, hidden treasures, and pearls of great price. God says it best through the Apostle Paul in 1Corinthians 2:9(NLT), “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” It is more than we could ever imagine, and this tremendous inheritance that God has given us requires us to be trained. We are members of God’s Kingdom, sons and daughters in His royal priesthood, and just as we have come to expect of any member of royalty on earth, we must be trained for the greatness of what we have inherited.

Through His Holy Spirit, God is preparing us for what lies ahead and to be victorious in our everyday lives. The Holy Spirit that indwells us is our Teacher, Comforter, and Guide, and he is making us equal to the task of being saints of light that are partakers of God’s inheritance. We are joint-heirs with Jesus Christ, therefore, the spiritual principles that clothed his example must be worn on us like a second skin. The love of God must dwell in our hearts richly and continually. The power to live free through Christ is from the Holy Spirit. Through living by the Spirit, we are no longer blocked from the wealth of God’s blessings. He frees our souls from oppression as we seek God, follow His guidance, and remained committed to God’s Will. ■

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“The Holy Spirit of Promise”, written for Christian Encouragement and Inspiration© 2021. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.