Portraits of Salvation: Eternal Life Comes With A Two-fold Ironclad Guarantee
2 Corinthians 1:22
Who (God) hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. - 2 Corinthians 1:22
Seal - a mark or stamp to confirm & authenticate for security or preservation; to place beyond doubt.
Today, important documents or items are often embossed with an official seal by an organization or via a notary public to vouch for their authenticity.
Earnest - A down payment in purchases given as a pledge that the full amount will subsequently be paid.
Almost all Real Estate transactions require an Earnest Deposit - a pledged guarantee by the purchaser to follow through to complete the transaction. Failure to do so would cause the forfeiture of the earnest pledge.
Now, think about that in terms of God giving the Holy Spirit as earnest for the purchase of our salvation. To not follow through with that transaction would mean that He would forfeit His Spirit, which is impossible.
That is why it is so important to understand the terminology that God uses to give us precise pictures of what He is saying. Especially in the area of Salvation.
God does not make the concept of salvation/eternal life complicated. We do.
He uses common things to make His point - like using a seal or the concept of earnest to drive home that salvation is permanent. God will not and indeed cannot lose His Holy Spirit and therefore, we cannot lose our salvation.
We, on the other hand, have a hard time accepting that something so extraordinary is offered as a gift if we accept it. We think we must earn the right to be saved. Yet God, in essence, says, “No way - I am far too holy and righteous for you, in your sin, to be in my presence. Therefore, I will confer upon you the righteousness of my Son with a downpayment of my Holy Spirit and seal you into his body by my Holy Spirit. That is the only way it will happen.”
God will not and indeed cannot lose His Holy Spirit and therefore, we cannot lose our salvation.
So, with common, easily understood terms, God paints another wonderful word picture of the permanency of salvation. We cannot save ourselves and we cannot unsave ourselves. It is all of, by, and through Him.
Wherefore, he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. - Heb 7:25
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