GOOD NEWS!

READING: 2 Corinthians 1:15-24

Verses 21, 22: “Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”

Some of the spiritual good news established for Christians is found in these two verses. First, God’s seal upon us means we are marked or designated as belonging to Him. That leaves no doubt regarding our spiritual identity and the treatment that identity demands. Next, we who are God’s are given the Spirit in our hearts. This Spirit is the Holy Spirit of the Lord. Once received, the Holy Spirit is able to empower, teach, comfort, encourage and to accomplish infinitely in the lives of Christians. As powerful as this promise is, it is still only a beginning. This verse says that the perfection of the Holy Spirit is what in the King James Version of the Bible, is termed an “earnest” with regard to what is to come. An earnest is a deposit or a guarantee of full payment for the future. With the perfection of the Holy Spirit as an earnest, we can certainly expect the full payment to be infinite, limitless and complete as ordained in the heart of God. It will certainly be more than we can ask or think, fully exceeding our greatest expectation and hope. That’s a thought - about God’s Word.

RESPONSE 

1. What is the primary benefit that you experience in your life because God has given you His Spirit in your heart?

2. Do you take note of the presence of the Holy Spirit on a daily basis as you go about your life? Do you need a greater awareness?