God’s Proof Of Seriousness

The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.

Ephesians 1:14

ARE YOU FAMILIAR with the concept of earnest money? If you’ve ever purchased a house, your answer to that question is almost certainly yes.

Earnest money is a type of insurance. When people make an offer on a house they wish to buy, they’re typically asked to include a sum of money as part of that offer—anywhere from five hundred to several thousand dollars—which is held in an escrow account. If the homeowners accept the offer and the purchase goes smoothly, the earnest money is rolled into the down payment and nothing is lost for either side. However, if the prospective buyers back out of the purchase after a contract has been signed, they lose their earnest money. It’s given to the homeowner as compensation for wasted time and effort.

In its basic form, then, earnest money is proof of seriousness. It’s a way for would-be homeowners to prove their sincerity when they make a promise to purchase.

As Christians, we’ve been promised a divine inheritance. We’ve been promised God’s “glorious riches” through Jesus Christ (Philippians 4:19). We’ve been promised a crown of life (see James 1:12). Most important, we’ve been promised salvation, forgiveness of our sins, and eternal life as members of God’s Kingdom.

According to Ephesians 1:14, the Holy Spirit is a kind of earnest money in relation to those promises—he lives in us and works through us as proof of God’s full blessings to come. This is wonderful news! Therefore, the proper response to such a gift (and such a promise) is for us to praise and glorify God and let the Holy Spirit shape us in the image of Christ so we will be fully ready for this glorious inheritance.