Are You in Earnest?

"Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen" (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Most of us are more familiar with these words of the Apostle Paul in their role as a "benediction" spoken at the conclusion of a service of worship. Yet the fact remains that what we discover here is actually one of the greatest single promises of God ever made to us as His children! In order to understand how that is true, however, we need to consider closely a statement also made by the apostle earlier in this same letter.

"In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation - having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory" (1:13-14)

Pay close attention to the term "pledge of our inheritance." In the King James translation the word used instead of "pledge" is "earnest," an old English word (ernest) meaning concretely money that is paid in advance to seal a contract and more abstractly a token of that which is to come, a promise or assurance. It is the second of these meanings that should really grab our attention.

In the original language of the New Testament, the Koine Greek word used by the apostle was arrabon or "earnest-money." The picture from the beginning was clearly intended to be that of something given as a "down-payment" or pledge of something even greater to come. In fact, it has been noted that a related Greek word, arrabona, referred to what we know as an "engagement ring," itself certainly a great promise of things to come!

Can you see how the Spirit of God within the believer fills this role of God's pledge to each of us, beloved? That is what makes Paul's words in his benediction in 3:20-21 so glorious! That power which has the ability to work within us and through us in performing things for the kingdom of God which are more far-reaching than the wildest that we could ever hope or imagine - that power which we know personally as the Holy Spirit is but God's "down-payment" of things to come! Indeed, as Paul went on to say: "To Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen."

Are you "in earnest" about your Christian walk, beloved? God is! And the pledge of His desire for you is the indwelling Holy Spirit. And if the Spirit of God is His "down-payment," then imagine what we must have in store for us as children of the Most High God, bought by the blood of Jesus Christ and saved by God's all-sufficient grace. Hallelujah and hallelujah!

Ron