The Deposit on Your Soul

September 21, 2009 at 8:29 am | Posted in Eternity | 2 Comments
Tags: 2 Corinthians 1, 2 Corinthians 5, assurance of salvation, bad behavior, Biblical deposits, Chicago, church jokes, deposit, deposits in the Bible, Detroit, down payment, earnest, Ephesians 1, Ernest, eternal salvation, eternal security, everlasting security, Frank, frank and earnest, functions of the Holy Spirit, jobs of the Holy Spirit, John 14, ministries of the Holy Spirit, old jokes, once saved always saved, sealed by the Holy Spirit, sealed with the Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit, traveling salesmen, traveling salesmen jokes

You may have heard the old joke about the immoral traveling salesman. He had lady-friends in two different cities, but he always tried to be extra careful, so they would not find out about each other, while he pretended that each one was his true sweetheart. One day, though, his boss discovered this arrangement and called him on the carpet.

“Look here,” said the boss, “this company has a reputation for integrity and trustworthiness. I’m shocked at your behavior.”

The salesman looked back innocently. “Why sir, I don’t think you should question my character like that. I always try to be frank and earnest.”

The boss grew even more exasperated. “How in the world can you say that? ‘Frank and earnest’ means ‘open and honest.’ You are busy two-timing ladies in two different cities! What do you mean, you always try to be ‘frank and earnest!??’”

“Well,” said the salesman confidently, “I’m always ‘Frank’ Jones when I’m in Chicago, and I’m always ‘Ernest’ Smith when I’m in Detroit.”

We may be thankful, when we see the word “earnest” in our Bibles, that our Lord is not duplicitous or disingenuous.

Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.

II Corinthians 5:5

“Earnest” in this verse means a deposit, a sort of a down-payment, guaranteeing the eventual ushering-in to Heaven of all true Christians.

The Holy Spirit has a number of functions in the lives of born-again believers. Among them, He teaches us the Bible; He convicts us of sin; He produces in us the ability to love others and to obey God. He also is God’s seal upon our eternal soul, acting as proof of the promise that all those whom Christ Jesus has saved, will, without fail, go to be with Him one day.

One reason that I know I am going to Heaven is because of the Scriptures, but another reason is because, at the moment of salvation, God’s Spirit came to live in the temple of my body. One day God’s Spirit is going to Heaven forever. Because God cannot lie, and because God will never take His Spirit away from one of His children, and because God’s seal can never be broken or erased, I know that when God’s Spirit goes to Heaven, I, too, must go with Him. God’s earnest is not based on my good works, the strength of my self-generated faith, or my own personal post-salvation pronouncements about what I think, feel, or experience. God’s earnest is based on His unchanging character, His Truth, and His righteousness.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

John 14:3

Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

II Corinthians 1:21-22

That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 1:12-14