John the Apostle recorded some of the most personal and poignant moments of Jesus’ ministry. A.B. Bruce in The Training of the Twelve wrote that Christ’s words during the Last Supper were like those of a dying parent to his children. What Paul writes of as accomplished in this letter to the Ephesian church Jesus foretold on that crucifixion eve. Here are some verses from that night.
25 These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. (John 14:25-26–ESV)
That night Jesus understood all too well the task before him. Despite its enormity, he did not forget the suffering soon coming to his disciples. To plant some hope for those difficulties he prophesied the arrival of the Holy Spirit. See, their connection to God needed to slide away from the person-on-person connectivity it had had onward toward person-to-God connectivity via the Holy Spirit. The former had been immediately palpable, but the later would be eternally effective. That evening Jesus revealed this plan with greater specificity, and while it was cryptic before the crucifixion it was palpable at Pentecost: the Holy Spirit came.
Look at Ephesians 1:13 and 14.
13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14–ESV)
The Holy Spirit entered the hearts of humanity at Pentecost. Once arrived he is never divorced from us and in truth is our family mark so to speak. Once the Holy Spirit enters a person, he stays forever. That is what Paul called a deposit, like earnest money, or a badge of authorization on our coming heavenly allotment.
In some evangelistic programs, the following question is posed: “If you met God tonight and he asked you why he should let you into heaven, what would you say?” The anticipated answer is, “Jesus died on the cross for my sins, and I have accepted that gift.” While that may be a helpful tool in conversing about matters of salvation and eternity it does not correlate to any real events. Once saved you are in a family. God dwells with us, in us via his Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the deposit guaranteeing it. Maybe a better answer to the question I posed at the beginning of this paragraph would be, “Because your Holy Spirit is living in my heart.”
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