Now the mark of ownership is the revelation of the LORD's Last Supper on through our being ascended with Christ and IN Christ as at that moment we're clothed within Christ. The moment a person believes this by way of receptive faith Christ's Spirit enters that individual, and then becomes the mark of ownership as well as the source of power for Living the promised endless Life. But if what is materially know is all that is accepted that person is baneful to himself and this Gospel within himself by way of ignorance of a great darkness. Now a lot of times when we make the point that we're not under Law, but rather Grace, we're under no demands to keep the commandments. When we say that, we get people saying then, "Well what are you, just sort of set loose, and set free?" No, here's the difference. We now have the Spirit of Christ that comes in, and He becomes our rudder He becomes what the Law could not be. For He is the embodiment the Law and the Prophets. And so it doesn't give us freedom to steal and covet, and all these other things that the Ten Commandants dealt with, because the Spirit Himself takes care of that. We think that the moment we're saved and our want to is changed. Our whole design on life is in the process of being changed, as we pass through what has been called the darkness of faith in His Love restored and this is what the world around us can not understand. The Holy Spirit as our comforter, trainer, teacher beings the process of changing us from the inside out. He causes us to seek and to search the scriptures for what at first we know not what. But over time He causes our spiritual eyes and ears to become sensitive to His leading. He causes us to hunger and thirst for more and more righteousness to the point of despairing of our undoneness and sins utter sinfulness both in us and then around us. We begin to seek the old path to correct our first estate, it is then He reveals God's Will and purpose to us. The path less traveled, the narrow path through which we willingly put our old man to death, sort to speak, and at the same time sacrifice all that is earthy, worldly to gain the prize. The prize of great price that which the ancients only saw but were not to reveal in plain language of understanding but none the less there. Now coming into verse 14 the Holy Spirit of promise of verse 13 -
Ephesians 1:14a
"Which is the earnest..."
Or another good word for earnest is down payment. The word earnest here means exactly as we use it today in a transaction when we put down earnest money. In other words, we put enough down to guarantee that neither party is going to back out. So that's what the Lord has done here with the Holy Spirit, He has declared us as His, and to make sure that neither one of us backs out He has given us the mark and the power of the Holy Spirit -
Ephesians 1:14a
"Which is the earnest (or down payment) of our inheritance (which we looked at earlier) until..."
There is going to come a point in time when the Holy Spirit's indwelling us will no longer be necessary, and when will that be? When we come into His presence. In fact maybe we'd better look at it for a moment in II Thessalonians chapter 2. This is a long way from Ephesians we know, but we're having so many questions at this time about this verse that it's probably a good time to go ahead and explain it. The moment we're saved as we saw in our earlier lessons, the Holy Spirit baptizes us into the Body of Christ, He indwells us, and becomes our mark of ownership. He will remain with us until we either we leave this life or are taken out in the departure. This chapter in II Thessalonians is referring to that point in time when those who are alive and remain will be "taken" or caught up as the Scripture says in I Thessalonians chapter 4:17, to meet the Lord in the air. Here again I feel that I must cause everyone that this could also mean our being so heavenly good or as some have called us super-spiritual that the LORD's glory is known to be all around us, as it is no long just within but is also seen or known. Now the question that keeps coming up all the time then is about verse 6.
II Thessalonians 2:6-7
"And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work (has been working from before the tower of Babel): only he who now letteth (hinders) will let, (hinder) until he be taken out of the way."
So the question is always, "Who is the he that hinders?" Some think it's the Church, and some think it's the Holy Spirit, well it's both. But the Holy Spirit will remain to do His work. Why, can I say that? Because He has always been here from the beginning He was here and so He'll remain because it is His business to convict the world of its sin. Now let's look at it by breaking the verse down.
II Thessalonians 2:6-7
"And now ye know what withholdeth (is the dam in the river of iniquity) that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth (hinders) will let, (continue to hinder) until he be taken out of the way."
The Holy Spirit has always been the Omnipresence of the Godhead. Way back in Genesis 1:1-2, and in creation the Spirit moved upon the face of the water. This as we've said was and is the LORD. So the Holy Spirit (Yehovah-Christ) was there all the way up through the Old Testament, even though there's not a lot written about the Holy Spirit. Then of course in Christ's earthly ministry when He became the visible one, nothing is said about Him until He breathes on the Twelve when it was said, "receive ye the Holy Spirit." In this way He introduces His giving of His ontological essence to all humanity. Then He promised the Holy Spirit in John 14, that when He ascended the Holy Spirit would descend. Would be sent in a change of position and became the infilling one, the comforter, trainer, teacher and guide to all. Before only those deemed as righteous would have Him resting upon them, such as Enoch, Job, King David, Isaiah, Jeremiah....etc. Jesus was the first as the Son of man to receive the infilling of the Holy spirit with power, power to bear witness of God's working through Him, as Jesus.
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