What is the Earnest of Our Inheritance?
Ephesians 1:12-14
In this lesson we will be doing a doctrinal study of the passage given above. In the passage the phrase “the earnest of our inheritance” is found. This phrase will be the subject of this lesson. The doctrinal application is definitely dealing with salvation in the church age and it will show us that we are eternally secure in the body of Jesus Christ.
The Outline of Salvation
In verses 12-13 we see the method of Salvation for the church age. Someone hears the word of truth, the gospel. Then they believe what they have heard. They trust Jesus Christ for their salvation. And they are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.
What does it mean to be sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. The moment a person trust Jesus Christ for their salvation they are spiritually circumcised according to Colossians 2:9-13. Every man has a body, soul, and a spirit. Before Salvation the soul is stuck to the body. This is why in the Old Testament the soul can touch an unclean thing (Leviticus 5:1-5). As a result of spiritual circumcision God separates the body from the soul. Note in Colossians 2:9-13 we are said to put off the body of the sins of the flesh. The soul has its own bodily shape and is still inside the flesh. But it is separated from the flesh. This is why after salvation you are said to have an old man, which is the flesh, and a new man which is the spirit. When this takes place you are also sealed by the Holy Spirit. It is the Soul that is sealed and according to Ephesians 4:30 it is sealed until the Day of Redemption.
In Salvation we are said to be bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Our soul has already been redeemed and in the future at the Rapture of the Church our body will be redeemed and changed into a glorified body. This is what Ephesians 4:30 is talking about when it says the Day of Redemption.
What is the earnest of our inheritance?
In our passage we are said to have been sealed with the spirit of God, which is the earnest of our inheritance. The word earnest here is very important. It is used just like the term earnest money is used when buying a house today. The Holy Spirit is given to us in earnest until Jesus Christ comes and redeems our body at the Rapture of the Church. What is earnest? When you are trying to buy a house and you start into a contract with the seller you put down earnest money. This is money that says you are interested in buying the house. The buying process will take several weeks because of inspections, appraisals, etc. The earnest money is given because while the contract is in place the house is off the market. If you do not end up buying the house then the seller keeps the earnest money since the house was off the market and he may have lost out on a potential buyer. In that regards when we are saved God has promised to redeem our physical body in the future. Until he does he has given us the earnest of our inheritance which is the Spirit. So if he was to back out, which he will not, we would get to keep the Holy Spirit. So in reality what we see with this is eternal security of the believer.
What is the Earnest of Our Inheritance? Handout
Ephesians 1:12-14
1) What is the outline of Salvation from our passage?
2) What does it mean to be sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise?
3) What is the redemption of the purchased possession?
4) What is the earnest of our inheritance?