Motivate Me Monday

In my Bible Study a few weeks ago, I ran across this question:

Paul is very specific about the Spirit's role in our hearts. Why does he say God gave us His Spirit in 2 Corinthians 1:22 and again in 2 Corinthians 5:5?

At first the question didn't seem special or out of the ordinary, but then I read the scriptures.

He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 2 Corinthians 1:22

Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 2 Corinthians 5:5

When I was in college, I was required to take several Religion courses. Unfortunately, most of the courses offered were History of Christian Thought (which was really more of a philosophy class), God & Gender, and Science & Religion. So, what I learned in college was from a very liberal view, and not very Biblical.

But, one thing I remember from an actual Bible course that I took was that when an author states something more than once, it's important!

Twice Paul states that the Holy Spirit was given to us as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come! How exciting is that!?!?!?

Even though God had already sent His Son to live with us, Jesus had to go back to Heaven, but the Lord knew that we still required help, so He sent His Holy Spirit to us, to live in us, to help us know Him better!

My Bible says this:

Paul outlines four aspects of God's work in believers through the Holy Spirit:

1) The Holy Spirit establishes believers and helps them persevere in their life of faith.

2) The Spirit anoints believers in order to give them power to witness, to perform the works of Christ, and to know the truth.

3) The Spirit is the official seal of God's ownership, marking believers as His own property and producing godly character within their human personalities.

4) The Spirit is an indwelling "deposit", i.e., a guarantee and a first installment to believers that a greater life with Christ will come in the future.
(Notes from the Full Life Study Bible)

Don't take the Holy Spirit for granted. Often times the Trinity isn't "fair and balanced" in our lives. We know about God the Father, we love Jesus Christ His Son, and then there's the Holy Spirit. My friends, the Spirit is just as important as the other two. He is always with us, dwelling within us. Check out Genesis 1:2. I've read this passage over and over again, and only recently discovered this very early mention of God's Spirit.

I am still studying the Women of Faith book called Experiencing Spiritual Intimacy by Christa Kinde. Each chapter brings new light on the Holy Spirit. If you are looking for a deeper relationship with the Lord, this book will definitely show you how important your relationship with the Holy Spirit is in order to attain a more intimate relationship with God.

Thank the Lord today for sending His Spirit as a deposit, as a guarantee of our eternity!

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