The Holy Spirit of the promise…is the pledge of our inheritance unto the redemption of the acquired possession, to the praise of His glory.
— Ephesians 1:13b-14
But the One who firmly attaches us with you unto Christ and has anointed us is God, He who has also sealed us and given the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.
— 2 Corinthians 1:22-23
According to Ephesians 1:13-14, not only were we sealed, but we also received the pledge of the Spirit. This understanding is also found in Second Corinthians 1:22.
What is the difference between being sealed with the Holy Spirit and having the Spirit as a pledge? For us to be sealed means that we belong to God. For us to receive the Spirit as a pledge means that God belongs to us.
The word “pledge” can also be translated as “foretaste” or “guarantee.” The Spirit as a pledge is actually a foretaste, a guarantee, of what our enjoyment will be in eternity. We often try to imagine what things will be like in eternity. But we don’t have to imagine it, because we already have a foretaste. Often when we are enjoying the Lord, especially when we are with other believers, we experience an incredible joy. No matter how wonderful that joy is, it is only a foretaste of our enjoyment in eternity. Our foretaste is the Spirit as a pledge to us.
Adapted from Born Again, page 22.
Tomorrow: “A Foretaste of the Age to Come”