GOD'S PLEDGE TO US

Ephesians 1:13-14(NASB)
In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of  God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.


When we believe in Jesus Christ, this puts us in a covenant marriage with Him. The Holy Spirit is God's seal that we belong to Him and His guarantee to us that He will do what He has promised. This is like a down payment, a deposit - in the Ghanaian culture we call it a dowry a secured payment from the Bridegroom to have the bride's hand in marriage. At this point His Spirit comes to live within us when we believe in Him and the presence of the Holy Spirit in us demonstrates the genuineness of our Faith and proves that we are His and secures our eternal life with Him when He returns. This makes us very intimate with God.  We can't get any closer to someone than having them dwell within us. Jesus says in John 14:16-17, "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—  the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be  in you." Actually come to think of it - it is an intimacy that none of us can have with anyone not even those of you in a marriage relationship, because it is supernatural; and a God thing!

The word pledge in the Greek language is a solemn promise. Even today in Greece the word pledge can mean engagement ring. I believe we all know an engagement ring is a guarantee from a man to a woman that he will marry her. How appropriate because as Christians we become God’s bride. So the Holy Spirit is God’s pledge to us like an engagement ring. He is God’s symbol of love given to us so we can know without a shadow of a doubt we are God’s beautiful bride forever. Instead of wearing the love symbol on our finger we wear Him in our hearts. How very romantic and beautiful that Jesus died for you and I so we could become His beautiful Bride as a corporate body as well as each individual in His Church.

As believers, we who are the bride of Christ waiting in great anticipation for the day when we will be united with our Bridegroom. Until then, we remain faithful to Him and say with all the redeemed of the Lord, “Come, Lord Jesus!”

Reflections:
Have you been faithful and do you pledge to remain faithful to Him till His return?

Are you prepared to pledge your heart to your Bridegroom as you wait in anticipation for His faithful return? If not it's, not too late to repent receiving into your heart as a seal of His promise till His return.


Power verses:
For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay.--Hebrews 10:37

"Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book."-- revelation 22:7

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book.-- Revelation 22:18

"Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done-- Revelation 22:12

"Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed."-- Revelation 16:15

Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.-- Revelation 1:3

2011 By Enyonam Gbekle. All rights reserved.