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Topic: how much is "earnest of the Spirit"?
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BORN AGAIN
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the important part for me in this Topic turned out to be that I used to think that I had a "pledge" or "downpayment" or "partial payment" when I read that I was given "the earnest of the spirit."
As a result of this Topic, I now see that that was the wrong way of looking at it, and I think it was Caretaker who set me on the right track with his post, by which I understood that the Spirit is what is given to me as a pledge and downpayment, not of more Spirit, but of the other glories yet to some.
The Spirit that was given to be because Jesus died for my sins on the cross I already completely have, but I don't have some of the other blessings yet, like a glorified body, e.g.
out with the old, in with the new.
Matthew 13:52
Then said He to them, Therefore every scribe who is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like a man who is a householder, who brings forth out of his treasure things new and old.
the LORD God of Israel bless, BORN AGAIN by the ![[Cross]](graemlins/cross.gif)
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epouraniois
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Both ‘seal’ and ‘earnest’, in the given context, are terms of commerce; they secure a transaction, even though its completion awaits fulfilment.
‘Now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts’ (2 Cor. 1:21,22).
The word translated ‘stablish’ is the Greek bebaioo. Its first occurrence is Mark 16:20 ‘Confirming the word with signs following’. When writing earlier to the Corinthians, Paul had associated their confirmation with ‘gifts’ (1 Cor. 1:6-8), as also in Hebrews 2:3:
‘Confirmed unto us by them that heard Him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to His own will?’ (Heb. 2:3,4).
In the days of the earlier dispensation the seal and the earnest were accompanied by confirmatory gifts and anointing because the hope of Israel was in view. Although these external spiritual accompaniments do not pertain to the dispensation of the Mystery, the reality of the earnest and the seal remain.
Re: the Hebrew word 'arrhabon', the Greeks had received the word from the Phoenicians in the transactions of trading; Hesychius explains it by prodoma, something given beforehand as a pledge; the word again in 2 Corinthians 5:5:
‘Now He that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, Who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit’.
Here the Spirit is the earnest of the future resurrection, and with the parallel of Romans 8:15 and 23 in mind, we can see that the same idea of a present pledge of future possession is intended in Ephesians 1:14.
‘Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God’ (1Th1:4).
How did the apostle know? Had he access to the book of life or the secret counsels of the Almighty? Perhaps, he did spend 3 years in the wilderness, presumably with the risen Lord, yet he had humbler yet no less weighty evidences:
‘For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance ... and ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost’ (1 Thess. 1:5,6).
The hearing and believing in Ephesians 1:13 is the hearing and believing of the word of truth, ‘the gospel of your salvation’. Not the gospel of Israel's salvation, not the gospel of partaking of Israel's spiritual things, but the good news that God had not forgotten the rest of us, chosen in Him from before the foundation of the world in Ephesians 1:4. While this would naturally include the acceptance of the Holy Scriptures, more is meant here. ‘The truth’ is specific, and is contrasted with ‘the lie’ (not ‘lying’) in Ephesians 4:21-25. To hear and believe the word of ‘the truth’ was in itself a witness and pledge of future glory.
‘After that ye heard ... after that ye believed’is not two things, but one, corrected in the RV:
‘Having heard ... having also believed’.
If the seal and the earnest had included supernatural gifts and a ‘second blessing’, we should have read of them here. They are absent. In Ephesians 1:13,14 we have ‘the seal’ and ‘the earnest’ but the external confirmation and anointing is omitted. During the Acts period confirmation of truth was miraculous, but with the passing of Israel and the opening of the dispensation of the Mystery miraculous gifts, signs, wonders, tongues and all the other ‘manifestation of the Spirit’ which were promised and did follow for the confirming to Isarel ceased.
‘Surety’ corresponds with the ‘pledge’ of Genesis 38:17,18. The root idea appears that of mixing or mingling:
- ‘A mixed multitude’ (margin, a great mixture) (Exod. 12:38).
- ‘The holy seed have mingled themselves’ (Ezra 9:2).
- ‘A stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy’ (Prov. 14:10).
- ‘In the warp, or woof’ (Lev. 13:48).
Springing out of this idea of mixing and interweaving comes that of the surety, who is intimately associated with the obligations laid upon the one for whom he acts, that he can be treated in his stead. So we get:
- ‘Thy servant became surety for the lad’ (Gen. 44.32)
- ‘He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it’ (Prov. 11:15).
- ‘We have mortgaged our lands’ (Neh. 5:3).
- ‘Give pledges to my lord the king’ (2 Kings 18:23).
In Ezekiel 27:9,27 we find the word translated ‘occupy’ in the sense of exchange or bartering. In this sense we understand the expression, ‘Occupy, till I come’, and still speak of a man’s trade as his ‘occupation’.
The Spirit seals, and gives the earnest. He bridges the purchase till the day of possession.
The terms ‘seal’ and ‘earnest’ are borrowed from the market place. The buyer puts down the earnest money, a deposit, thereby securing the goods. They are then sealed to show the new ownership, and await the day of full possession. In the passage before us, the believer is sealed, and the Holy Spirit of promise becomes the earnest of the believer’s inheritance. The ‘Holy Spirit’ is amplified by the ‘earnest’, and the ‘promise’ by the ‘purchased possession’.
What is in view here is not the redemption which brings the deliverance from trespasses (Eph 1:7) but the redemption of an inheritance,the redemption of that which was sealed. Recall Ruth, where Boaz as kinsman-redeemer redeems the forfeited inheritance of Naomi. Ephesians 1:14 must be read in the light of this Biblical custom. The kinsman redeemer is of uttermost import. The inheritance is not yet ours, but we have the earnest, the Old Testament ‘surety’ (LXX to Genesis 44). It is a possession to be entered when our exalted hope is realized. To this, Titus 2:13,14 directs our view:
‘Looking for that blessed hope, and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity (the redemption of Ephesians 1:7), and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works’ (the purchased possession).
For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth: (Col 1:5-6)
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HisGrace
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quote:
Originally posted by BORN AGAIN:
HisGrace writes quote:
God is the same yesterday, to-day and forever. However, the prince of this world is working overtime to make sure we don't access all of the power available to us.
how does that jive with:
1 John 4:4
You are of God, little children, and have overcome them because greater is he who is in you, than he who is in the world?
and:
Colossians 1:13
Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.
God bless, BORN AGAIN
These scriptures are very true, but we have to make a choice, and by making that choice we can become more than overcomers.
As Caretaker says, "There is an on-going process called sanctification, a setting-aside the old man, our worldly flesh and yeilding ourselves to be transformed into the image of Christ.
As we yeild ourselves the Fruit of His Spirit will become more evident in our hearts and lives, we will be more divested of the worldly values and perceptions."
quote:
anyhow, I think the Lord is pleased with me, but if I want to see greater things than these, I need to lay my life on the line more where it is actually,,,more dangerous.
Maybe the Lord is trying to tell you something BORN AGAIN. Praying that He will shed his light of wisdom into your life through digging deeper into your faith walk. God Bless.
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BORN AGAIN
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dear brother timspong from Nigeria, you write quote:
personally feel that the Holy Spirit as a divine entity cannot be divided or diluted. We receive the whole Holy Spirit within our hearts as the "earnest" deposit.
I tend to agree with you; what is amazing then is that the Great Light can be hidden to that extent inside a man. quote:
However, the amount of spiritual influence we receive is relative to our ability to receive it, (and not to the quality or amount that was given, which is always perfect). I.e. if we fill our hearts with worldly desires, the voice of the Holy Spirit will not be heard above the din.
I personally do not read Lucifer-Satan's books anymore, nor do I see his so-called movies anymore, nor do I listen to Lucifer-Satan's music anymore.
yet there is something lacking in my spiritual life and that is the next step in my spiritual walk, which in my case is that I think the Lord wants me to go sing on the boulevard to people about the baby who was born in Bethlehem of Judah, the Savior of the world.
But I haven't done that yet, and while I am doing things in His Vineyard, like participating on this CBBS, and writing a long-term Christian project, I know that if I wanted to see greater spiritual blessings, I'd have to put my life in danger[/b] on the street of tourists of "who knows who has rage against My God?"
anyhow, I think the Lord is pleased with me, but if I want to see greater things than these, I need to lay my life on the line more where it is actually,,,more dangerous.
May the Living God, the LORD God of Israel, bless us all who participate on this CBBS.
"send your kids to typing school. the Lord needs typists for His Internet church; help give Lucifer a fit!"
We also need to dwell in the Word to enable us to recognize Gods Character when it comes to us in the Spirit.
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timspong
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I personally feel that the Holy Spirit as a divine entity cannot be divided or diluted. We receive the whole Holy Spirit within our hearts as the "earnest" deposit.
However, the amount of spiritual influence we receive is relative to our ability to receive it, (and not to the quality or amount that was given, which is always perfect). I.e. if we fill our hearts with worldly desires, the voice of the Holy Spirit will not be heard above the din. We also need to dwell in the Word to enable us to recognize Gods Character when it comes to us in the Spirit.
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Yours in Christ
Timothy Michael Spong
Posts: 146 | From: Lagos, Nigeria | Registered: Nov 2005
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Caretaker
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oh, I see. you're saying that the "downpayment" or "earnest" was the Holy Spirit, not part of the Holy Spirit.
that makes sense.
so what do you think is the cause of us Christians, by and large (exclude yourself if you want to) being still "so much like the world" in interests, etc.?
take for instance a Christian singles group I looked at on the Internet.
practically to a person their activities were the same as those of non-believers (they like movies, similar music (jazz, C&W, blues, etc.) and so on.
how can that be if the whole Holy Spirit dwells in us?
how can it still be so "unnoticeable on the outside"?
and how does that fit with this?
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There is an on-going process called sanctification, a setting-aside the old man, our worldly flesh and yeilding ourselves to be transformed into the image of Christ.
As we yeild ourselves the Fruit of His Spirit will become more evident in our hearts and lives, we will be more divested of the worldly values and perceptions.
Gal. 5:
22: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23: Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24: And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25: If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26: Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
Eph. 4:
17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20 But ye have not so learned Christ;
21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
27 Neither give place to the devil.
28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Ephesians 1:14
Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
1 Cor. 15:
51: Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52: In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53: For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54: So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
55: O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
56: The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
57: But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58: Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
We who are Believers, sealed with His Spirit will be one day called into Glory, to inhabit the praise of His Glory, the very presence of God.
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A Servant of Christ,
Drew
1 Tim. 3:
16: And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh..
Posts: 3978 | From: Council Grove, KS USA | Registered: Jun 2002
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BORN AGAIN
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Caretaker writes quote:
This is the earnest, the suriety, the absolute sealed guarantee from God of our redemption because of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit of God.
oh, I see. you're saying that the "downpayment" or "earnest" was the Holy Spirit, not part of the Holy Spirit.
that makes sense.
so what do you think is the cause of us Christians, by and large (exclude yourself if you want to) being still "so much like the world" in interests, etc.?
take for instance a Christian singles group I looked at on the Internet.
practically to a person their activities were the same as those of non-believers (they like movies, similar music (jazz, C&W, blues, etc.) and so on.
how can that be if the whole Holy Spirit dwells in us?
how can it still be so "unnoticeable on the outside"?
and how does that fit with this?
Ephesians 1:14
Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
God bless, BORN AGAIN
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Caretaker
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2 Cor. 1:
21: Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;
22: Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
Ehesians 1:
13: In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
14: Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
This is the earnest, the suriety, the absolute sealed guarantee from God of our redemption because of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit of God.
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A Servant of Christ,
Drew
1 Tim. 3:
16: And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh..
Posts: 3978 | From: Council Grove, KS USA | Registered: Jun 2002
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BORN AGAIN
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HisGrace writes quote:
God is the same yesterday, to-day and forever. However, the prince of this world is working overtime to make sure we don't access all of the power available to us.
how does that jive with:
1 John 4:4
You are of God, little children, and have overcome them because greater is he who is in you, than he who is in the world?
and:
Colossians 1:13
Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.
God bless, BORN AGAIN
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HisGrace
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quote:
Originally posted by BORN AGAIN:
but the OT events, like the Spririt of the LORD coming upon Samson and he "broke his cords", seem to be "external" to Samson (and others like him), whereas one of the "new creature" features in us is that the Holy Spirit now "dwells in us" as opposed to "coming on us periodically for a specific task".
in some respects, it seems that the OT "external coming upon" resulted in "mightier" acts than what's going on generally with Christians in New Testament times, excepting Peter and John and Paul perhaps who walked with the very Jesus Himself?
I'm just a bit "perplexed" by the general lack of power and unity and love for one another when we have the Holy Spirit in us and when the Holy Spirit abides with us forever?
how can this be? ![[Confused]](confused.gif)
God bless, BORN AGAIN
God is the same yesterday, to-day and forever. However, the prince of this world is working overtime to make sure we don't access all of the power available to us.
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BORN AGAIN
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yes, I can see how the faith of someone could cause a miracle to occur.
but the OT events, like the Spririt of the LORD coming upon Samson and he "broke his cords", seem to be "external" to Samson (and others like him), whereas one of the "new creature" features in us is that the Holy Spirit now "dwells in us" as opposed to "coming on us periodically for a specific task".
in some respects, it seems that the OT "external coming upon" resulted in "mightier" acts than what's going on generally with Christians in New Testament times, excepting Peter and John and Paul perhaps who walked with the very Jesus Himself?
I'm just a bit "perplexed" by the general lack of power and unity and love for one another when we have the Holy Spirit in us and when the Holy Spirit abides with us forever?
how can this be?
God bless, BORN AGAIN
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HisGrace
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What about this one, which I have posted before.I honestly think that the flow is endless, depending on the available space.
From 2 Kings 4:1-7
This is the story about the widow of one of Elisha's fellow prophets who had a creditor at her door threatening to take her two sons as slaves if she didn't pay her debts.
Elisha offered to help and asked what she had in the house and she said nothing at all, except a flask of oil. Elisha told her to borrow as many empty jars as possible from friends and neighbors. Then he instructed her to go into her house and shut the door, saying to her "Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting the jars aside as they are filled."
Her sons brought many jars to her, and she filled one after another. Soon every container was full to the brim! When there weren't anymore jars, the olive oil stopped flowing.
When she told Elisha what had happened to her, he told her to sell the olive oil and pay her debts, and there would be enough left over to support her and her sons.
The lesson learned here is 1.Make room for Jesus, and 2. Release your faith. Blessings are dependent on the available space. Oil (blessings) doesn't stop until we stop expecting - faith will stop long before his resources will. We have to constantly die to ourselves in order to make room for his boundless flow.
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BORN AGAIN
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here seems to be another part of it:
Matthew 9:17
Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break and the wine runs out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.
because of sin, men's natural bodies are not capable of holding too much Spirit, for else the bodies would burst and the man perishes.
now, I would think that (eversince Jesus's sacrifice on the cross) man has access to 100% of the counsel of the Holy Spirit and so to the extent that a man uses or relies on the Holy Spirit, to that degree might we presumably have "Holy Spirit results".
but when it comes to indwelling, the natural body can only handle a small piece of Holy Spirit, so to speak, without dying from it.
1 Corinthians 6:19
What? Don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own?
God bless, BORN AGAIN
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HisGrace
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quote:
Originally posted by BORN AGAIN:
here is one more scriptures which contains the word "earnest" (Strong's 728) in the KJV NT:
Ephesians 1:14
Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
God bless, BORN AGAIN
I see your point now. This looks like it means until we at last become perfect and receive our glorified bodies. Is this right?
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HisGrace
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I'm ready ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif) Come to think of it Jesus paid it all on the cross. We are entitled to 100%
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BORN AGAIN
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here is one more scriptures which contains the word "earnest" (Strong's 728) in the KJV NT:
Ephesians 1:14
Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
God bless, BORN AGAIN
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HisGrace
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quote:
Originally posted by BORN AGAIN:
HisGrace writes quote:
I am having a little difficulty understanding what you interpret 'earnest' to mean BORN AGAIN? Do you mean that we are just alloted so much 'earnest'?
I understand "earnest" to mean "a pledge" or "downpayment" or "receive a part for now until the whole amount is given".
IOW, if I bought something on lay-away, I might pay a small amount to "hold it for me" until the whole is paid.
that's what I understand "earnest" to mean.
God bless, BORN AGAIN
As you can see that is totally different from the answer in my first post, which is, "Does perhaps this mean that we are given the sincerity of quickening ourselves to become earnest followers of Christ through the Holy Spirit?"
I'll have to regroup and think this one over, unless someone else has an answer.
Later. ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
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BORN AGAIN
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HisGrace writes quote:
I am having a little difficulty understanding what you interpret 'earnest' to mean BORN AGAIN? Do you mean that we are just alloted so much 'earnest'?
I understand "earnest" to mean "a pledge" or "downpayment" or "receive a part for now until the whole amount is given".
IOW, if I bought something on lay-away, I might pay a small amount to "hold it for me" until the whole is paid.
or, a "pledge", like Tamar got from Judah (his staff and ring) until he came back to pay her in full.
that's what I understand "earnest" to mean.
God bless, BORN AGAIN
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HisGrace
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quote:
Originally posted by BORN AGAIN:
and does the Holy Spirit "come alongside", as in "paraclete"?
or does the Holy Spirit come "inside" of us (but not more than the "earnest")?
or both of those?
God bless, BORN AGAIN
Paraclete? I had to look that one up. All of the above I would say. The Holy Spirit walks along side and is also an infilling. I am having a little difficulty understanding what you interpret 'earnest' to mean BORN AGAIN? Do you mean that we are just alloted so much 'earnest'?
Definition of Paraclete -
(n.) An advocate; one called to aid or support; hence, the Consoler, Comforter, or Intercessor; -- a term applied to the Holy Spirit.
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BORN AGAIN
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and does the Holy Spirit "come alongside", as in "paraclete"?
or does the Holy Spirit come "inside" of us (but not more than the "earnest")?
or both of those?
Romans 7:20
Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me.
Romans 8:11
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he who raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwells in you.
John 14:16
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever.
Strong's Concordance
John 14:16 And 2532 I 1473 will pray 2065 the Father 3962, and 2532 he shall give 1325 you 5213 another 243 Comforter 3875, that 2443 he may abide 3306 with 3326 you 5216 for 1519 ever 165;
3875 parakletos par-ak'-lay-tos an intercessor, consoler:--advocate, comforter.
God bless, BORN AGAIN
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helpforhomeschoolers
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Earnestly, I dont know.
![[roll on floor]](graemlins/6.gif)
But I do know that it is a sufficient amount with which to seal us unto the day of our redemption, and to create us new creatures in Christ. ![[clap2]](graemlins/clap2.gif)
Glory to God on High!
Amen?
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HisGrace
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quote:
Originally posted by BORN AGAIN:
2 Corinthians 1:22
Who has also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
2 Corinthians 5:5
Now he who has wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also has given to us the earnest of the Spirit.
Does perhaps this mean that we are given the sincerity of quickening ourselves to become earnest followers of Christ through the Holy Spirit?
quote:
how much is an "earnest", anyway?
so how much Holy Spirit do we have?
and, is everyone's "earnest" the same?
and does everyone's "earnest" stay the same or can it be added to?
We have a body, soul and spirit. I have heard it said that the soul stands, but the body and spirit have to be fed. The soul submits to the stronger of the two and takes over the character of the flesh or the character of he spirit.
The spirit prays. If the spirit is submissive to the will of God and saturates itself with good thinking, praying and scripture reading, the soul will reflect that character.
Therefore, the Holy Spirit should not stay the same and can be added to.
1 John 4:17
And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we are like Christ here in this world.
~Our Love/earnest/ walk will never be perfect, but we should die to ourselves daily so that we will become more and more infilled with the Holy Spirit, so that we gradually become more perfected in our spiritual life.
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BORN AGAIN
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2 Corinthians 1:22
Who has also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
2 Corinthians 5:5
Now he who has wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also has given to us the earnest of the Spirit.
Ephesians 1:14
Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
how much is an "earnest", anyway?
Strong's Concordance:
2Cr 1:22 Who 3588 hath 4972 0 also 2532 sealed 4972 us 2248, and 2532 given 1325 the earnest 728 of the Spirit 4151 in 1722 our 2257 hearts 2588.
2Cr 5:5 Now 1161 he that hath wrought 2716 us 2248 for 1519 the selfsame thing 846 5124 [is] God 2316, who 3588 also 2532 hath given 1325 unto us 2254 the earnest 728 of the Spirit 4151.
728 arrhabon, of Hebrew origin (6162); a pledge, i.e. part of the purchase-money or property given in advance as security for the rest: earnest.
so how much Holy Spirit do we have?
and, is everyone's "earnest" the same?
and does everyone's "earnest" stay the same or can it be added to?
God bless, BORN AGAIN
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