The Apostle Paul writing in II Cor. 5:5 about the glorious day in which we will live with the Lord face to face, says...
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Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God,
who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. Again in Ephesians 1:13,14...
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you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,
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who is given as a pledge of our inheritance.
The word pledge means: a promise, like earnest money given before a transaction is completed. It also means a down payment implying a foretaste.
We have been given the Holy Spirit as a down payment, so that we may begin to partially experience Now, what we will fully enjoy when Jesus returns and establishes His Kingdom on the earth! The Holy Spirit within us enables us to experience the reality of Jesus' presence today, as we look forward to the time we will behold Him with our eyes.
The same is true for the promises of the future kingdom. We can enjoy them now as well. Remember, Jesus said to pray, "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven." (Matthew 6:10) Then in Ephesians 1:18-23, He tells us about the exceeding great power that is available to us "in this world" through the resurrection and exaltation of Jesus Christ to the right hand of God. It is clear then when Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus is the same, yesterday, today, and forever", it not only means that Jesus will do what He used to do, it also means He will do today, whatever He is going to do in the future!
This is proven in the story of the resurrection of Lazarus. Jesus told Mary and Martha that their brother would rise again. They were thinking, "in the future, on the last day, at the Great Resurrection". But Jesus said, "I Am the resurrection". He was saying, "You have me now. I can do it today!" Lazarus wasn't resurrected in his glorified body like what will happen on the last day, but he was able to experience a foretaste of it. (John 11:23-26)
APPLYING THIS TO YOUR LIFE
When you read the Bible and discover the nature of God, how Jesus acted, felt, lived, etc., in the Gospels, or you see the promises of what Heaven will be like described in Revelation 21 and 22, know in your heart that you can receive them now by faith, even before that glorious future day comes!
Let His Kingdom come and His will be done in you, today, on earth, as it is in Heaven!
