“Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory.” (Ephesians 1:14)
What Paul is referring to in this verse is the gift of the Holy Spirit. We receive that gift when we believe. “That we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ. 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,” (Ephesians 1:12-13) After we believe we are sealed. That word “sealed” means stamped or branded. The Holy Spirit is given to us, and He is the seal, the stamp on us that says to the universe they belong to God. He claims us as His and the universe knows it.
The Holy Spirit in us is the downpayment of what is to come. He enables us to live heaven on earth, if we stay in the spirit and live in the spirit. “But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.” (Romans 8:11) It’s the Holy Spirit living in us that enables us to live holy lives. He gives us the desire and the ability to do God’s Will. “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13)
Over and over, we are admonished to live in the spirit. Living in the spirit is living in a supernatural way here on earth. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” (Romans 8:14) When we walk in the Spirit we are walking in a heavenly way and not like anything that pertains to this world, not the flesh and not the Law. We walk according to the laws of eternity, not bound by natural laws of this world nor the Law given to man by God. His Law is written in our hearts and the Holy Spirit helps us to follow it. It’s a part of us and to break it is to go against our conscious. “Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that He had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;” (Hebrews 10:15-16)
It is humanly impossible to live like God wants us to live in our own strength. We have to contend with the flesh, the world and the enemy. But the Holy Spirit living in us helps our weaknesses so that we can. “That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man;” (Ephesians 3:16) He gives us the ability to live like God wants us to live. Our part is surrender and to obey. We have the option of saying, “no.” But we will be the most miserable of people. Why? Our nature is not sinful. We now have the nature of God. To sin is to go against our nature, our conscious. I don’t think that it’s possible. If there is a person who claims to be a Christian but continually sins or lives in a sinful way, I doubt that person has truly accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. They may believe, but they have not surrendered their lives to the Lord. They recognize Jesus as Savior, but not Lord. It’s in that surrender that we can live holy lives. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)
What is this walk of the Spirit? It’s a life that bears this fruit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:22-25) Our lives will bear this fruit. It’s a result of surrender and obedience to the Holy Spirit. At first glance we may say, “I can do it.” But it’s not about doing it. It’s about being it. And that is only a work of God through the Holy Spirit living in us.
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