Holy Earnest

Let us begin to muse today on Romans 8:9-17a at the theme, Possessing Our Position. This section deals with the Holy Earnest. Paul said in Ephesians that after we believed we were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise who is the earnest of our inheritance. The word earnest means a down payment that tells us that there is more to come, yea the best is yet to come. In verses 9-11 we find the place of the earnest. In verses 9-10 we find that it is a place of possession. Before time the Father set me aside, placed me in Christ, and said ‘he’s mine’. The Son paid the price at Calvary and said ‘he’s mine’. The Spirit came and quickened me in July 1968 and said ‘he’s mine’. My, what a place of possession. In verse 11 we find that it is the place of power. He has placed me in Christ through the earnest of quickening resurrection power. I can now say, ‘Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine, O what a foretaste of glory divine’.