In 2nd Corinthians, Paul writes:
1:21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, 22 who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. NKJV
This guarantee is the “earnest” as in a pledge, first installment, or deposit. The Greek word ἀρραβών (arrabwn) denotes the first payment or first installment of money or goods which serves as a guarantee or pledge for the completion of the transaction.
It is clear in the 2nd chapter there was unforgiveness for an individual in the Corinthian church and Paul admonished the people to forgive the offender. This church was spiritually immature. This is the same immature church that was operating in the “gifts” of the Spirit in the first letter.
Over the years, we have been taught that we have been given a small portion of the Holy Spirit and that later we would be given the fullness. This doctrine moved our focus of walking in the full maturity of the Holy Spirit toward some future, external event. Frankly, our ego loves this doctrine. Now it can continue to control you while you wait for something external to happen, removing any and all responsibility and accountability to mature into a son. If we are only to have a down payment of the Holy Spirit, how can we expect to walk as Paul is expecting in Ephesians 3:
17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.
This passage tells us that being rooted and grounded in Love is the key to comprehending and being filled with all the fullness of God. Paul prayed in verse 16, “that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit”.
When you consider Paul’s writing to the Ephesians, he clearly does not limit the “empowering” of the Holy Spirit in us to simply a pledge or deposit. This would change our understanding from the empowerment increasing by maturity rather than some external date.
Are you rooted and grounded in Love? Or, are you solely focused on the prophetic, thus rationalizing why you don’t need to change now? Immature sons and daughters want to bypass the maturing process and receive their inheritance without making any commitment to change. Immature recipients of inheritance tend to squander their money because they lack wisdom and understanding in dealing with a windfall of finances.
We are not waiting on some future event to be filled with all the fullness of God, we are only waiting on ourselves. As we focus our attention on maturing in Love and all of its characteristics, we will be found worthy of greater empowerment. HIS glorious unlimited resources await the mature sons and daughters and it will not be given to those who are unwilling to embrace the circumcised heart of Love. Our Heavenly Father has guaranteed He will complete this “transaction”. However, we are not waiting on HIM, HE is waiting on us to mature, being rooted and grounded in Love.