The Promise

Most people calling themselves Christians today have a belief that the hope we have in Christ is the hope of getting to heaven some day. Even though heaven is a place we look forward to, that should not be our hope as Christians. So what is our hope and what is the promise of God?

Today MOST churched people's hopes are to get to heaven. This is not what our main hope should be or what we should strive for. If our main hopes and striving are to get to heaven then we are only trying to save ourselves from hell.

The scriptures say the deposit of the "Holy Spirit" into us is the GUARANTEE of our heavenly inheritance. This is true.

Eph 1:13-14 - In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. NKJV

2 Cor 1:21-22 - Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. NKJV

So once we are totally filled with the Holy Spirit (the promise), then we are guaranteed heaven as long as we don't willfully sin after that point. So the hope we need to go for is the promise that God will fill us with His Holy Spirit AFTER we have come to a point of total obedience (out of love for Him). Once we have the fullness of the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of Truth) in us, we no longer have a hope of being in His eternal kingdom, because we are already in His eternal kingdom. There is not a hope of heaven anymore, it is a for sure thing as long as we don't reject His Holy Spirit by willfully sinning against Him. If we willfully sin after being totally filled with the Holy Spirit (the promise), then we have committed the unforgivable sin. Let me explain this with scriptures.

After we have done the will of God we receive the promise (the Holy Spirit).

Heb 10:36 - For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the PROMISE NKJV

Abraham's offspring are the people that have received the promise of the Holy Spirit.

Rom 9:8 - In other words, it is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring. NIV

God pours out the Holy Spirit into all that have been obedient to the will of God. Then they are the sons of God and exalted to the right hand of God. A son of God is exalted to His right hand when that person has shown himself worthy of the Holy Spirit's filling. This needs to happen in our physical lifetime.

Acts 2:33 - Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the PROMISE of the Holy Spirit , He poured out this which you now see and hear. NKJV

God saves us from the power of our sinful nature to enable us to become the sons of God by eventually receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit after we have done His will.

Gal 3:14 - He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. NIV

Only if we are totally devoted to Christ are we considered Abraham's seed and enjoy in the promised Holy Spirit.

Gal 3:29 - If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. NIV

Life in Christ is the Holy Spirit in a person. Holy Spirit = Life in Christ.

2 Tim 1:1 - ...according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, ... NIV

Once anyone has been fully filled with the Holy Spirit and has become a son of God, then they have been enlightened and have experienced God's eternal kingdom and the powers of that eternal kingdom. If they ever decide to fall away by willfully sinning against the Holy Spirit that is within them, then they are judged unworthy of the Holy Spirit and God's Holy Spirit is taken away from them forever.

Heb 6:4-6 - For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the HEAVENLY gift, and have become partakers of the HOLY SPIRIT, and have tasted the good word of God and the POWERS of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. NKJV

Now one important thing to remember when understanding these scriptures, when a person comes to the saving grace of God and says that first sinners prayer, they don’t receive the Holy Spirit at that time unless they were able to die to all their selfishness at that time. They receive Jesus as their High Priest, but for most people today, they don’t receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit until they die to all their selfishness and be obedient and do the will of God. It is through the power of God’s grace working through Jesus Christ being their High Priest that they have the power to overcome all sin, but they have to make the choice to die to every sinful thing in them. God will not make anyone die to their own selfish nature, but He gives you the power to do so if that is a person’s earnest desire.

When a person receives the Holy Spirit, they receive the knowledge of the truth. The truth is written on their hearts. God's very Word is written on and in their hearts by the Holy Spirit. So, after this happening, if they ever willfully go against that truth that has filled their heart, they will be doomed to an eternal fiery judgment.

Heb 10:26-29 - For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? NKJV

If we keep and stay within God's promise (the Holy Spirit) we are assured a new heaven and a new earth full of righteousness.

2 Peter 3:13 - But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. NIV

For the people, the true sons of God, the ones that have been filled with the Holy Spirit, that have partaken in the heavenly gifts and powers of the heavens (the powers to come), they are already in His eternal kingdom. The only difference that happens after physical death for a true son of God is that they don't have to live in both a righteous and un-righteous world any longer. They will live only in a pure, holy, and righteous world for eternity. Before a true son of God physically dies, they are already living a pure, holy, and righteous life already, but having to endure an un-righteous world until they physically die.

So I say all this to indicate that our salvation has to happen in our physical lifetime (before physical death). When someone says "Completed salvation is not until we reached the other side into heaven", this is an incorrect statement. This is what people want to believe and backs up MOST people's beliefs that we can never be perfect, pure, holy, and/or righteous this side of heaven, which a lie of the devil.

A true son of God has already been judged and found worthy to receive God’s promise of the Holy Spirit, because they have sacrificed all to Him. Once having received the Holy Spirit, we are then worthy to enter and be in God's eternal kingdom. It is the Holy Spirit of Christ that is the key to God’s eternal kingdom. All true sons of God have been judged in this life already and will never be judged again unless they commit the un-forgivable sin of rejecting the Holy Spirit that had totally filled their heart.

If anyone is judged by God after their physical death - it is too late for them. They are destined for the eternal fire.

May God’s truth encourage you to finish the race,
Michael W Reid