Tag: apolutrosis

Romans 8:23 – Groaning in Anticipation

Posted on by Will

And, not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly expecting adoption, the redemption of our body.

Truth to Learn

We also groan, waiting for our redemption and adoption.

 

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “firstfruits” is aparchē, which is made up of apo, meaning “from” and a form of archomai, meaning “to begin.” This word refers to the first ripe fruit of the season.

“Redemption” is from the Greek word apolutrōsis, which is made up of apo, meaning “from” and lutroō, meaning “to bring forward a ransom.” Thus, apolutrōsis means “to release a captive upon receipt of a ransom.”

 

Meaning Explained

Going back once again to our discussion in verse 19 about the Greek word ktisis, which is translated either as “creature” or “creation,” we mentioned that some believe it refers to Christians as a whole, since the Bible in 2Corinthians 5:17 refers to us as “a new creation.” The current verse is one reason why this may not be the intended interpretation. Paul has just said that “all of creation” or “the whole creation” groans and is in pain. In the current verse, Paul now says “Not only that, but we also … we ourselves groan within ourselves.” He even clarifies the “we” by saying that we are the ones “who have the firstfruits of the Spirit… waiting for the adoption…” This expression clearly refers to saved Christians. But, if ktisis was referring to saved Christians, then Paul would not say that we Christians also groan … Hence, it appears that ktisis in the previous verse refers to all of the visible creation apart from mankind.

Next we have to ask ourselves, “What does Paul mean by, “we who have the firstfruits the Spirit?” There are those who believe that since Paul is talking to members of the early church, he means that they were the first ones who received the Holy Spirit; they had received “the firstfruits of the Spirit.” However, if you look at passages in the Old Testament that refer to the “firstfruits” offerings (Deuteronomy 26:2; Exodus 23:19; and Numbers 18:13, for example) you will see that the firstfruits were a pledge of what was to come later. Thus, they were a sacrifice that required faith to offer, believing that the full harvest would come later. That is precisely one of the images we have of the Holy Spirit in our lives. He is a pledge that the fullness of salvation, our adoption into God’s family, the redemption and recreation of our bodies, will come to us at the consummation of the last days.

 

Application

We born again Christians also groan within ourselves because we are eagerly awaiting the full adoption and the completion of our salvation. In other words, we are eagerly awaiting our redemption, our final release from the bondage of sin which will end all the pain and suffering which we endure in this earthly life. Next time you groan as a result of the physical or mental pain of being a Christian, remember the day of our redemption is coming soon.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 3:24 – Free Righteousness

Posted on by Will

being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

Truth to Learn

Through faith in Jesus Christ we are declared to be righteous.

 

Behind the Words

“Being justified” is translated from dikaioō. This is based on dikaios, which as we saw in verse ten means “meeting God’s standard of always doing what is right.” The oō ending of a verb generally indicates “bringing out something about a person.” The verb is expressed here in the passive voice indicating action done to someone. So, this word means that someone is being declared righteous.

The word translated “freely” is dorean, an adverb based on the noun dorea, which refers to “a gift.” Hence, dorean means “gratuitously” or “as a free gift.”

“Grace” is translated from charis, which refers to “a favor done without expectation of anything in return.”

The word “redemption” is translated from apolutrōsis, which is a compound word made up of apo, meaning “from or away from” and a form of lutron, which means “a ransom that is paid for someone.” It denotes the rescuing of captives (sinners) from captivity (sin) through the payment of a ransom (Christ’s blood) for them.

 

Meaning Explained

Paul now continues on his statement of justification by faith, declaring to us that even though we are all sinners and have come short of God’s glory, we can be declared righteous (justified). Since we are all sinners, we need to be redeemed. So what does this mean? The fact that Paul used apolutrōsis instead of simply lutron implies that not only was a ransom paid for us (the blood of Jesus Christ) but, having paid that ransom, He also took us away from the captor (sin).

Here’s a deeper explanation of what this verse says.

Because of the faith spoken of in verse 22, because we believed in the atoning death of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary, even though we are sinners, we are justified (declared righteous by God) freely (without payment on our part, simply as a gift) by God’s grace (a favor done without expectation of return; the absolutely free expression of the loving kindness of God) through the ransom that was paid for us by Jesus Christ (His blood), and we have been taken out of our captivity to sin.

Wow! Read that again!

In his letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul said almost the same thing in a slightly different way:

For by grace you are saved through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

 

Application

Paul has shown us that there is no way we could earn the righteousness that we need to stand before Almighty God. He has also shown us that we can obtain that righteousness for free, simply by believing in the blood of Christ.

If that doesn’t drive us to our knees in praise and adoration, nothing will!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 4:30 – Signed, Sealed, and Deliverable

Posted on by Will

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed unto the day of redemption.

Truth to Learn

All Christians are sealed with the Holy Spirit of God.

 

Behind the Words

“Grieve” is translated from the Greek verb lupeō, which is derived from the noun lupē, meaning “sorrow, heaviness, sadness, or grief.” Thus, lupeō means “to cause sorrow, heaviness, sadness, or grief.” It is expressed here in the imperative mood (a command) with the negative particle mē. It is also in the present tense and active voice, so it could be translated as “stop grieving!”

The words “you were sealed” are from the verb sphragidzō, which means “to stamp or seal with a signet or private mark.” The purpose of the seal was to show ownership and to prevent any unauthorized access or change to the contents. The word is expressed here in the aorist tense, indicating action completed in the past as a single event (not a process).

“Redemption” is from apolutrōsis. This is made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and a form of lutroō, meaning “to pay a ransom.” Apolutrōsis refers to “the payment of a ransom to obtain a release from captivity.”

 

Meaning Explained

Paul continues his teaching about what it means to “put on the new man.” He tells us here that one of the characteristics of putting on the new man is to “stop grieving the Holy Spirit of God.” The obvious question is, “What kinds of things grieve the Holy Spirit?” Based on the grammatical construction of these few verses, it appears that the following verse (verse thirty-one) elaborates on what Paul means. It includes bitterness, anger, wrath, clamor, evil speaking, and badness. We’ll cover these more as we talk about tomorrow’s verse.

Paul now tells us something about our relationship with the Holy Spirit. He tells us that we (Christians) were sealed by the Holy Spirit. In the Greek text is actually says that we were “sealed in the Holy Spirit.” Do you recall what Paul said earlier in this letter to the Ephesians?

in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:13b-14)

At the moment we believed God’s truth about Jesus Christ paying for our sins on the cross, we were sealed with the Holy Spirit. And, according to verse fourteen above, the Holy Spirit is our guarantee. When we got saved, God the Father sealed us by giving us the Holy Spirit. Not only is He God’s seal of ownership on us, but as our guarantee He can’t be taken away. And, today’s verse says we were sealed for (actually, the Greek says unto) the day of redemption. That day of redemption is the day in the future when Christ will present us to the Father as His spotless bride, paid for (redeemed) with His own blood. We are sealed with the Holy Spirit until that event takes place and nobody can remove or break God’s seal.

 

Application

There are many Christians today who believe that they can somehow “lose” their salvation. Paul tells us differently. God is the one who sealed us with His Holy Spirit and nobody can break or remove that seal, not even you! If you are saved, you are signed and sealed – and one day you will be delivered.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 1:14 – Our Eternal Guarantee

Posted on by Will

who is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

Truth to Learn

If you are saved, you are permanently saved.

 

Behind the Words

“Earnest” is translated from the Greek word arrabōn, which is actually transliterated from the Hebrew word. The Hebrew word refers to “a deposit given as evidence and proof that some act will be done and the deposit is not returned until the act is completed.”

The word “inheritance” is from klēronomia, which is derived from klēronomos. This is made up of klēros, which refers to “a lot” or “a portion” and nemō, meaning “to hold or have in one’s possession.” Thus, klēronomos refers to “having a right to receive a portion of an inheritance,” that is “an heir,” and klēronomia refers to the substance of the inheritance.

Apolutrōsis is the Greek word translated “redemption.” It is made up of apo, meaning “from” and a form of the verb lutroō, meaning “to receive a ransom.” Therefore, we see that apolutrōsis means “to release as a result of having been paid a ransom.”

 “Purchased possession” is the translation of the Greek word peripoiēsis, which is made up of peri, indicating acquisition of something and poieō, meaning “to make.” So, we see that peripoiēsis means “that which was acquired or purchased.”

 

Meaning Explained

In yesterday’s verse Paul taught us that when we first believed the gospel message, the truth that Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins, we were sealed, or branded, with the Holy Spirit (notice that we were sealed “with” the Holy Spirit, not “by” the Holy Spirit.) The Holy Spirit is our seal! In the current verse Paul tells us that the Holy Spirit, with whom we have been branded, is our guarantee. He said basically the same thing to the Corinthians:

and He who is confirming you with us into Christ, and did anoint us, is God, who also sealed us, and gave the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. (2 Corinthians 1:21, 22)

This is very much like earnest money in a real estate transaction. When an offer is made on a house or other property, it is accompanied with earnest money. If for some reason the purchasing party backs out of the deal, the earnest money is forfeited. The earnest money cannot be taken back, it is a binding part of the transaction.

An Old Testament example of this earnest, or pledge, is given to us in Genesis 38:17-18 where Judah promised Tamar that he would pay her for her services with a young goat on the following day. She was given his seal and staff as earnest until the transaction was completed. Since Judah never sent the payment, Tamar kept the seal and staff.

Too many people read over today’s verse and completely miss what Paul is telling us. Since God has given us the Holy Spirit as a seal and guarantee of our salvation, God has promised that He will complete the transaction or forfeit the guarantee. In other words, if we were to get “unsaved” then we would get to keep the Holy Spirit, God couldn’t take it back. There are those who say, “Yes, but if I choose to walk away from God and cancel the transaction myself, I would have to return the earnest.” However Christ said:

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.  (John 10:27-28)

In other words, you can’t cancel salvation’s transaction because even you can’t take yourself out of His hand!

And, even if you could cancel the transaction, how would you give the Holy Spirit back to God? You didn’t take Him to yourself in the first place, God sealed you with Him. Let’s go back to the cattle analogy. When a cow is branded by the owner, it’s not something the cow does, it’s something the owner does and the cow can’t give back the brand because it isn’t his (or hers) to give or take, it’s all the owner’s doing. It’s just as absurd to imagine how a Christian would accomplish giving the Holy Spirit back to God as it is to imagine how a cow would somehow remove a brand and give it back to its owner.

I’ve had this discussion with numerous Christians who, after reading these verses, say, “Yes, but what about …” Then they quote a passage that seems to imply that we might somehow lose our salvation. They never refute the facts presented in these verses. Paul is very clear here and very specific. When a person confesses Christ as Lord and Savior, he or she is permanently sealed with the Holy Spirit, an action that can’t be undone!

 

Application

If you are saved, you are securely, eternally saved, period! There is nothing that you or anyone else can do to unsave you because you possess the Holy Spirit, God’s irrevocable guarantee!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 1:7 – Far, Far Away

Posted on by Will

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

Truth to Learn

Our sin penalty is paid and our sins are sent-far, far away.

 

Behind the Words

The word “redemption” is from apolutrōsis. This compound word is made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and a form of the verb lutroō, meaning “to pay a ransom.” Apolutrōsis refers to the act of releasing captives from their captivity because of the payment of a ransom that has been paid for them.

“Forgiveness” is from aphesis, made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and hiēmi, meaning “to send.” Thus, aphesis refers to the sending away of sins from the sinner.

The word translated “sins” is paraptōma. This word is made up of para, meaning “to the side” and a form of piptō, meaning “to fall.” Therefore, paraptōma literally refers to “a falling by the wayside.” Some claim that this is an accidental sin as opposed to a deliberate sin (which they claim would be represented by the Greek word parabainō), but the consistent uses of these two words do not support such a claim. Paraptōma is always used to indicate deliberate acts of sin.

 

Meaning Explained

To begin with, in today’s verse we have to ask ourselves the question, “Who is being referred to by ‘Him’?” The answer is that it refers to “the Beloved One” from the previous verse; in other words, it refers to Jesus Christ.

As we pointed out in the previous verse, this opening passage of Ephesians portrays God the Father shining the spotlight on His grace. In the current verse Paul is explaining to us one of the characteristics of this grace. Because of the grace of God, we have redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ. Without God’s grace, we are captives of sin and, as Paul teaches in the book of Romans, we are in bondage to sin. We cannot free ourselves and we must obey our master (sin). However, by the grace of God, the blood of Christ (His death on the cross) is paid as the ransom to release us from the bondage of sin.

And, through the grace of God, our sins are forgiven. But what does it mean to have forgiveness? As we saw in “Behind the Words,” the Greek word is aphesis. Therefore, God does not simply “excuse” our sins, He sends them far away from us. Here’s how the psalmist expressed it:

He has not done to us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy over those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. (Psalms 103:10-12)

Also, the writer of Hebrews, in discussing the blood of Christ, says what God does with our sins because of His sacrifice:

"their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." (Hebrews 10:17)

Because of the blood of Christ and as a result of God’s grace, our sins have been completely removed from us. Not simply forgiven, but completely cast away and forgotten by God. And remember, this applies to ALL of our sins, past, present, and future.

 

Application

What a precious truth! Through God’s amazing grace He has chosen us, He has adopted us as His children, and He has cast our sins away from us and He no longer even remembers them. As a result, He sees us as sinless and righteous as His own Son, Jesus Christ!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Corinthians 1:30 – All From God

Posted on by Will

But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—

Truth to Learn

Our salvation is all from God.

Behind the Words

The word translated “of” is ek, which means “out of” or “from.” It is an indication of the source of something.

“Became” is from the Greek verb ginomai, which means “to begin to be.” It is expressed in the aorist tense, passive voice, indicating that it was done to Him at a point in time in the past.

Dikaiosunē is the word translated “righteousness.” It is based on the noun dikaios, which means “just” or “righteous.” Righteousness is a description of our standing before God.

“Sanctification” is from the noun hagiasmos, from the verb hagiadzō, which means “to set apart from common use as something without blemish to be used in the service of God.”

The word “redemption” is translated from apolutrōsis. This is made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and lutroō, which means “to bring a ransom for the purpose of freeing someone from captivity.” Thus, apolutrōsis means “set free as a result of a ransom having been fully paid.” We are set free from sin and its consequences because the ransom for our freedom has been fully paid by the blood of Christ.

Meaning Explained

Throughout the past six verses Paul has been talking about God’s wisdom in his choosing and calling us foolish, weak, sin-sick nobodies out of the world and into His family. He has masterfully and effectively contrasted the wisdom of the world (which in reality is utter foolishness) with the foolishness of God (which in reality is supreme wisdom). Here he makes a dramatic statement that is often missed. Paul says that God is the source of our position “in Christ Jesus.”

If you carefully study the New Testament teachings, you will find that all aspects of our salvation have their source in God. Here is a list of some of the things that we could not do, but that God has already done for us:

He willed (determined) to make us His (Ephesians 1:5)

He purposed to predestine us (Ephesians 1:11)

He predestined us to adoption as sons (Ephesians 1:5)

He chose us (2 Thessalonians 2:13)

He prepared us (Romans 9:23)

He drew us to Himself (John 6:44)

He granted us to come to Christ (John 6:65)

He saved us (Titus 3:5)

He sanctified us completely (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

He appointed us to eternal life (Acts 13:48)

He delivered us from the power of darkness (Colossians 1:13)

He made us alive (Ephesians 2:5)

He poured out His Spirit on us (Titus 3:6)

He brought us forth (James 1:18)

He justified and glorified us (Romans 8:30)

He called us into His kingdom (1 Thessalonians 2:12)

Application

Seeing all that God has done for us, how can we do anything but be humbled and eternally grateful for all His work in our salvation? And given all that He has already done, how could we ever think that there is anything that we could do to nullify what God has done? Praise God and give Him the glory!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2013 Will Krause. All rights reserved

 

Ephesians 4:30 – Signed, Sealed, and Deliverable

Posted on by Will

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Truth to Learn

All Christians are sealed with the Holy Spirit of God.

Behind the Words

“Grieve” is translated from the Greek verb lupeō, which is derived from the noun lupē, meaning “sorrow, heaviness, sadness, or grief.” Thus, lupeō means “to cause sorrow, heaviness, sadness, or grief.” It is expressed here in the imperative mood (a command) with the negative particle mē. It is also in the present tense and active voice, so it could be translated as “stop grieving!”

The words “you were sealed” are from the verb sphragidzō, which means “to stamp or seal with a signet or private mark.” The purpose of the seal was to show ownership and to prevent any unauthorized access or change to the contents. The word is expressed here in the aorist tense, indicating action completed in the past as a single event (not a process).

“Redemption” is from apolutrōsis. This is made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and a form of lutroō, meaning “to pay a ransom.” Therefore, apolutrōsis refers to “the payment of a ransom to obtain a release from captivity.”

Meaning Explained

Paul continues his teaching about what it means to “put on the new man.” He tells us here that one of the characteristics of putting on the new man is to “stop grieving the Holy Spirit of God.” The obvious question is, “What kinds of things grieve the Holy Spirit?” Based on the grammatical construction of these few verses, it appears that the following verse (verse thirty-one) elaborates on what Paul means. It includes bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking, and badness. We’ll cover these more as we talk about tomorrow’s verse.

Paul now tells us something about our relationship with the Holy Spirit. He tells us that we (Christians) were sealed by the Holy Spirit. In the Greek text is actually says that we were “sealed in the Holy Spirit.” Do you recall what Paul said earlier in this letter to the Ephesians?

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. (Ephesians 1:13b-14)

At the moment we believed God’s truth about Jesus Christ paying for our sins on the cross, we were sealed with the Holy Spirit. And, according to verse fourteen above, the Holy Spirit is our guarantee. When we got saved, God the Father sealed us by giving us the Holy Spirit. Not only is He God’s seal of ownership on us, but as our guarantee He can’t be taken away. And, today’s verse says we were sealed for (actually, the Greek says unto) the day of redemption. That day of redemption is the day in the future when Christ will present us to the Father as His spotless bride, paid for (redeemed) with His own blood. We are sealed with the Holy Spirit until that event takes place and nobody can remove or break God’s seal.

Application

There are many Christians today who believe that they can somehow “lose” their salvation. Paul tells us differently. God is the one who sealed us with His Holy Spirit and nobody can break or remove that seal, not even you! If you are saved, you are signed and sealed – and one day you will be delivered.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

Ephesians 1:7 – Far, Far Away

Posted on by Will

Ephesians 1:7  – Far, Far Away

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

Truth to Learn

Our sin penalty is paid and our sins are thrown-away.

Behind the Words

The word “redemption” is from apolutrōsis. This compound word is made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and a form of the verb lutroō, meaning “to pay a ransom.” Apolutrōsis refers to the act of releasing captives from their captivity through the payment of a ransom for them.

“Forgiveness” is from aphesis, made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and hiēmi, meaning “to send.” Thus, aphesis refers to the sending away of sins from the sinner.

The word translated “sins” is paraptōma. This word is made up of para, meaning “to the side” and a form of piptō, meaning “to fall.” Therefore, paraptōma literally refers to “a falling by the wayside.” Some claim that this is an accidental sin as opposed to a deliberate sin (which they claim would be represented by the Greek word parabainō), but the consistent uses of these two words do not support such a claim. Paraptōma is always used to indicate deliberate acts of sin.

Meaning Explained

To begin with, in today’s verse we have to ask ourselves the question, “Who is being referred to by ‘Him’?” The answer is that it refers to “the Beloved” from the previous verse; in other words, it refers to Jesus Christ.

As we pointed out in the previous verse, this opening passage of Ephesians portrays God the Father shining the spotlight on His grace. In the current verse Paul is explaining to us one of the characteristics of this grace. Because of the grace of God, we have redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ. Without God’s grace, we are captives of sin and, as Paul teaches in the book of Romans, we are in bondage to sin. We cannot free ourselves and we must obey our master (sin). However, by the grace of God, the blood of Christ (His death on the cross) is paid as the ransom to release us from the bondage of sin.

And, through the grace of God our sins are forgiven. But what does it mean to have forgiveness? As we saw in “Behind the Words,” the Greek word is aphesis; that is, God does not simply “excuse” our sins, He sends them far away from us. Here’s how the psalmist expressed it:

He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. (Psalms 103:10-12)

Also, the writer of Hebrews, in discussing the blood of Christ, says what God does with our sins because of His sacrifice:

“their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” (Hebrews 10:17)

Application

What a precious truth! Through God’s amazing grace He has chosen us, He has adopted us as His children, and He has cast our sins away from us so that He no longer even remembers them. As a result, He sees us as righteous as Christ!

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Romans 8:23 – Groaning in Anticipation

Posted on by Will

Romans 8:23 – Groaning in Anticipation

Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

Truth to Learn

We also groan, waiting for our redemption and adoption.

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “firstfruits” is aparchē, which is made up of apo, meaning “from” and a form of archomai, meaning “to begin.” This word refers to the first ripe fruit of the season.

“Redemption” is from the Greek word apolutrōsis, which is made up of apo, meaning “from” and lutroō, meaning “to bring forward a ransom.” Thus, apolutrōsis means “to release a captive upon receipt of a ransom.”

Meaning Explained

Going back once again to our discussion in verse 19 about the Greek word ktisis, which is translated either as “creature” or “creation,” we mentioned that some believe it refers to Christians as a whole, since the Bible in 2Corinthians 5:17 refers to us as “a new creation.” The current verse is one reason why this may not be the intended interpretation. Paul has just said that “all of creation” or “the whole creation” groans and is in pain. In the current verse, Paul now says “Not only that, but we also … we ourselves groan within ourselves.” He even clarifies the “we” by saying that we are the ones “who have the firstfruits of the Spirit… waiting for the adoption…” This expression clearly refers to saved Christians. But, if ktisis was referring to saved Christians, then Paul would not say that we Christians also groan … Hence, it appears that ktisis in the previous verse refers to all of the visible creation apart from mankind.

Next we have to ask ourselves, “What does Paul mean by, “we who have the firstfruits the Spirit?” There are those who believe that since Paul is talking to members of the early church, he means that they were the first ones who received the Holy Spirit; they had received “the firstfruits of the Spirit.” However, if you look at passages in the Old Testament that refer to the “firstfruits” offerings (Deuteronomy 26:2; Exodus 23:19; and Numbers 18:13, for example) you will see that the firstfruits were a pledge of what was to come later. Thus, they were a sacrifice that required faith to offer, believing that the full harvest would come later. That is precisely one of the images we have of the Holy Spirit in our lives. He is a pledge that the fullness of salvation, our adoption into God’s family, the redemption and recreation of our bodies, will come to us at the consummation of the last days.

Application

We born again Christians also groan within ourselves because we are eagerly awaiting the full adoption and the completion of our salvation. In other words, we are eagerly awaiting our redemption, our final release from the bondage of sin which will end all the pain and suffering which we endure in this earthly life. Next time you groan as a result of the physical or mental pain of being a Christian, remember the day of our redemption is coming soon.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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Copyright © 2010 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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