2 Cor.1:21 – 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.
Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth started off with a strong passage describing the comforting work of the Holy Spirit, after all the KJV translation famously called the Holy Spirit the Comforter. Apparently Paul had been encouraged and comforted by the Holy Spirit all throughout his ministry, in today’s verse Paul uses some interesting terminology to describe the work of the Comforter. He used the word establishes (bebaioo) to describe the end result of the comfort of the Holy Spirit. Rather than being destroyed and driven to the point of giving up Paul’s said he was established by the Holy Spirit. This word Paul used means to make firm, establish, confirm, and make sure.
He continues by describing the anointing and the role the anointing plays in strengthening us. This word anoints is the word chrio and it means to smear or rub with oil. Just as the Old Testament prophets, priests, and kings were anointed with oil, we too have been anointed or smeared with the oil of the Spirit to equip us for the challenges we face. Depending and leaning on the anointing is critical in overcoming the challenges we all face in this life.
Paul goes on to say that the Holy Spirit has sealed us. The word for seal is sapraghizo and describes the practice of sealing documents in Paul’s world. The seal speaks of security, authority, and ownership. We belong to God and the seal of the Holy Spirit confirms it.
Then Paul uses the most descriptive word of all, guarantee (arrhabon). This was the word for engagement ring. What is Paul trying to say? He is saying that the Holy Spirit is the promise from God concerning our eternal inheritance. Just as the future groom gives an engagement ring to his future bride giving her is promise of a life together until death separated them, the Lord gives us the arrhabon as a taste of our life together for eternity. The Holy Spirit Himself is the guarantee giving us a sense of the greatness of life forever with Him.
Maybe you are facing some serious resistance and trouble in your life, we can receive encouragement from this verse. The Lord will establish you, anoint you, seal you, and give you a taste of our life together with Him.