Having believed, you
were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit
guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s
possession – to the praise of his glory Ephesians 1: 13 - 14
One of the amazing things that people who have visited
heaven before their death tell us about is the ability to communicate without
using the spoken word. This is how it is described in one account I read:
Communication was
forming in my mind without the need for sound. ‘Hey how are you doing?’ a man
asked matter-of-factly. ‘How long have you been here?’I told him I had only just arrived but I was stunned, because it was like he was speaking with two voices. Underlying what he’d said was this stream of affirmation that continuously kept telling me what an amazing person I am and what wonderful qualities I have. I will never be able to express the joy I felt at this. Excerpt from Real Life, Real Miracles by James L. Garlow and Keith Wall.
Telepathy, which is what we call this, is God’s creation which
was stolen by the devil at the fall. The devil now has full use of it on earth
which is why as Christians we must not use it but at the recreation of all good
things, telepathy in all its original power and beauty to communicate not just words
but ideas, pictures, affirmation, love will be restored to us just as it is in
heaven.
Of course this is how God communicates with us now. He
rarely uses the spoken word but he uses his written word and also forms thoughts,
ideas and pictures in our minds. He constantly seeks to affirm us with his
love. He talks to us continuously without speaking aloud, if we are listening. We
may not speak to one another using this means of communication but God does.
This is just one of the many things that I believe we now
have as a deposit through the Holy Spirit, guaranteeing what is to come. In Bible times a seal was not just a sign of
ownership but also could be used as a pledge or down payment which would guarantee
the full amount, paid later. The Holy Spirit has been given to us as such a guarantee.
When we die or when Jesus returns, everything we have just a tiny part or
glimpse of now will come to us in its fullness.
We will see, know and understand then what we have only an
inkling of now. So many things lost in the fall will be redeemed to us fully;
communion with God, health, strength, vitality, prosperity. As Paul says, ‘we ourselves, who have the first fruits of
the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the
redemption of our bodies (Romans 8:23).
We will be fully redeemed and restored to how God meant things
to be and how wonderful that will be for us all `.
