Isaiah 64:5 Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved.

Yesterday I said the first promised fulfilled was the gift of the Holy Spirit as Comforter, companion, instructor in righteousness, and the power of God unto salvation.

We need that as the first gift to enact the will of God towards us in His promises, His covenant with us. We need to be reminded of one immutable gift, that God does not change His mind about us, no matter what we do.

Here in Isaiah 64 the words “in his continuance” because we continue to sin and do not feel worthy of the salvation offered. We as humans have a tendency to change our minds about forgiveness when we see those who have offended us have not changed their behavior.

Not so with God. What we must understand in our ignorance of God’s unfailing love, is that God does not withhold His love ever. We as humans do, but we should never believe God acts like a human. He is after all God.

Isaiah 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

The Holy Spirit is with us to remind us of that as many times as needed when our thoughts and responses to sin do not match God’s way.

John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Might be saved refers to the unbeliever. Salvation is given to those that place their faith in Christ. Our confusion lies first in assuming salvation is a one and done phenomenon.

Salvation occurs in five stages.

2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

Yesterday I mentioned a return on investment for placing your faith in Christ. With any account on deposit you want to have some way of checking that account for growth or ROI. It is the very same way in putting you faith in Christ, you get to check your investment to see if it has grown.

All you have to do is look within yourself to check your return on investment. What you are looking for is positive growth, a capital gain.  When you place your faith in Christ there is an immediate change.

Matthew 25:16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.

What is gained immediately?

John 14:16,26 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

God gives of Himself when you place your faith in Christ. This is a deposit guarantee that insures your investment.

2 Corinthians 1:22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. NIV

Note also the issue of the seal of ownership. This means no one gets to make a withdrawal until the account is fully matured. Nothing gained, can be lost.

And that is just the first promise.