What is the Holy Spirit's presence in a believer's life a down payment for?
The Holy Spirit's presence is God's down payment that He will complete the whole transaction of redemption. It guarantees that He will redeem not only the believer's soul and spirit but also the body, bringing all three together so the believer can spend eternity complete in Christ's presence.
Les explains that the soul and spirit have already been redeemed if we are a believer, but the body is still unredeemed, still in the flesh, and still under the curse. The very presence of the Holy Spirit in our life as a believer is God's down payment that He is going to complete the whole transaction. He is not just going to redeem the soul and spirit; He is going to redeem body, soul, and spirit together. No human being has any function as a complete entity unless he is body, soul, and spirit, and all three must be brought back together before we can spend eternity in the presence of Christ.