In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. Eph. 1:13-14
Heavenly Father, what a blessed morning this is—sitting beside a roaring fire pit, on a chilly May morning, among the Redwoods of California, lingering under the waterfall of your grace—pouring down on my heart from the high cliffs of grace in the book of Ephesians. It’s hard to stand up to the rush of so much glory and grace, peace and love, encouragement and hope. It’s simply overwhelming.
Reading through this one little epistle, alone, we discover that we’ve been loved before the foundation of the world; chosen in Christ and called in life; justified by faith and declared righteous in your sight; adopted by Abba, Father and betrothed to Jesus, our Savior; sealed, indwelt and gifted by the Holy Spirit; placed in your church and given a family. What a generous God you are, alone worthy of all that we have and are.
In Christ, you’ve given us a completely forgiven past, a present standing in grace, and a future of unimaginable wonder. But what really encourages me today is to realize, yet again, that all of this heavenly goodness is guaranteed. You’ve “sealed the deal” by the Holy Spirit. You’ve given us the down payment, firstfruits, and promise of a future beyond our wildest dreams, imagining, and asking.
There’ll be no rejecting and disinheriting your children. Nothing will deter, distract, or sabotage you from bringing to completion of the good work you’ve begun in us, and in your entire cosmos. This floods our hearts with peace and joy, and worship and adoration of you.
Father, continue to “rip and grip” our hearts with the gospel of your grace. Let us be a people who live to the praise of your glory, and the fame of your name. What else is worthy of our affection and adoration, than the gospel? What else could we possibly want to do with the rest of our lives… and throughout eternity? So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ merciful and mighty name.
