Tuesday, Mar 12 | Ephesians 1:11-14 | Hayden Walker
Can you think of someone you know who is both eloquent and long-winded? Even if their thoughts are comprehensible, their sentences are lengthy! Our passage today is actually still part of one sentence, which Paul began in verse three! His praise paragraph began with worshipping the Father (Ephesians 1:3) moved to the Son (Ephesians 1:7) and concludes in our passage today with the Spirit (Ephesians 1:11). His praise of God continues to pour out of his soul.
It was so natural for Paul to praise God despite his circumstances. His praise isn’t manufactured or strained. It came naturally as he pondered the great redeeming work of God. He was not sitting in prison counting his woes, but instead he continued to worship!!
He worshipped because believers in Christ are God’s possession. Our society values branded items: clothing, cars, jewelry, sporting equipment, etc. Sometimes it is just for prestige, but some items of a certain brand are understood to be better products than others. The brand sets the item apart.
In a similar way, God has marked believers (Ephesians 1:13). We who believe are “branded” by God, showing that we belong to Him. This mark is the seal of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit assures believers that we do indeed belong to God and that all the promises of God are true and will indeed be realized, despite our present circumstances.
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