“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. 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)
Today’s verses are the story of how a person comes to be in the family of God and how you can know for sure that you’re still in God’s family.
Remember from the 12 verses before this: God did all the work. He made the plan to adopt you (because he wanted to and because it made him happy). He executed the plan by sending his Son to be executed in your place, for your sin. Then he published the good news that you were welcome through faith in Jesus.
Then A) you heard the truth and B) you believed and C) you were given the Holy Spirit as a guarantee that your place in God’s family is secure (even though you’re not home, yet).
Of course, there is no C) without B). That is, there is no place for anyone in the family of God who has not trusted in Jesus for their salvation.
Think: Have you believed the “word of truth, the gospel of your salvation”? How have your expressed your faith in Jesus? Are you convinced that God is strong enough to forgive and to guarantee you a place in His family?
Pray: As a Christian, thank God for including you in Christ when you heard and believed. Thank him for marking you with the seal of the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of your place in his family.
Do: Read the rest of Ephesians 1 (or the whole book) to see how Paul builds on these huge ideas.