Not much in our world today is truly guaranteed. Our health is not guaranteed, no matter how much we exercise and do our best to eat healthy, balanced diets. The promises made by others, as well-intended as they may be, cannot be fully guaranteed because they were given by imperfect human beings who will, at times, let us down. While there is not much here on earth that is guaranteed, one eternal truth we can know with certainty is that if we have placed our faith in Christ, we will spend eternity with Him one day, and the Holy Spirit living in us is evidence of that guarantee.
The apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 1 about the role of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, in our lives. He begins this chapter by praising God for how He has blessed us, writing that He “has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ” (verse 3). Because of what Christ has done for us, we have all been blessed beyond measure, most notably by the promise of an eternity with Him if we have placed our faith in Him. Several verses later, Paul writes that God “is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins” (verse 7). There is no greater love, kindness, and grace than this! Paul then teaches that salvation through Jesus and the forgiveness of sins is available to all people, both Jews and Gentiles, if they would trust in Him and commit their lives to Him. When we place our faith in Christ, Paul explains, “God identifies [us] as His own by giving [us] the Holy Spirit” (verse 13). The Holy Spirit is “God’s guarantee that He will give us the inheritance He promised and that He has purchased us to be His own people” (verse 14). In other words, the presence of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives points us to the promise and guarantee of eternal life with God forever one day.
I love how Ephesians 1:14 ends. Paul ends this verse explaining why God rescued us and gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit as a promise that we will spend eternal life with Him forever one day if we have placed our faith in Him. “He did this so that we would praise and glorify Him” (verse 14). What does God desire from us? He desires our praise and glory. And, because of who He is and for all He has done for us, He is most certainly worthy of all the praise that we can give Him.
Let’s follow the call to praise and glorify God today. Commit today to doing at least one thing to bring Him glory and praise. Maybe you can tell someone about how He has been at work in your life, turn on your favorite worship song and sing, praising Him, or take a step of obedience that you know would honor Him. Whatever it looks like for you, set out to praise and glorify Him today for all He has done, namely giving you the gift of the Holy Spirit, who serves as a reminder of the guarantee of eternal life available to all who have placed their faith in Him.
1 This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus.
I am writing to God’s holy people in Ephesus, who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus.
2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. 7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.
9 God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. 10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. 11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.
12 God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. 13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.
15 Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, 16 I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, 17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.
19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. 21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. 22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. 23 And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.
