Ephesians 1:13-14 (TEV): God’s Promise, Guarantee, and Assurance

Ephesians 1:13-14 (TEV): God’s Promise, Guarantee, and Assurance

. . . You believed in Christ, and God put his stamp of ownership on you by giving you the Holy Spirit he had promised.The Spirit is the guarantee that we shall receive what God has promised his people, and this assures us that God will give complete freedom to those who are his. Let us praise his glory!

Comment:

I don't like to gamble.  I have been to Atlantic City approximately three times in my life, and during each visit I lost about $20 playing various slot machines. This type of loss and uncertainty always leaves me with a feeling of emptiness, and I readily think,  I could have done something of value with that money.

God’s love in Christ, however, is never a gamble; it is a sure thing. When we invest ourselves through faith in Christ, we receive the Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit, therefore, is the “guarantee,” “promise,” and assurance of His love and "complete freedom" from sin, death, and the adversary.  Through faith in Jesus Christ, “God [puts] his stamp of ownership” on us. And we can all rest assured that the Holy Spirit never results in a loss.  Instead, we gain an eternal value that is incalculable. 

In thanksgiving, let us reiterate what St. Paul states in the above passage: “Let us praise [God’s] glory!”