As I’m going through the incredible book of Ephesians, I’m overwhelmed by just how much God loves us. The way Paul writes and shares just how incredible He is has me wanting to be in a constant state of worship. I really do believe that if you’re new to the Bible, you should absolutely start by reading Ephesians and then John. It’s impossible to get through those books and not see just how much God loves us and how Jesus cared for us.

I believe that Ephesians is an excellent weapon against legalism. I have people in my life that are convinced that they are so unloved and hated by God that the only way to earn His love is through following every inch of the law. But it isn’t even God’s definition of the law they think they need to follow – it’s the Pharisee’s.

Yes, we need to be obedient and live the way God wants us to. But it all starts by falling head over heels in love with Jesus. That’s the very first step to really embracing what God has for us. It’s so much easier to do what God wants when we understand just how much He loves us.

That’s why reading and understanding the word is so incredibly important and why I’m continuing with part 3 of the Ephesians series.

We’re going to be walking through Ephesians 1:11-14. The translation referenced here is in ESV. Let’s go in verse by verse.

Verse 11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 

Something that stood out to me as I was going through my ESV Study Bible was the commentary on this verse. Since God predestined those who believe in Him to return to Him, some really cool things are at play. 

“By definition God is sovereign, directing all things freely according to his royal counsel. This is in sharp contrast with the pagan gods of the time, who were understood to be often fickle or bound by an inscrutable and arbitrary fate.”

The gods of this world are fickle and confused. They’re too much to handle and are just holding on until they’re sent to the Lake of Fire. They know where they’re destined to go and are holding on by a thread.

The big-g God we serve, though, He is sovereign. He is untouchable. God is the alpha and the omega. He is the beginning and the end. He is ALL. That is the God who created all things, THAT’S the God we serve. We know where we’re going and therefore have to act like it. The gods of this world are holding on until their fate is sealed. But we get to rejoice every step of the way because we get to spend eternity in heaven. Isn’t that freaking AMAZING?!

Verse 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 

While we may not be the literal first to hope in Christ, we STILL get to rejoice and praise God for all He’s doing, has done and will do. Like I said before, we already know where we’re going. We’re given the incredible Word of God. We have the story of creation in Genesis all the way to the end of Revelation. Dude, we already know how this ends. We know that the enemy is defeated. We know that we stand on victory and who our God is.

If that’s not a reason to praise I don’t know what is!

Verse 13 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, 

This gives me chills.

If you believe in Jesus and you follow Him, you’re SEALED with the Holy Spirit. My ESV study Bible says there are two ways to take this:

“Sealed can mean either that the Holy Spirit protects and preserves Christians until they reach their inheritance or that he ‘certifies’ the authenticity of their acceptance by God as being genuine – they bear the ‘royal seal.”

It goes on to say that the second seems more fitting but they’re both biblically accurate.

Y’all BOTH of these are AMAZING.

The Holy Spirit is protecting us until we get to heaven and we’re certifiably accepted by God. HOLY FREAKING HECK WHAT?!

I think we all need to take a massive step back and reread that for a minute. God ACCEPTS us. Fully. As we are. How AMAZING is that?! How freaking cool that when we don’t deserve it and in fact deserve an awful, evil fate that He’s given us this beautiful opportunity for redemption. We are saved by His grace.

If that doesn’t blow your mind… it’s time to take a step back and start giving God some gratitude for what He’s done in your life.

Verse 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

“God pours out his Holy Spirit on all of his children to guarantee (or to provide a ‘down payment’ on) their share in his eternal kingdom because he applies to them all God’s powerful working in redemption.” Direct quote from my study Bible.

God pours out His Holy Spirit on US. He decided that WE were worth giving the Holy Spirit to. He is so beautiful and wonderful and kind.

Y’all, He deserves all of our praise and so much more. We will never be able to repay everything that He is doing for us let alone everything He HAS done and WILL do.

God loves you so much, not because of what you do or what you can offer but simply because He created you!

He created you ON purpose FOR purpose. Don’t ever forget that.

Want to dive deeper into the book of Ephesians and everything God has promised you? My Ephesians Bible Study will walk you through each chapter with clarity, context, and application so you can live like someone sealed with the Spirit.

Grab your copy here and get started today.

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you choose to make a purchase at no extra cost to you. I only share resources I genuinely love and believe will serve you well. Thanks for supporting the work I do through Me and Jesus.