Read: Ephesians 1:3-14
Watch: https://bibleproject.com/videos/new-humanity/
“Do you hear what I hear?” begins the lovely Christmas song. Just as the Christmas season is a celebration of God’s greatest gift to humanity, the conclusion of Paul’s profound introductory sentence in Ephesians 1 culminates in celebration.
1. Hear the Good News
Now, you have heard the Good News! This wonderful message, hidden for millennia, is finally revealed: God loves the world so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, the Christ, the only spotless, sinless Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
Where were you when you heard? The moment you heard, believed, and received this message is the transition-signpost of your life. Just as the Cross is the signpost for all creation, your decision to trust Jesus as Lord and Savior is the most important one you have ever made. Do you tell that story?
2. Believe and Receive Grace
Hearing the Good News is the first step, but it is not enough. Most of the world has “heard” about Jesus. You must believe. You heard, you believed, and praise be to God, you received! You received the free gift of grace found only in Christ Jesus. You were rescued from sin, darkness, and death! You were adopted into the Family of God, given a new name, a new identity, and a new home! But wait, there is more…
3. Sealed with the Holy Spirit
You have been sealed with the Holy Spirit! God chose you long ago, Jesus signed your new birth certificate with His blood, and the Holy Spirit placed the definitive seal of ownership. More than just a mark, the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of your inheritance ordained by God!
What is this inheritance? That we are sons and daughters of God, His chosen and set-apart people. Why? To the praise of His Glory! We are sealed so we would be free (from sin and death) to praise and glorify His Name!
As Paul prays in Ephesians 3:20–21, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.”
Pray: Father, thank you for loving me, thank you for Jesus, thank you sealing me with your Holy Spirit!
Discussion Questions:
- Your being rescued and sealed directly leads to the “praise of His Glory.” How does the security of your salvation motivate you to engage in actions that bring glory to God, even when those actions require sacrifice or go against cultural norms?
2. The moment of your hearing and believing is the “transition-signpost” of your life. Beyond the initial decision, how does your life today still function as a signpost (a public witness) that you have been rescued from “sin, darkness, and death”?
3. The Holy Spirit is described as the seal of approval and the guarantee of your eternal inheritance. When you face fear or doubt about your security in Christ, which of the Spirit’s roles—seal (owner’s mark) or guarantee (down payment)—offers you more comfort, and why?
4. “Just hearing the Good News is not enough, most of the world has ‘heard’ about Jesus. You must believe.” What is the practical, daily difference in how a person lives when they have merely heard the Gospel versus when they have believed it (i.e., fully trusted Christ)?
5. We are sealed so that we would be “free (from sin and death) to praise and glorify His Name.” In what area of your life are you currently least free to praise God (e.g., worry, a habit, a regret), and how can you rely on the power of the seal to claim that freedom?
6. Paul prays that God will “accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think” through the power at work within us. If the Holy Spirit is already at work, what is the boldest request you could make of God for your ministry or church this year?