Ephesians 1:1-14

Paul's probably one of my favorite writers of the New Testament - maybe it's the way he just lets it all hang out - just tells it like it is!
I'm thinking more Christians today need to adopt Paul's way of doing things - regarding lifestyle and theology (and ways of expressing views/beliefs)

I particularly love how Paul opens his letters - especially in Ephesians - as he blesses the reader (in this case the church of Ephesus) - but also realizing that this blessing stretches so much further than to the addressed church.
Paul's words stretching to the Church Universal - reminding believers to whom they really belong - reminding the reader that - by simply reading the word and believing - we've been signed, sealed, and delivered to the Father!

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, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 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, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

I recently purchased an ESV study Bible - and this is what it says about verse 13 (the italicized portion)
"Sealed can mean either that the Holy Spirit protects and preserves Christians until they reach their inheritance (Eph 4:30; 2 Cor 1:22; 1 Peter 1:5; Rev 7: 2-3) or that he 'certifies' the authenticity of their acceptance by God as being genuine - they bear the 'royal seal' (John 3:33; Acts 10:44, 47)"

I love the idea of a royal seal - given specifically by God - we're marked as His - as belonging specifically to God the Father - and we can't be touched!
Now, I don't think...I KNOW that doesn't mean there won't be times of trial...there won't be hard times...that Satan won't just step back and be hands off -
maybe it means - Satan just attacks harder - maybe it means we're more prone to attack because of who we're fighting for...
i don't know...

Paul doesn't say we're immune because of our "mark" - he does say it's a sign of the promise we're given for eternity - of our inheritance in the Kingdom - this seal...this "royal seal" is what guarantees us that inheritance - without it we get nothing...

I think it's interesting that this seal...this mark...isn't really a mark...but is the Holy Spirit - as promised by Jesus before he ascended...the Holy Spirit - the third entity of the trinity...the Comforter...
Jesus promised He'd not leave us alone - knowing Satan still prowled the earth - no way He'd leave us alone...

sometimes it's hard to believe...it's not a surprising statement I don't think.
Just on Sunday I was remembering a children's message I heard when I was a kid...our preacher talked about the wind - you can't see it, but you can feel it...you know when the wind is blowing because you see the trees moving...
God's the same way - you can't see him...but you can feel Him...you can see His effects on the world...just like the wind.
When the wind blows we can know God is working, too.

I couldn't have been any older than 8 years old when I heard this message - and 20 years later it still sticks with me...
I guess maybe it's because it's the first thing I could really hold on to as a promise that God was there...

The Holy Spirit - my wind in the trees - works without being seen...I can feel when the Holy Spirit moves...I can see the effects of the Holy Spirit's work...
and the fact that this magnificent thing was promised so long ago...and is still working today...
it's incredible...
I can't wrap my mind around it...
but I feel my heart swelling with the overwhelming magnitude of it all.