Ephesians 1:7-14

Salvation: Sealed and Guaranteed

Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus was written during his imprisonment in Rome. This letter addresses both the specific church body in Ephesus as well as additional neighboring churches. For a deeper understanding of the context of these verses, we would encourage all to read the whole chapter, if not the letter in its entirety.

These verses can be divided into two sub-sections, the first being verses 7-10. In this section, Paul describes how, as believers, our salvation comes through Jesus’ death on the Cross. He also explains that this generous gift of salvation was not happenstance, but rather part of a greater plan to unify all of creation to the Creator. The second section, verses 11-14, is another clear explanation of how this gift of salvation was planned for all. This plan involves the Gospel being spoken, heard and then believed, resulting in a sealed guarantee of an amazing inheritance, which is salvation.

Personally, we often feel the various stresses of our work and studies (music and science). These include—but are not limited to—exams, financial concerns, upcoming deadlines for projects, high-pressure competitive situations, creative problem solving, and the unknown future ahead. In these times, verses such as these from Ephesians, remind us of the basic truths of our faith. That is to say, the all-knowing and powerful Creator of the universe is in fact just that, all-knowing and powerful. He laid out a simple plan to save us from our inevitably bad life choices. This plan, the sacrifice of Jesus, results in our reunification to his original intention and harmonization of creation and himself.

As verses 13 and 14 say, this salvation is sealed and guaranteed. When God the ultimate Being guarantees something, it means no matter how hard we could even try to fail, we cannot lose what was promised or planned. For us, this is the ultimate encouragement in our lives no matter what challenges we face, and we hope it can be for you as well.