Ephesians 1:14

who is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory.

In this epic saga of your salvation that Paul had been on for several verses, we have seen the Father, and we have seen the Son.

This is a list of the things the Father did

• Paul was an apostle by the will of God (v. 1)
• The Father blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly place (v. 3)
• The Father chose us in Christ (v. 4)
• The Father predestined us for adoption (v. 5)
• He freely bestowed on us His grace (v. 6)
• He lavished His grace on us (v. 7-8)
• He set forth His good pleasure in Christ (v. 9)

And what about Christ (of Christ/in Christ/through Christ)

• Paul is an apostle of Jesus Christ (v. 1)
• Our spiritual blessing is in Christ (v. 3)
• We are chosen in Christ (v. 4)
• Our predestination is through Christ (v. 5)
• The grace we have been bestowed is in the Son (v. 6)
• In Christ we have redemption through His blood (v. 7)
• God set forth His good pleasure in Christ (v. 9)
• God plans to head up all things in Christ (v. 10)
• In Christ we have been claimed as God's own possession (v. 11)

We are talking about some spiritually dense intro to a book, if you ask me.'

But this verse is the first time we have heard of the Holy Spirit. So the Father makes the decision, and Christ is the "raw material," and the Holy Spirit powers things.

The Holy Spirit moves things from point A to point B until all the will of God is actualized, beginning with the seal of the Holy Spirit mentioned in the last verse.

As the down payment of our inheritance, the Holy Spirit is our experience of God now. Do you know that the ultimate inheritance is God himself? (Psalm 16:5)

The seal of the Holy Spirit communicates whose we are and who we are at the same time. We are the empowered (Acts 1:8), indwelled (Romans 8:11), we have direction (Romans 8:14) and we have the divine presence.

When Jesus was selling the apostles on the advantage they would enjoy if He went away, he said it was better that He did so, because then He would send the Holy Spirit. (John 16:7)

This is the age, so to speak, of the Holy Spirit, for the believers. The Holy Spirit is the experience of God, the power of God, the presence of God. 

• The Father decided, the Son sacrificed, and we were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.
• The Father decided the plan; the Son is the means of the execution; the Spirit is the spiritual code on which we run.

And there is that word "until." The beginning was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts. But the beginning for you was when you believed.

The word "seal" communicates permanence. God is not giving up His possession. How did we come to be sealed by the Holy Spirit? We heard and believed, as we see in the last verse. So the Holy Spirit is busy sealing new believers all over the world. There is no one who believes that is not sealed.

There are two mentions of when in the last verse: when they heard the word of truth and when they believed.

We may want to have people in various categories: 1. Some did not hear. 2. Some people who hear do not believe, and 3. Among those who hear, believing can happen at different times.

'Not everyone hears'

There is a long-running discussion about what happened to people who never heard the gospel.

The shocker is that Paul did not believe that not everyone had heard; he believes everyone has heard.

Consequently faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the preached word of Christ. But I ask, have they not heard? Yes, they have: Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. (Romans 10:17-18)

It just seems reasonable to me that no one would be able to stand before God with any excuse.

Someone might say, "What about the person who was in that unknown jungle far away?" The answer is they would have no excuse.

But for those who want to stand on a firmer theological stand, here may be an answer:

• God is not obligated to save anyone. He does not owe anyone the grace of salvation.

Some people might say that "He would be regarded as just if He only provided equal opportunity to everyone, and we are not talking about the grace of salvation now."

That is the problem, God is not divided. If He is obligated to provide equal opportunity (as we would see it), He is obligated to provide grace, which means He has to save everyone.

And God does not have to do anything; otherwise, He is not God, just an automaton. You cannot divide God and say, "Give opportunity," even if you don't give grace. His giving of opportunity is itself grace.

Whether my answer satisfies everyone or not, God would not have a rowdy courtroom on the last day, with people accusing Him of being an unjust judge. It would not happen.

For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen because they are understood through what has been made. So people are without excuse. (Romans 1:20)

I don't know how God will do it, but no one is bringing an excuse to God on the last day. 

But what about little children, those in the womb who die through intentional or unintentional abortion, those who have mental disability, etc?

I cannot, on the basis of scriptures, speak with certainty on all of those edge cases. I would just be regurgitating what others have put together, co-opting the scriptures to reach a predetermined conclusion.

Somethings are vague, and I think purposefully so. What is clear is that no one will come before God with an excuse, and everyone who can understand must be reached with the gospel and believe it.

We can live with that tension of uncertainty.

And this verse is the 2nd time we see the word "redemption" in this passage. In verse 7, the first time, we read that we have redemption through His blood, and the emphasis was on the forgiveness of our sins. 

Now, we have the same word, but in a different context: this is a future redemption, where God lays full claim to us, through and through. This hints at the coming age. 

Rejecting Money-For-Blessings Schemes in the Church

Rejecting Money-For-Blessings Schemes in the ChurchAre you tired of the spiritual pressure to “sow a seed” for divine favor? Have you been left disillusioned by doctrines that portray God as a cosmic merchant who must be paid before He will bless you?This book, Rejecting Money-For-Blessings Schemes in the Church, offers a critical and deeply scriptural examination of modern financial doctrines that have crept into the church. It meticulously dismantles the notion that giving is a transaction meant to control God or “activate” a miracle.In this essential work, you will: Reclaim the True Picture of God: Understand God as the generous Father who gives to all—even the unrighteous—and whose nature is to give freely, not to withhold until a price is paid. Discover Biblical Giving: Uncover the true foundation for Christian giving, which begins with acknowledging that “everything comes from you, and we have simply given back to you what is yours” (1 Chronicles 29:14). Expose Misinterpretation: Systematically refute the false application of biblical parables, such as the Sower, and historical accounts, like the widow of Zarephath, to money-for-blessing schemes. Embrace a Cheerful Heart: Be released from the compulsion and fear-based giving tactics and learn to give “just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, because God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). Reaffirm Christ’s Supremacy: Solidify your belief that “Christ who is your life” (Colossians 3:4), not material wealth, is the center of your devotion. This is a vital resource for anyone who has felt exploited, confused, or burdened by financial demands in a spiritual context. Return to the pure, unadulterated devotion to Christ, where the access to every good gift is secured by His blood, not your money. Reclaim the joy of true giving as an act of worship, not a down payment on a blessing.