“God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.”

Ephesians 1:12‭-‬13

God has a plan-He has a purpose! So Paul continues His letter to the Ephesian Church, deep in the heart of the old Grecian Empire! As he continues explaining God’s plan and purpose in sending Jesus into the world at a specific time and with a specific purpose, he explains that Jesus, a Hebrew from decent, brought the Gospel to His fellow Jews, who we’re now passing it to the Gentiles or non-Jews!

Thousands of years before, God had spoken to Abraham, promising to make him the “Father of many Nations”. The Hebrews had considered Him to be their Founding Father all along through his son Isaac, but so had the Ismealites, the descendant of Abraham’s other son Ismael. Additionally, Abraham’s son Isaac had 12 sons and many daughters and so by the time the Family took refuge in Egypt from a sevear famine, there were already at least 70 direct descendants of Abraham (Gen 46:27), not including Ismael’s descendants! God chose and specified this Nation, who had grown to almost a million by the time Israel exited Egypt 400 years later, to be His Chosen People. They we’re not chosen, however so that they could gloat in God’s good favor, but to usher Him, to the other nations of the world thru Abraham’s direct descendant, Jesus! This was His plan all along, so Paul is simply pointing out God’s good plan!

The Jews of whom Paul was a part, believed in Jesus 1st, because He was one of them. They passed the Good News onto the Gentiles, who also recieved Him, and who was a part of those to whom this letter was writteb! Paul was probably the 1st generation Christian leader who was most responsible for taking the Gospel of Jesus to the Gentiles!

So when Paul writes, “when you believed in Christ, He identified you as His own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom He promised long ago.”
God, through Holy Spirit, was alive in these, His Gentile believers-they, plus fast forward 2, 000 years, past the same Gospel along to us and we who are current day Christ- Followers believe in the same Gospel!

God’s plan worked, but just like the Jews, God’s Chosen people, God’s Good News and Presence was never meant to be hoarded, but to always be spread! Don’t keep Jesus to yourself-share Him with someone today!

Think about it!