For The Gentiles

God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.

Colossians 1:27

IN OUR CULTURE, when a man loves a woman and she agrees to marry him, he usually puts an engagement ring on her finger. This shows the world that these two people have made a commitment. The two plan to get married and be together for the rest of their lives. When he gives her that ring, trust, security, and hope all ignite in one burst of joy and love.

In the same way, God has given us a sort of engagement ring to assure us of his love and commitment to us. What is it? Jesus in you, in your heart, there to be your helper, friend, and comfort all at once. Take a few moments to think of the meaning of that living reality. Christianity isn’t a religion of rules and rituals. It’s a relationship in which God promises to work in our lives, bring us to fulfillment, perfect us, and fill us with every spiritual blessing.

It might be easy to dismiss such promises, but God has sealed them with a powerful presence: Jesus inside us. That’s a fail-safe way of making sure we understand and appreciate the depth of God’s commitment to us.