Ephesians 1:13-14 NLT‬
[13]”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. [14] The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.”

How happy Paul was to explain to his readers that they, the Gentiles, had been given an equal share in the benefits of the gospel! However, could they be sure that they, as well as the Jews, were included in God’s salvation plan?

Yes! God has also given the Gentiles a pledge (Greek – arrabon), a downpayment, like an engagement ring, His Holy Spirit, to guarantee that He will complete the transaction.

History and the Bible tell us that God chose Abraham and his descendants from among all the nations to belong to Him. He redeemed them from slavery, led and protected them on their journey from Egypt, and settled them in the Promised Land by many miracles.

God promised them a Saviour, His Messiah, who would come in person to redeem them from sin. However, when He came, they rejected Him because they refused to accept His credentials or believe the evidence of His power and authority.

So, according to His plan, God gave Paul the task of taking the good news of salvation to the Gentiles.

‭Acts of the Apostles 9:10-11 NLT‬
[10] “Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord!” he replied. [11] The Lord said, “Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now….
[15] But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel.”

His plan from the beginning was to include the whole world in His salvation, prophesied many times through His Old Covenant prophets…

‭Isaiah 49:6 NLT‬
[6] “He says, “You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”

So, on his first missionary journey, when the Jews in Antioch of Pisidia refused to listen to him, Paul turned to the Gentiles.

‭Acts of the Apostles 13:44-48 NLT‬
[44] “The following week almost the entire city turned out to hear them preach the word of the Lord. [45] But when some of the Jews saw the crowds, they were jealous; so they slandered Paul and argued against whatever he said. [46] Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and declared, “It was necessary that we first preach the word of God to you Jews. But since you have rejected it and judged yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we will offer it to the Gentiles. [47] For the Lord gave us this command when he said, ‘I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth.’” [48] When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and thanked the Lord for his message; and all who were chosen for eternal life became believers.”

Paul reasoned that the refusal of the Jews to believe in Jesus triggered the next phase of God’s plan – the inclusion of Gentiles in His merciful offer of salvation.

‭Romans 11:11-16 NLT‬
[11] Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves. [12] Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it. [13] I am saying all this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this, [14] for I want somehow to make the people of Israel jealous of what you Gentiles have, so I might save some of them. [15] For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead! [16] And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy—just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too.”

God’s plan came together, piece by piece, until the gospel message of salvation was carried to every part of the civilised world.

Jew and Gentile, reconciled through the cross to become God’s new nation, which God secured and guaranteed by the gift of His Spirit, was God’s great purpose from the beginning.

‭Ephesians 2:11-14 NLT‬
[11] “Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. [12] In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. [13] But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. [14] For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us.”

Through His death, Jesus opened the door to Jew and Gentile alike. He obliterated the hatred between them by removing the” wall” – the law that separated them, replacing law with grace, including all who believe in Him in the New Covenant.

The Jews’ refusal to receive God’s grace meant that the Gentiles who believed Paul’s message, were welcomed into God’s kingdom.

‭Romans 11:28-32 NLT‬
[28] “Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. [29] For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn. [30] Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against him, God was merciful to you instead. [31] Now they are the rebels, and God’s mercy has come to you so that they, too, will share in God’s mercy. [32] For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone.”

For Peter, preaching to Cornelius, a Roman Centurion, and his household, the matter was forever settled when the Holy Spirit fell on these Gentile believers as He fell on the disciples on the day of Pentecost.

‭Acts of the Apostles 10:34-35 NLT‬
[34] Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. [35] In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right.
[44] Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message. [45] The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too. [46] For they heard them speaking in other tongues and praising God. Then Peter asked, [47] “Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?”

And the Spirit in us testifies to our sonship, both Jew and Gentile.

‭Romans 8:15-16 NLT‬
[15] “So, you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” [16] For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.”

Jew and Gentile, then, share equally in the gracious gift of God’s Spirit as His down payment, guaranteeing the completed transaction, eternal life through the Lord Jesus Christ.