In this passage, I am struck more by the fact that we must believe and trust in our hearts, not just our words. It is the heart that makes or breaks it. So many of the Ephesians are wrapped up in the identity and who they “are” that they can;t handle the actual God who made them. Their hearts are hardened.

Contrast with Paul. The narrative of Acts stands out here as Luke describes what Paul was doing. As such, we are only given his actions (and words), not his thoughts. However, we still see that everything he does points to God. He has found his identity in Christ and it is evident to others that this is so. And to top it all off, he’s humble about it. What a blessing it would have been to see that type of faith in action. I can only hope to one day grow enough to be similar in emulating Christ’s love and passion from the inside out.