Ephesians 1:3;11;18. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places… 11 In him we have obtained an inheritance…18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
There’s a story in the Gospels of Jesus being approached by a rich, young, ruler. He walks up to Jesus and asks him “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
But the Rich Young Ruler’s question was flawed from the beginning. “What do I need to DO to INHERIT eternal life.” But does anyone really DO anything to be an heir? Heir is not a title you earn. You are either born an heir or you are adopted as an heir.
In the same way, our inheritance in Christ is all of grace, and none of doing. In fact, we are prodigals that receive our inheritance in spite of our doing (or not doing if you will). Even after we’ve blown our original inheritance and returned home to beg to be slaves, we are given our older brother’s inheritance on top of our own. We are twice heirs. Wearing his robe. His ring. His sandals. Eating his fat calf. Dancing at his party. But Jesus is the better older brother that not only comes into the party, he’s the dee-jay!
This is a whole new level of love and grace. This is glorious grace. Not just forgiveness. Not just redemption. Those blessings could have been given with God walking away from us after pardoning and freeing us. But what president has ever adopted and written into his will the prisoner he has pardoned? What governor has ever stayed an execution and then invited the felon to his house for dinner, oh, and then invited him to live there forever? I don’t think I’ve ever read such a beautiful and preposterous story except in the story of Christ. Writing a rebellious child out of a will? Yes. But writing a wretched, rebellious enemy child INTO your will? It’s unheard of.
But there’s something even far more glorious than HAVING God’s inheritance. And that is BEING God’s inheritance. His possession. His reward. His prize. This is the greatest of spiritual blessings – that in Christ we are a blessing to God.
Look at verse 18 again. It literally reads: “that you may know…the wealth of the glory of his inheritance in the holy ones.”
Most New Testament scholars agree that Paul is talking about God’s inheritance here. What could God possibly inherit? What do you get the God who has everything? There’s only one thing God doesn’t fully have yet – us. You and me. His people. His church. His family. His kids. His bride.
We are God’s inheritance. His reward. God will spend eternity enjoying you.
Let that sink in.
Most of us think we are going to have to sneak in the back door of Heaven or be relegated to the back row or worse. But this is not the picture God is painting for us here. We are his reward. We are what he is looking forward to. On that day all the glory of the Trinity will spill over onto us.
Can you embrace this amazing truth – that you are God’s inheritance and he is yours? Can you think about it? Claim it? Trust it? Anticipate it? Will you let it be your hope? God receives me and I receive him. Is this the God you know and worship? A God who would do whatever it takes to find you, save you, rescue you, and restore you? Is your God the one that wants nothing else but to receive you unto himself? Is your God the one that would give you your inheritance twice if that’s what it takes for him to have you back forever as HIS inheritance? Can you imagine an eternity where not only do you enjoy God forever but he enjoys you forever too?
“To live is Christ” means that what is awaiting us is a glorious inheritance of all things. All that is Christ’s he will share with us. But even more glorious than the WHAT is the WHO. God our savior will finally receive his inheritance – you. Me. Us. We are the reward he has spent all of eternity waiting for. The people he has given everything for. The criminals he set free and then adopted and made his own children for all of eternity. What glorious grace.
You
Do you live in anticipation of your heavenly inheritance?
You in Christ
In Christ you will receive all that is his. How does this truth give you confidence for today and hope for tomorrow?
Christ in you
How does knowing that you are God’s eternal pleasure and joy allow you to serve others today?
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Playlist: Inheritance.
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To Live is Christ 