In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 1:11-14
Furthermore, for us there is an inheritance that is promised to us. At the coming of Christ and the establishment of His kingdom, we are said to inherit it, to in someway share responsibility for this kingdom, to receive from it the benefits as members of God’s royal family of sorts. Christ will rule over all, but we will share in His blessings and glory. Our own lives will be enriched to an unimaginable degree. We may be poor and suffering many wants now, but in the end, under Christ we will be rich in every way, suffering no lack and having perfect and complete happiness through the constant streams of blessings flowing from Christ as our King. This inheritance is guaranteed by God’s promise of predestination and by the giving of the Holy Spirit, as a sort of down payment, the promise of more to come.
Through the Holy Spirit we begin to partake in the joys and riches of eternity. We still suffer, we still struggle, but the Holy Spirit blesses us, reminds us of God’s goodness, corrects us, leads us in the ways we ought to go and begins to implement the promises of renewal and purification which God has given to us. Among the first blessings we receive from God upon believing in Him is that He begins to change us, to remove from our lives the sin which has brought us so much misery and death.
And yet again we are reminded that this inheritance is promised and given, so that God’s glory will be praised.
Part 4 in a series on Ephesians chapter 1. New posts on Mondays and Wednesdays.View Series