Promise of the Inheritance

Ephesians 1:11-14

Especially considering recent events in the life of members of our congregation, what gives us hope in this life? When we stop and think and ask what is the point to all of this tragedy and nonsense? When life is a mess and the bad just keeps piling on what gives you encouragement to keep going? Why should we keep going when all else in this world seems to demonstrate the futility of the Christian life? What keeps you going when life becomes difficult? What assures you that your faith in God is not futile?

In verses 11 and 12 we see that Christians have obtained an inheritance. What is the reason for obtaining, how was this obtained? It was through the fact of being predestined. God’s foreordained will of bestowing His grace on those who have faith in Him. The predestining was according to God’s purpose which is according to His will. His purpose displays His will which is to glorify Himself. What can we do that glorifies God? Well, we can live in obedience and faith in Christ. Our hope in Christ displays praise to God. Our hope in Christ gives Him glory because we are demonstrating in obedience our need for Him. His will for us specifically is that we come to Him in faith and that we live in obedience.

All things work to the will of God. Whenever life seems that God’s will has flown right out of the window, God is still in control. No calamity has come upon you that does not receive the approval of God. The first to hope in Christ. The Messiah. These were some of the first people in the history of the world to place their hope in the Messiah they had seen. Abraham and the other figures of the Old Testament hoped in the Promised One, but none had seen or even heard the voice of the Messiah on earth. It is to God’s praise that we hope in Him. God gains glory and honor when we praise Him.

Why is God’s praise and honor important? What implications are there in giving Him the glory and honor and not ourselves? What are ways in church life that we must be careful to not receive His praise? What is significant about our receiving the inheritance?

Beginning in verse 13, we see the mode of our coming to receive the inheritance, but most importantly we see that we are reserved an inheritance. Verse 13 says that after listening to the message of truth. The message is truth. The message must be given. We come to faith through hearing the gospel. The deaf hear through sign language or reading. We hear by someone speaking to us through verbal words or written words. It must be given. We cannot live a good life and people will come to faith through our good works. That is important but the gospel must be spoken. The gospel of salvation is the same as the message of truth. It is what we have faith in. Skipping to verse 14 quickly, we see that the second phrase states with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession. We are God’s possession, even in our sin. We really belong to God, but in our sin nature, we have been lost. The word redemption means to buy back.

The story was told of a little boy playing with his brand new toy boat in a creek. He had saved his money to buy this boat. One day as he was playing, the boat went out in to the middle of the creek where he could not reach it. As the boat went along, the boy ran down the bank. The water began moving faster and the boy was stopped by trees and shrubs on the bank. He watched his prized boat sail away out of sight. One day walking through town he noticed his boat in the window of a store. He went in and grabbed his boat and thanked the store owner for finding it and preceded to walk out. The store owner yelled, “Stop!” He told the boy that the boat wasn’t his. They went back and forth. The store owner demanded proof that was his boat, but the boy had none. There were no distinct markings to prove his claim. The boy left the boat and went home. He saved money again. After a couple of weeks he went back to the store and paid the price for the boat. This time he carved his name in the side of the boat.

For us, we are that boat. When we place faith in Christ we are bought out of sin. Then God carves His name in our hearts with the sealing of the Holy Spirit. This is a mark of permanency and guarantee of our rights to the inheritance. This is God’s pledge that one day all will be fulfilled in our lives. The Spirit is His earnest money that we will receive what He has promised.

Now to the questions, if we have received the Spirit, how do we know He is there? How can we know if the Spirit is truly in our hearts? Do you see that in your own life? If not, what will you do about it? If not, is it because He is not there or because you have so ignored Him that He is silent and dead to your ears?

God has promised those who have faith in Christ an inheritance and the Spirit is our promise of receiving that inheritance.

To God be the glory.