The Spiritual Blessings of God’s Glorious Grace: Part 6- Inheritance

Intro:

Inheritance of my grandfather to his grandkids. Nothing that I did as a grandson earned such a gift of his grace to his family. It was done out of the kindness and grace of his heart.

This inheritance was actually some thing that I knew was coming. This inheritance was actually some thing that I knew was coming. Even as my grandfather surprised everyone year-by-year that he continue to live through illnesses, my mom shared that he would leave all 10 grandchildren an inheritance when he passed. It was already planned in his mind, written in his will, and discussed with his financial planner and lawyer. I don’t think I could have done anything to remove myself from that generous gift. What he decided to bless us with was final.

I tell you all that today not to brag but to simply use this to introduce us to the idea of inheritance. It is a key word of the Scriptures that the NT writers used like Paul to teach on the spiritual blessings of God.

Now as we see this word Inheritance in the Old and New Testaments, its helpful to know that its root KLEROS is translated lot, share or portion. So the term inheritance comes from that which is apportioned or divided up. One way that occured in the sciptures was by casting lots. Lots are not specifically described in the Bible but when you hear the word, LOT, do not think of a piece of land where you build your house. A lot was an object or objects used to determine God’s will. We do not know specifically what the object was but it helped God’s people see God’s will or choices for them. Many speculate that these object were like dice or small stones that were cast on the ground. The placement of those objects where used to help determine God’s plans. It is also believed the URIM and THUMMIM that the high priests wore near their breastplate were also lots that were cast to determine God’s will.

Proverbs 16:33 NASB95

33 The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the Lord.

Numbers 33:54 NASB95

54 ‘You shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the larger you shall give more inheritance, and to the smaller you shall give less inheritance. Wherever the lot falls to anyone, that shall be his. You shall inherit according to the tribes of your fathers.

In this passage in Numbers, you see the connection of casting lots with inheritance for it was the way that the Lord was believed to direct his affairs to His people. Therefore, physical inheritance given by the Lord with casting lots has spiritual significance to the church today who are said to inherit the blessings of God.

Paul is not talking about some physical land that was promised to Israel, or some physical pot of gold that waits you in eternity. Instead, Paul is looking to the spiritual blessings we have in Christ. Notice what he said to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:32

Acts 20:32 NASB95

32 “And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

Notice that the word of God builds up the church and gives you the inheritance among the sanctified church. The tangibility of the inheritance is the spiritual results of all that we have discussed in these verses in Ephesians. These blessings are not just what await us in the future, but they are what we can enjoy and be satisfied in now as followers of Jesus Christ.

This sets the stage for Paul’s words as he concludes this great hymn of praise of God’s glorious work of grace in the Eph 3:1-14.

1. The Promised Inheritance 11-12

A. Predestined

Ephesians 1:11 NASB95

11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,

Notice that Paul looks back to v 5 with his language here in v 11. Once again he mentions those predestined, according to the will of God and he links that adoption as sons with inheritance in Christ. Clearly, with the sonship language, if we are sons of God, then we are heirs of God’s riches. His riches are spiritual riches that Christ gained for the church in his works of redemption. Those include what has been previously mentioned: salvation from the wrath of God, forgiveness from sin, justification which is a legally a innocent standing before God, and belonging to the family of God even while we were once enemies of the kingdom.

But with election and predestination, we often think of pre-creation acts of God. Chosen before the foundation of the world means that God acted upon sinners with love to choose to rescue us from ourselves. But Paul also connects that to the end, inheritance. Heirs don’t receive gifts of inheritance when they are born. They receive them when a loved one dies and leaves them this gift. So if we are heirs, and we will promised an inheritance, then inheritance language is finality language. Predestined is looking the beginning and inheritance is looking at the end. The end of coarse is Christ’s return, but the inheritance in Christ is waiting on us, which means inherited God’s riches means we must be preserved until the end to get them. There are heirs of the kingdom of God that lose their inheritance.

1 Peter 1:3–5 NASB95

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

This of course reminds us all that no sinful act by a genuine believer in Christ forfeits their blessings in Christ. Nothing can separate us from the LOVE OR BLESSINGS IN CHRIST.

Romans 8:35–39 NASB95

35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

B. Promised

This leads them to the second related point here which is our inheritance is not only predestined or affixed to us, but its promises by the Father are unfailing. His plan to save us and keep us until the end so we can fully enjoy the inheritance in Christ is “according to His purpose” (design) who works (energizes, empowers) all things (that design) after the desire of his will( to be accomplished). These are the plans of omnipotent God who never has a plan thwarted nor misses a detail that needs to be covered. In his infinite knowledge and power, all plans are made perfectly and carried out fully.

This is about his faithfulness to bring his plans to fulfillment. As weak and frail sinners, we are always prone to make plans that never are fulfilled. We cancel, we fail, we let each other down. The Lord is our model as a faithful God who never fails us.

Deuteronomy 7:9 NASB95

9 “Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments;

This is where the attributes of God spill over into the character of believers in Christ. Just as the God we serve is faithful, so in Christ, we are empowered to be faithful as well. Jesus commanded his disciples to Let your yes be yes and your no be no.(Mt. 5:37). This calls believers to live as faithful stewards of our time, commitments, and plans. If we say we are going to do something, we should carry it out because he represent a faithful God who keeps us to the end and thus reserves our inheritance.

C. Praised

Finally in v 11, Paul says again that the end accomplished by God’s power, a promised inheritance received by the saints is one to bring glory to God.

Ephesians 1:12 NASB95

12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.

Notice again the Paul looks to the work of Christ in the believers in Ephesus as they will be to the praise of God’s glory. It appears that “those who first hoped in Christ” could refer to the Jewish Christians, like Peter, James, and John who believed in Jesus as the promised messiah. Many Jews did believe and the early church was birthed through their faith in Christ like the church of Ephesus.

Paul wanted the Jewish Christians in Ephesus to see their gentile brothers worshipping alongside them as all part of God’s glorious plan of redemption. Paul speaks in definite terms because the redemptive work in Christ is a definite work in both Jew and Gentile. You will be saved. You will be rescued. You will be preserved to the end….so that the praise of God’s glory will be lifted up. When God keeps your faith until the end…his power and might is glorified.

The saints sit in a funeral celebration of a dear brother or sister in Christ and we marvel at the salvation of their friend. They see how God saved them, how he grew this believer and how he preserved their faith until the end. All the saints celebrate …not the person who has passed but the Lord who kept them true to Christ.

2. The Protected Inheritance 13-14

Ephesians 1:13–14 NASB95

13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

In our second truth about inheritance today, Paul turns to the proof that God has given to show the church that the blessings of redemption, our inheritance, is protected. These verses give us the confidence that Jesus will never leave us nor forsake us. First Paul highlights the salvation of the Ephesians.

A. Saved

He highlights the truth that while salvation is planned by God before the foundation of the world, the gospel must be proclaimed and the message of truth believed. We come to Christ by faith through the preaching or teaching of the gospel of God’s word. Paul likes to call the gospel message, the word of truth or message of truth.

Colossians 1:5–6 NASB95

5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel 6 which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth;

The gospel is the message of truth because Jesus is the God truth. Truth lies in Christ and therefore the words regarding Christ can also be believed as truth. When that message was proclaimed or preached to you, you heard by the miraculous work of God. He allowed you to understand you depraved sinful heart and he revealed that Christ was the only way, truth and life that you need. This is when faith comes on the scene and you respond with belief in Christ.

Pay attention to all that has occured before the point of belief in the sinner.

A person is elected and predestined to be adopted before the foundation of the world.

Redemption accomplished and applied by Jesus as he is sent into the world to live a perfect life, die on the cross and rise from the grave.

The Spirit sends forth faithful followers of Jesus to proclaim the gospel and unite others into a global community.

That message of truth remains steadfast through time.

A messenger or messengers were sent to you to proclaim the message of the gospel.

God Awakened the senses to understand the depth and debt of sin.

God gave understanding to see Jesus as lovely and the only source or salvation.

The gift of faith is provided and you respond in belief in Christ.

Friend, this glorious saving process is why we praise and glorify our Savior.

But Paul does not stop there. He reminds the Ephesians of the final stage of salvation. The sending of the Spirit.

B. Secured

Ephesians 1:13 NASB95

13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,

Paul says that after you believed you were sealed by the Spirit. This means that the Spirit comes after faith and that Spirit indwelling is proof of genuine faith in Christ. Some in the church want to say the Spirit is an extra gift of God to some Christians. He is called by these people the second blessing for they believe that some miraculous gifts accompany that second blessing to be used in some fantastical way in the church . But Paul is not teaching this.

Instead, he is saying the Spirit is for all genuine believers and that Spirit is the seal of our genuine faith in Christ. Paul uses the word “seal” to give evidence of the security of a person’s salvation in Christ. The seal was a common item that people owned in biblical times. Both in the Old and New Testaments, seals represented the family to which you belonged. A seal contained a unique symbol and often times that seal was found on the signet ring worn by the patriarch of the family. When legal documents had to signed and delivered, or business transpired, the seal was used to SECURE messages or documents that were being sent. The seal was pressed into wax on such a document so that recipient would know the document was secured and not opened before hand.

Therefore, using this imagery, Paul is showing the church that by possessing the Spirit, your salvation in Christ is secured until the end. What is the end? The end would be Christ’s second coming where, as the book of revelation tells us, the seals will be broken and the contents of God’s book will be opened only by one who is worthy to break the seals.

Revelation 5:1–10 NASB95

1 I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. 2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it. 4 Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it; 5 and one of the elders said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.” 6 And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. 7 And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. 8 When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. 10 “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.”

Now all this imagery points to Christ as being the one who is worthy to break the seal and open the books mentioned. I am not going to break down this passage in Revelation today but I do think connects to Ephesians, is that seal works for security reasons until the recipient receives the message. The Spirit is our sercurity for the church that we will never be snatched out of the hand of God. This leads us up until the second coming of Christ, where that security will no longer be needed because we will be received with joy in the presence of Christ as His church.

C. Owned

Therefore, the seal not only represents security but it also represents FAMILY. We are secured by the Spirit but the Spirit also unties us to Christ and to one another. That seal used not only secured the document sent, but it bore the image of the one who sent it. It was not a picture of the person, but it was his name in symbolic form. The Spirit stamps all believers with the image of our redeemer. Christ is stamped upon us and we bear his name by the Spirit living with us. This seal then reflects to whom we belong.

Again, looking to Revelation, there is much controversy over the mark of the beast. What will be the mark of the beast realized in history? Will it be a microchip, a tattoo? Let’s not lose sight of the real problem with teh mark of the beast.

Revelation 13:14–17 NASB95

14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life. 15 And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, 17 and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.

Forget for a moment all that you have read or seen from Tim Lahaye and the Left Behind series. Think about what is truly blasphemous in this passage. Bearing the mark of the beast is to bear his image. If you are already sealed by the Holy Spirit, secured in Christ, you cannot bear another image of the enemy of God. The antichrist represents Satan and his image will never adorn a genuine believer in Christ.

Why? The image that you bear reflects to whom you belong. If you are saved, you are sealed by the Spirit and therefore you have been stamped or marked by God as belonging to him. You belong to him forever and thus the Spirit is teh proof of our salvation.

D. Proved

Ephesians 1:14 NASB95

14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

Paul’s final imagery in these verses is that the Spirit is the “pledge” of our inheritance. This word is a term that means “down payment” in our vernacular today. It is a physical and present representation of future blessing. Looking back to my opening illustration about my grandfather, imagine if my mom, who told me about my inheritance, handed me a check for $100 from my grandfather. That check represented…”there is more where that came from.”

The Spirit of God is not just given to believers to help us walk in holiness. He is not just given to help us understand the Scriptures. He is given to remind us that we are secured in Christ and His presence reflects that all that we experience in heavenly realities now…there is more where that came from. He is our proof that salvation awaits us fully in eternity with all the joy and bliss of being with our Redeemer.

1 John 4:13 NASB95

13 By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

He proves that all these spiritual realities have taken place so that God will finish his work and get the glory. Let us rest in this truth and rejoice in the God of our salvation.

Membership vote:

Keisha Richardson, John Alexander