Ephesians 1:11-14 - Our Inheritance in Christ

Well, good morning.

Turn with me, if you will, to Ephesians chapter 1.

Ephesians 1 · chapter mention

Ephesians chapter 1.

Ephesians 1 · chapter mention

And today we will be looking at verses 11 through 14.

So it's Ephesians chapter 1, verses 11 through 14, which is all about the inheritance that we have received in Christ.

Ephesians 1:11–14

So far in chapter 1, if you look at the beginning of Ephesians chapter 1, Paul has given us many reasons on why we should be blessing God.

Ephesians 1 · chapter mention

We should bless him because in Christ He has given us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms.

We should bless God because He has chosen and adopted us into His family.

We should bless Him because through Christ we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins, and He has made known to us the mystery of His will.

So today, before Paul goes on to pray for these believers in Ephesus, he gives them one final reason why they should be blessing God.

Because through Christ we have an inheritance.

And as we will see later in the text, God has given us a down payment, the Holy Spirit, that secures our possession of it.

So inheritance is kind of a fascinating thing.

Most parents dream of leaving behind for their children, whether it's money, property, valuable assets, leaving those things for their children.

Likewise, children often look forward to the day when they will receive an inheritance.

But for some, this turns into kind of an unhealthy obsession.

Those who know that they stand to inherit great wealth often become waiters, waiting for their parents to die.

And history is filled with scandals and fraud and even murder in matters of inheritance.

We see this in the Bible, in the story of the prodigal son.

The younger brother's impatience, it drove him to demand his inheritance prematurely, only to squander it all on reckless living.

And so the longing for an inheritance is really a longing for never-ending security and contentment.

Who wouldn't want financial stability?

A future that's free from the stress of bills and mortgage payments, the longing for true contentment and never-ending security is appealing and it is human.

But here's the reality: we can never achieve that on this side of heaven.

Not in this fallen world.

The greatest inheritance that's ever been given on earth has not brought happiness.

The greatest lottery ticket that's ever been won has only brought depression.

Those who have billions and billions of dollars are still craving in their hearts, is there more?

What's next?

But for those who are in Christ, the Apostle Paul brings incredible news.

News of an inheritance far greater than anything that this world could ever offer.

News about an inheritance that we have that's not subject to market fluctuations or family disputes or being stolen.

Paul wants us to know what awaits us, which is why he mentions inheritance three times in the next twelve verses.

So let us look together at what he says in verses eleven and twelve.

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 first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.

So the first thing that we are told is that in Christ we have obtained an inheritance.

An inheritance, to put simply, is heaven.

In the future, there is a real, literal, glorious place that awaits us.

This is a place that Jesus prepared for us.

He said in John 14, 2, I go to prepare a place for you.

According to Revelation 21, it's a place where sin and evil no longer exist.

It's extinct.

A place where the manifest presence of God permanently dwells.

It's a place where the streets are made of gold, the gates are made of pearls.

According to Philippians 3.21, it is a place where we have a new, indestructible body.

No more headaches, no more back pain, no more doctor visits.

According to 1 Peter 1:4, it is a place that is unfading and reserved for you.

1 Peter 1:4

It is a place of perfection where wealth never fades, pleasure never ends, and riches never spoil.

But what makes this inheritance so great, church, isn't merely the streets of gold or the gates of pearls or even the new body.

Don't get me wrong, those things are pretty cool.

They're awesome.

But what makes our inheritance so amazing is that we get God.

We inherit the manifest glory of God.

We inherit a personal face-to-face relationship with our Creator.

We inherit God's habitat, his manifest glory, his splendor, and his majesty.

All of this came through Christ.

It came through Jesus Christ.

He didn't just reconcile us to God legally, not just on a legal level, but he paved a way for us to be with God eternally.

And when we die or Christ returns, we get to feast in the house of Zion.

We get to inherit the wealth of God.

This is what awaits us.

This is the destination of our Christian journey.

This is the celestial city at the end of our pilgrimage.

The entire point of God's redemption plan for our lives wasn't merely that we would be better people or live a better life here on earth, but that we would one day be with him in paradise restored.

We often get so pumped up about next year's vacation or the new job promotion next month, or the assets I might inherit when my parents die.

Church, we should be, as Colossians 1.12 says, be giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints.

This is far better than Florida.

Okay, far better than a new home, far greater than any worldly possession or experience.

We need this eternal perspective.

This is why we're commanded to fix our eyes on the things above.

Because if our focus is on the here and now and on what this world can offer, then you will be discontent.

You'll always be craving for more, but never having enough.

Chasing after money and possessions, but never satisfied.

Seeking the next dopamine hit, but always needing more.

If you guys remember in Hebrews 11, the author in Hebrews makes it a point to tell us that all of the great heroes of our faith who've lived before us did not receive the things that were promised.

In other words, God made promises to them that didn't happen in their lifetime.

And guess what we're told?

That they were fine with that.

Why?

Because verse 13 in Hebrews 11 says that they realized that this world was not their home.

They knew that they were just foreigners and pilgrims passing through this temporary world.

In verse 16 says that they were longing for a better country, a heavenly one.

And therefore God was not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

Friends, do you realize the estate that you have in Christ?

It's okay that you didn't get the career path that you wanted in life.

It's okay that your dream to build your own home never happened and you end up paying rent the rest of your life.

It's okay that your parents were unable to pass down to you an inheritance.

It's okay that some of your dreams in this life never panned out.

It's okay even if you had to live in a cave the rest of your life, hiding from persecution, wondering where your next meal might come from.

Because if you have Christ, friend, you are rich.

And in the blink of an eye, when you die, you will inherit immeasurable wealth that's incomparable to the treasures of this world.

This is what awaits us as Christians.

For God has reserved a spot for us in his indestructible, glorious, eternal kingdom.

Now, if you're asking the question, what is the grounds of this inheritance?

How exactly did this all come about?

Well, Paul explains part of this in the next part of the verse.

He says, having been predestined according to the purpose of him, who works all things according to the counsel of his will.

And so this inheritance was something that God predestined, literally meaning predetermined, preordained.

And it wasn't according to the will or the effort of man, it was according to the purpose of him who works all things by the counsel of his will.

And so this is so clear.

It was something that he preordained, something that he planned, something that he came up with.

He even makes it a point to say that God works all things, not some things, all things, according to the purpose of his will.

Now, why would Paul feel the need to mention this?

Why would he give us divine insight here?

Well, what comes to your mind when you hear the word inheritance?

I often think of parents taking their estrained children out of the will.

I think of children trying to earn their parents' approval to get more of the share.

I think of people who have lost inheritances because they have disgraced the family name.

I think of how I don't deserve anything.

Which is why Paul clarifies, telling us, hey, this inheritance was preordained.

As was your adoption.

Paul mentions that back in verse 5.

God thought of it, he created it, and it's yours based off of his working and his wisdom.

Therefore, we can have God confidence and assurance that we will obtain it.

If our inheritance was based off of anything else, there is no possible way that we could have certainty.

There are Christians out there who have I've talked with and I hear them say, Christianity is just doing the best we can.

And you're just kind of hoping that when we die and we get to the gates of heaven, God might listen.

That is a lie.

That is anti-biblical.

That's every other religion in this world.

Every other religion says, do this, and God might accept you.

But according to my Bible, my salvation is dependent upon the finished work of Christ.

According to the Apostle John, he says that we can know without a shadow of a doubt that we actively have eternal life.

I can be certain of eternal glory because it is based on God's will, not my will.

And it's based on God's grip on me, not my frail grip on him.

And it's not based on my work, but on Christ's work.

And what is the purpose of all this?

Well, Paul tells us in the next part of the verse, he says, so that we who were first in Christ, first to hope in Christ, might be to the praise of his glory.

And so the phrase, first to hope in Christ, it likely refers to the Jewish people who were first to embrace the gospel.

But this is also true for Gentile believers during this time who were recently grafted in.

Paul is writing this letter during a very unique time in biblical history.

All people, Jew or Gentile, male or female, slave or free, have the privilege to receive the free gift of grace that is in Christ Jesus.

And what is the purpose of all of this?

Why would God give us every spiritual blessing?

Why would he send Jesus Christ to die for our sins?

Why would God predestine for us an inheritance?

Why would he implement a new covenant where all men have the opportunity to repent and believe?

Well, look at the verse.

It's all to the praise of his glory.

Too often we make Christianity all about us.

We make the Christian message about moralism rather than the glory of God in the face of Christ.

We make the Christian walk all about my effort instead of relying on God's power.

We make our ministries all about community perception instead of for God's glory.

Even in our sanctification, we say to ourselves, you know, I just need to try harder, I need to do better, so I can be more of an effective Christian.

No.

When will we learn that the Christian life, it's not about you, okay?

It's not about you.

You play a part in it, but you're not the center of it.

The reason that we repent, the reason that we believe as Christians, the reason we make disciples and evangelize and help the poor, the reason we pursue holiness is so that the world, through our testimony, would magnify the greatness of God.

It's all about the fame of God's name.

That is what all of worship is about.

That is what all theology is about.

That is what our salvation is all about, unto the praise of his name.

This is why our salvation was planned and executed and applied to us by God.

So that he alone would get all credit.

This is why things like legalism or dead moralism or meaningless tradition is so offensive to God in the scriptures.

It all tries to make man the center, man the initiator, man the focus.

And we read, just read through Ephesians 1, we just see God's will, his plan, his counsel, his gospel, his grace, his work, his glory.

And then we try to take all of that and say, look at what I did.

No, look at what God did.

This is the song of a faithful witness.

Look at what God did.

We're called to live a life like a mirror that reflects glory to God, directing every thought, every word, every action towards his praise.

This is why Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10 31, he says, whether you eat or whether you drink, whatever you do, do everything unto the glory of God.

So Paul has told us about this inheritance.

He told us how it was implemented through God's predestined plan and its purpose.

It's for the praise of his name.

But a question remains.

How do we know that we will actually receive it?

Has God given us any assurance in the here and now that we will actually obtain it?

And so Paul answers this in verses 13 and 14.

He says, In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, you 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.

You know, in this world, I've been talking about it through my whole sermon, but inheritances are so flaky.

We hear stories all the time of children finding out after their dad dies that their name was never in the family will.

I heard a story recently of three children that found out their rich mom after she passed ended up giving her inheritance to her neighbor instead of them.

And so, how do we know that God won't do the same?

How can we be sure that he won't change or revoke this inheritance?

Can we have any assurance that we are truly in the family will?

And so Paul comforts these believers by pointing back to their conversion.

He points back to when they heard the word of truth, aka the gospel of your salvation.

And we know that faith comes by hearing.

You can't believe in something you've never heard.

So they heard it, and these Christians believed it.

Okay, there's human cooperation.

They had to personally believe in the message that they heard.

Just a side note, by the way, this is perfectly consistent with God's sovereignty and salvation.

They had to personally believe and repent.

So here is what Paul is saying here.

If you have heard the message, you believed upon Christ, then you've been sealed with the Holy Spirit.

That's what he's saying.

So many people today they debate kind of on the evidence of.

Of the Holy Spirit.

Some people say you need to pray in tongues.

That's the initial evidence.

Other people, they're confused.

And they're like, Well, how do I even know if I have the Holy Spirit?

Well, Paul answers that question for us here.

Have you heard the gospel of Jesus Christ?

Yes.

Okay.

And did you genuinely believe it with your heart?

Yes.

Okay.

Then God has sealed you with the Holy Spirit.

If you have Christ, you have the Spirit.

And why did God give us the Spirit?

We know from other passages in Scripture that the Holy Spirit empowers us, He guides us, He teaches us, He transforms us, He sanctifies us.

The Spirit is Christ living within us.

But here, Paul emphasizes a unique purpose of the Holy Spirit.

God gave us the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of your future inheritance.

The Holy Spirit is the deposit or a pledge for the believer.

The Greek word here for guarantee, it means the first installment, the down payment or deposit.

It's the idea is that it pays part of the purchase price ahead of time to make an agreement or a contract valid.

It's a guarantee that the remainder will eventually be paid.

In other words, God has made an investment in you.

This is kind of a lost doctrine.

We talk a lot about the fruits of the Spirit, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, but we often forget this one.

The Holy Spirit was given to us as a security for our future.

It's a seal, it's a surety that we are God's children who will inherit the riches of heaven.

If you have the Holy Spirit, then you have a future inheritance.

How do I know that I will go to be with God when I die?

How can I have assurance that God won't revoke my inheritance and give it to someone else?

Because you already have a secure deposit, the Holy Spirit.

And the Holy Spirit is the promise that you will acquire glory.

In First Corinthians chapter one, verses twenty-one and twenty-two, Paul says this.

Now it is God who establishes both us and you in Christ.

He anointed us, placed his seal on us, and put his spirit in our hearts as a pledge of what is to come.

And again, Paul ends this verse by saying, to the praise of his glory, he couldn't be more redundant in repeating this phrase, because he knows that the deepest longing of the human heart is to know and enjoy the glory of God.

That is why we were made.

That is why we're so miserable when we exalt and indulge ourselves.

We weren't made to glorify ourselves.

God, who is the source of all good alone deserves all praise.

All theology and all of Scripture and every good gift that we have received from above is for the purpose of giving God glory.

And so, Proclamation Church, what does God want us to learn from these verses?

What's our application?

The first application is very simple.

Where is your hope?

Where is your hope?

Is it in your 401k?

Is it in next year's vacation?

Is it retiring with financial stability?

Is your security in your bank account?

In your material possessions, in your health, in what you might receive when your parents die?

Is your hope in your career?

The next pay increase?

Some future dream where you own a big house out on a big plot of land and have no debt?

Or is your hope in the unfading eternal glory that God has prepared for you?

Is your hope in the future wealth of God?

If your mind has been earthly, focused on the created, the temporary, repent of that this morning.

And we're all guilty of it in different ways.

I know I am.

When you focus on the things of this world, which is going to burn, it's going to perish, you will be miserable.

It cannot satisfy the cravings of your heart.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus.

Fix your mind on the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father.

If you're looking forward to heaven, then you won't go on living as if you still belong to the sinful world.

The second application is one of comfort, church.

Do you realize that this inheritance of yours is secure?

If you are in Christ, this is secure for you.

If you have heard the message of Christ, if you have believed the message of Christ, then you have been sealed with the Holy Spirit.

And if you've been sealed with the Holy Spirit, your inheritance is secure.

It's a done deal.

And you can have comfort that it will be yours.

Stop evaluating your life through the lens of failure.

But I've been such a bad Christian.

I keep making mistakes.

I'm so faithless at times.

I keep returning back to old sins.

Well, thank God that your future glory isn't based on your emotions or your works, but on the predestined plan of God, accomplished by the Son of God.

Thank God that he who began a good work in you will complete it.

Thank God that your future inheritance is reserved for you by his power, his faithfulness, and not your power or your effort.

And the last application is this live your life for God's glory.

Can you not see it throughout all of Ephesians 1?

There's a reason Scripture constantly uses phrases like for his glory, to the praise of his name, unto God, through him, by him, for him, in him.

Our entire salvation is meant for us to make much of God.

Stop thinking about yourself all the time.

Stop making the Christian faith all about you.

Stop making mankind the center of your theology.

What are you but dust?

The world evolves around God.

He saved you for his glory.

So live for his glory, church.

Declare his excellencies in all that you do, word, thought, and action, direct it towards the glory of God.

May our words bring glory to God.

May our internet browser history bring glory to God.

May our actions towards strangers bring glory to his name.

May what we do in our free time reflect praise towards Christ.

May our marriage, our commitment to the local church, what we read and what we watch on TV, may it all be for his glory.

We were not created, again, to worship and exalt ourselves.

That's miserable.

And trust me, I've tried.

That's a fool's errand.

It's an empty well.

The more I focus on myself, the more I think about myself, and the more I exalt myself, the more I am utterly depressed and miserable.

This is why God saved you.

To enjoy him and exalt him.

That we would delight ourselves in him, in his work in our lives, as we overflow with gratitude.

John Piper has this amazing, famous quote.

He says that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.

Church, this is why God should be blessed.

This concludes Paul's introduction in Ephesians 1, 1 through 14.

God should be blessed because in Christ He's given us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm.

God has not withheld one good gift from you.

God should be blessed because He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, before you were created.

God should be blessed because He has adopted us through Christ to be holy and blameless before Him.

God should be blessed because He's redeemed us from our sins through Christ's blood.

God should be blessed because He's lavished on us all wisdom.

He's unveiled the glorious good news of the gospel to us.

God should be blessed because He's given us a glorious future inheritance.

And He has given us the Holy Spirit to guarantee our possession of it.

And this is all for the praise of His glory.

Church, let us pray.