Ephesians 1.11-14 (1)
Pray Psalm 78.6, 7.
[Lord, let] the generation to come…know [Your promises and Law],
The children who would be born,
That they may arise and declare them to their children,
That they may set their hope in God,
And not forget the works of God,
But keep His commandments…
Sing Psalm 78.6, 7
(Foundation: How Firm a Foundation)
LORD, let all our children arise and declare
the truth of the LORD every day, everywhere,
and set all their hopes in God’s wonderful Word,
and never forget all the works of the LORD.
Read Ephesians 1.11-14; meditate on the first part of verses 11.
What is an inheritance? When does one receive an inheritance? How does this idea apply to you and your relationship with God.
Preparation
1. What have we obtained “In Him”? How did we obtain it?
2. When should we expect to benefit from this?
Meditation
In Jesus—Who He is and what He has done—we have obtained an inheritance. Not just promised an inheritance, obtained it. It’s ours. Signed, sealed, and delivered by the grace of God in Jesus Christ.
For too many of us, the response to this incredible news is, “That’s nice. Got it. On my way to heaven. Good to go.” This is not the response of the faithful, however. Knowing that God has chosen and predestined us for this, that He has been planning and preparing this inheritance for us since forever past, and that now—right now!—we have obtained that promise, those who marvel at the spiritual blessings of God and are eager to enjoy them fully ask, “Oh Lord, how wonderful! What is our inheritance?”
The psalmist answers our eager inquiry:
O LORD, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You maintain my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance.
God Himself. To know Him through Jesus Christ. To be seated with Him in heavenly places. To receive from Him mercy and grace for all our times of need. To sense with joy His Presence with us, in us, around us, throughout all things. To know sweet communion with Him. In His strength, to stretch out in Him, toward Him, for Him, that we might be more like Him and fill all things with Him for His glory.
This is what we have obtained, brethren. But even this, as great as it is, is but a foretaste of the riches to come.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
When considering the inheritance, be it small or great, that we all will one day leave behind for our family, or another loved one, or a ministry—whomever and whatever are the beneficiaries—in all honesty, we want it to be appreciated and used well. Not squandered or thought little of. It is after all, the culmination and accumulation of our earthly toil. And it will be left for those we love.
Surely God expects appreciation from us, for His “indescribable Gift” (2 Cor. 9.15).
The prodigal son is Exhibit 1 when comes to an ill-spent inheritance (Lk. 15.11-32).
And the words of Solomon add another caveat:
“An inheritance gained hastily at the beginning will not be blessed at the end” (Prov. 20.21).
A certain amount of gravitas and respect are required—with much appreciation.
And for the gift of life which we have obtained through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we have been given a lifetime and an eternity to show our appreciation, love, adoration, and thankfulness.
With gravitas and abundant joy.
“For the LORD Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth…He will choose our inheritance for us…” (Ps. 47.2, 4).
“According to His purpose” (Eph. 1.11).
“For I AM God, and there is no other;
I AM God, and there is none like Me,
declaring the end from the beginning, and
from ancient times things that are not yet done,
saying, ‘My Counsel shall stand, and
I will do all My pleasure’” … (Is. 46.9, 10).
“Who works all things” (Eph. 1.11).
“And we know that all things work together for good
to those who love God,
to those who are the called
according to His purpose” (Rom. 8.28).
“According to the counsel of His will” (Eph. 1.11).
“You hold me by my right hand.
You will guide me with Your counsel,
and afterward receive me to glory.
Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart fail;
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever” (Ps. 73.23-26).
“We have obtained an inheritance” (Eph. 1.11).
And what an inheritance it is!
Yet merely a “foretaste of the riches to come.”
“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Cor. 9.15).
Reflection
1. God Himself—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—is our inheritance. How would you explain this to a new believer?
2. How do you “draw” on that inheritance day by day?
3. How can you encourage other believers to realize more of our inheritance in the Lord?
God has set us apart for himself. It is as if to say God saw us before we became heirs. The foreknowledge of God is wonderful and sees all things before they occur. John Chrysostom (344-407), Homily on Ephesians 2.1.11-14
Pray Psalm 78.1-5, 70-72.
Thank God for His promises and Law and for Jesus, our King, Who reigns even now and with Whom we are seated in heavenly places. Praise God for specific things you see or that come to mind concerning your inheritance.
Sing Psalm 78.1-5, 70-72.
(Foundation: How Firm a Foundation)
Give ear, O my people, attend to my word,
dark sayings and parables sent from the LORD,
things we have before by our Fathers been told,
which we would not dare from our children withhold.
The glorious deeds of our God in His might,
and all of the works He has done in our sight,
together with all of the words of His Law,
would we on ourselves and our children bestow.
Now Jesus, God’s servant, is King evermore,
and we are His people, and He is our Lord.
His heart is upright as He leads by His hand
and causes us ever before Him to stand.
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest this week: In our ReVision series on “The Kingdom Economy” we begin looking at commerce from a Kingdom perspective. Our Read Moore podcast continues readings from the book, Such a Great Salvation. Our Crosfigell series on Brendan of Clonfert finds the saint beginning his second voyage to find The Promised Land of the Saints. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
