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Book: Ephesians
 Print ( PC Only )
Ephesians 1:11,12
I. IN WHOM we have an inheritance.
A. Through Jesus Christ you have become a child of God, and thus
an heir of God.
ROM 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with
Christ; if so be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also
glorified together.
1. We have a glorious inheritance.
a. When I was a child my aunt was a housekeeper
for a very wealthy family in Montecito. During
the summer, the family would be in Europe and
I would go up and spend a week with my cousin
in the mansion.
b. I used to fantasize being and heir to a rich
family.
c. Bless God, I am an heir to the richest family,
the family of God, and not of riches that will
perish with time, but eternal riches of His
kingdom.
2. Peter speaks of our inheritance and declares that it is
incorruptible, and undefiled, and fades not away and is
reserved in heaven for us who are being kept by the
power of God through faith. 1Pet. 1:4
3. Psalm tells us that the inheritance shall be forever.
PSA 37:18 The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance
shall be for ever.
B. The certainty of the inheritance.
1. God has sealed us with the Holy Spirit as an earnest of
our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased
possession.
2. God has sworn with an oath to confirm the promise.
HEB 6:17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of
promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed [it] by an
oath:
HEB 6:18 That by two immutable things, in which [it was] impossible for
God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled
for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
HEB 6:19 Which [hope] we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and
stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;
C. On what basis do I become an heir.
1. Relationship, through Jesus Christ I have become a son
of God. "But as many as received Him to them gave He
the power to become the sons of God, even as many as
believed on His name. And if sons then heirs.
2. Sanctification.
ACS 20:32 And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of
his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an
inheritance among all them which are sanctified.
a. To be sanctified to be set apart or separated
for service. The vessels that were used in the
Temple service were not to be used for any
other purpose.
b. Our lives should be set apart for service for
the Lord, we are not to serve any other
masters.
c. We are sanctified through faith.
ACS 26:18 To open their eyes, [and] to turn [them] from darkness to light,
and [from] the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive
forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are
sanctified by faith that is in me.
Sanctified through faith in Jesus.
3. Through justification.
TIT 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs
according to the hope of eternal life.
4. The promise of the kingdom is to those who love Him.
JAM 2:5 Harken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of
this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath
promised to them that love him?
D. This inheritance is the sustaining hope of the believer. In a
world that is so disdainful of purity and holiness, and Jesus
Christ, the Christian finds himself the odd man out. We are as
aliens here. Without a hope, we would surely falter, and fall
into the pattern of the world.
1. Hebrews speaks of this hope being the anchor to the
soul.
2. In Paul's prayer in verse 18 he asked the Lord to give
them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, that their
eyes of understanding being enlightened, they might
know what is the hope of their calling.
3. Paul's desire was that they might know just what God
has in store for those who love Him. If they only knew
the things that God has in store for those that love
Him.
4. Paul had an opportunity to visit the third heaven and
declared that it would be a crime to try to describe
the glorious things that he had heard.
5. It is so important that we catch the eternal
perspective.
II. "According to the purpose of Him that worketh everything after the
counsel of His own will."
A. Here again we come face to face with the sovereignty of God.
1. He works out His purposes after the counsel of His own
will.
2. I must say that the thought of the sovereignty of God
could terrify me if I did not know God.
B. What is His purpose?
1. He is not willing that any should perish, but that they
should come to a knowledge of Him.
2. He has purposed that you should be conformed to the
image of His Son.
3. He has purposed that you should inherit the kingdom.
LUK 12:32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to
give you the kingdom.
C. The certainty of His purposes.
ISA 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times
[the things] that are not [yet] done, saying, My counsel shall
stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
1. As a child and an heir of the kingdom of God that
should give you all kinds of comfort and joy, knowing
that the purposes of God shall stand.
2. I am thrilled when I think what God has purposed for
me, for my future. For I know that He is going to do
His good pleasure.
III. What has God further purposed for us? That we should be to the praise
of His glory.
A. In verse 6 Paul speaks of the praise of the glory of His grace.
It is the understanding and receiving the grace that leads to
spontaneous praise.
B. God wants and has purposed that you should be to the praise of
His glory.
1. I believe that God wants you to so live that people
will praise Him as they see His work in and through
your life.
a. Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before
men, that when they see your good works, they
will glorify your Father which is in heaven."
b. The prophet Isaiah said,
ISA 60:1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is
risen upon thee.
ISA 60:2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross
darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his
glory shall be seen upon thee.
ISA 60:3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the
brightness of thy rising.
2. Paul speaks to the Galatians of the people glorifying
God in Him.
3. In his letter to the Thessalonians he speaks of Christ
coming to be glorified in His saints.
2TH 1:10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be
admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among
you was believed) in that day.
2TH 1:11 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count
you worthy of [this] calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of
[his] goodness, and the work of faith with power:
2TH 1:12 That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you,
and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord
Jesus Christ.
4. How often do we see in the ministry of Jesus how that
after He had done miracles among the people that they
glorified God.
5. Peter wrote,
1PE 2:12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas
they speak against you as evildoers, they may by [your] good
works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of
visitation.
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