Ephesians 1:10-12
10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him 11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.
I have to admit, when I first read this passage, I had no clue what I was reading. Remembering that this was written as one long elegant sentence, I had to read it again. The second read, however, I read it by starting with yesterday’s verses. Paul is still talking about the purpose of Christ. The parallel between Christ and God continues. Here, Paul is telling us that Christ is everything, the beginning and the end, the epitome of time, space, and even our hope.
Christ is made up of the things we all hope for. When we hope for things, it is in anticipation of a wonderful and overwhelming feeling. God receives His glory when we finally realize and accept it. It is available to us freely.
Those who have accepted Christ, as Paul explains in verse 11, are predestined to receive the counsel of His will. This is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is our counselor to guide us in the ways of the Lord, so that we may not be without instruction or hope. Rather, we inherit these things because we are His children.
Think about when someone dies and their children are left an inheritance. Granted, I don’t know many people who have received an inheritance, however let’s think about how odd it may be if someone refuses to receive their inheritance. Wouldn’t it be disrespectful? It would be as if they were spitting on the grave of the deceased. This is what we have done in the remembrance of Christ.
I’m not just talking to unbelievers here, either. As believers, we know better. We claim to love the Lord our God but repeatedly turn our backs on Him. Yes, we are sinners. No, we aren’t expected to be perfect. However, when we blatantly and knowingly disregard the guidance His Spirit gives us, we are actually WORSE than the unbeliever because they don’t have the guidance we do!
So what will we do today with our inheritance? Will we reject it completely, claiming we never knew Him? Will we accept it but not put it to good use as it was intended? Or will we cherish it and follow His last will and testament?
