In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:11-12)
Understanding Your Eternal Inheritance
In Jesus, God pledges to give us an inheritance. According to verse 4, God has adopted us into His family through Jesus Christ. Like any wealthy father, God intends to give His children an inheritance. Our inheritance is eternal life in the kingdom of God. 1 Peter 1:4-5 says we have been born again to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you. John hears God’s promise in Revelation 21:7, stating he who overcomes shall inherit all things.
The Scope of the Eternal Inheritance
Our salvation and our place in heaven with God for eternity are the inheritance He has promised in Jesus Christ. Paul says God predestined Christians to receive this inheritance. The Jews of Paul’s generation believed they were the recipients of the inheritance promised to Abraham, which included eternal life. In Galatians 3, we see how Jesus was asked by different men what they must do to inherit eternal life. First-century Jews believed their obedience to the Law and their descent from Abraham qualified them for this specific gift.
Faith and the Promise of God
Paul corrects this misunderstanding, pointing out that the inheritance promised to Abraham was not given through the Law but by virtue of Abraham’s faith. Therefore, the promised inheritance is given to those who believe in God, just like Abraham did. If I have faith like Abraham and believe in Jesus Christ, I will receive the predestined inheritance even though I am a Gentile. God’s foreordained purpose was to bestow eternal life on those who believed in Jesus Christ. Whether or not one believes has always been the measuring stick by which God judges the world.
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