Creator, Father, King #294

I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

IF YOU ARE FAMILIAR with Christianity, you’ve probably heard some of the most well-known stories in the Bible: Noah’s ark, David and Goliath, Jesus feeding the five thousand, etc. Sometimes, you might even have to ask God’s Spirit to amaze you anew at stories you’ve heard many times, never letting familiarity with Scripture breed complacency in your heart.

Then there are times when God illuminates fresh spiritual truth about wisdom that has always been in his Word—but maybe just hidden from our imperceptive eyes. Perhaps today’s verse is one of those previously veiled treasures for you.

Ephesians 1:18 speaks of “glorious inheritance.” This is something Christians hear about a lot—all the priceless spiritual blessings that are ours in Christ. And rightfully so! A believer’s inheritance is rich beyond measure.

But that’s not what Ephesians 1:18 is referring to. Look at it again. It says God’s “holy people” are “his rich and glorious inheritance” (emphasis added).

WAIT—WHAT???

We are God’s inheritance? How can that be?

The answer is as wonderful as it is shocking.

What’s It Mean?

Every Christian’s inheritance is incredible:

• It’s based on his prior election of us, not on our merit (Ephesians 1:11).
• Through Christ, God has pardoned our sins forever (Colossians 1:13-14).
• God has adopted us into his spiritual family with abundant blessings (Galatians 4:4-6).
• God’s Spirit lives inside of us, assuring us of salvation and sanctifying us daily (Ephesians 1:13-14; 2 Thessalonians 2:13).
• We have the hope of eternal life in the presence of our Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

And that’s just a summary! But to think that God would consider us “his rich and glorious inheritance” is beyond words.

Believer, you are God’s treasure. His love for you cannot be measured (Psalm 103:11). He has written history with you in mind (Ephesians 1:3–2:10), desiring one day to spend all eternity with you. He’s looking forward to redeeming you from this sin-stained world and welcoming you into his holy presence forever. He did this not because of your own innate goodness but because of his amazing grace.

That’s what it means to be the Lord’s “rich and glorious inheritance.”

What a promise! What a God!

Now What?

The predestined nature of God’s “holy people” helps explain why he considers believers as such a precious inheritance. To understand more, read Ephesians 1:1-14 and Romans 8:28-30.

Did You Know?

We need godly wisdom and spiritual maturity to understand all these things. That’s why Paul prayed for believers’ hearts to “be flooded with [God’s] light.”