A Sealed Inheritance for the Happiness of God
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 1:11–14 Read More
There are two great things that Paul compares our salvation to in this part. They are things that we don’t really deal with that much, but if you spend some time dwelling on them, you’ll appreciate what Christ has done more than ever.
We Have Obtained an Inheritance
Paul says that in Christ we have an inheritance. That means that there are all kinds of riches and good things stored up and waiting to be delivered to us as soon as someone dies. When Christ died on the cross, all of the riches of being free from sin, all of the hope and joy of having our sin removed, came to us.
The other great thing about an inheritance is that it isn’t anything that we earned. An inheritance is always earned by someone else and then given to you because you are family. Not only did we not have to earn that inheritance, but as long as it is being kept from us, we don’t have to maintain it. My rich uncle doesn’t ask me to balance his portfolio or get better locks on the door of his house. It is his responsibility to take care of, protect, and maintain the inheritance until it is mine. In Christ, we don’t have to be afraid of losing our inheritance in Christ or having it stolen. Like Jude 1:24, He is able to keep you.
We Have Been Sealed
A wax seal was the ancient way of encrypting communications. When a messenger brought a letter that had a seal on it, it showed that the letter was kept secret. If the seal was removed, there would be a big mark where the seal used to be, and whoever opened it had to answer to the one to whom it was addressed. You could only remove that seal if you had authority equal to or greater than the one that was receiving the sealed letter.
The Holy Spirit is the seal upon us that guarantees our inheritance. Like some movie where the heir is hidden as a great champion among the common folk, the Holy Spirit in us reveals that we are more than just animal-humans. We are eternal and we are on our way to eternity with God in Christ. The Holy Spirit Guarantee is in us to give us a glimpse of things to come while we are still functioning and thriving in this dark age.
To the Praise of His Glory
All of this is done to bring attention and happiness to God. He is delighted to give us everything He has. He loves us so much He will protect it and us until the right time. He is glorious and He will accomplish it all.
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