Paul introduces our inheritance in Christ in Ephesians. He explains that believers in Jesus receive a predestined inheritance from God. This inheritance offers eternal life in God’s Kingdom. Like a loving father, God adopts believers as His children and promises them this gift. Peter describes it as an incorruptible and eternal inheritance reserved in heaven (1 Peter 1:4-5). Revelation 21:7 also affirms that those who overcome will inherit all things and will be called God’s children.
The Role of Faith
Paul teaches that believers do not earn this inheritance by obeying the law or by ancestry, as some first-century Jews believed. Instead, God gives it through faith, just as He counted Abraham’s faith as righteousness. In Galatians 3, Paul explains that the promise to Abraham extends to all who believe in Jesus, whether Jew or Gentile. This shows that faith, not works, is key to receiving the inheritance in Christ.
Our Inheritance: The Holy Spirit
Another blessing believers receive is the Holy Spirit. Paul states in Ephesians 1:13-14 that those who hear and believe the gospel receive sealing with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit acts as a deposit or guarantee of the inheritance. Jesus also taught this in John 3:5-6, saying that one must be born of water and Spirit to enter God’s Kingdom. Acts 2:38 and 5:32 further explain that repentance, baptism, and obedience lead to receiving the Holy Spirit.
The Resurrection is Our Inheritance in Christ
The Spirit guarantees that believers will transform when Jesus returns. If they have died, He will raise them with new spiritual bodies; if they are alive, He will change their bodies. This transformation allows them to live eternally in God’s presence. Paul calls this transformation the “redemption of the purchased possession.” Believers redeem themselves from sin through Jesus’ blood, but they still live in a sinful world. Therefore, they eagerly await the day when He redeems their bodies and frees them from sin and decay (Romans 8:23).
Paul concludes by praising the Ephesians for their faith and love. Although imprisoned, Paul constantly prays for them, showing the power of prayer even when physical actions are limited. His example reminds believers that prayer serves as a vital way to support God’s Kingdom.
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