Ephesians 1:11-12

11In 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, 12so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory

We continue today with the second of the In Him refrains – how we have been blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing, to the praise of God’s grace. And the cool thing is that we really don’t find any new theology here – Paul is just looking at what we’ve already discussed from a different angle, giving even greater breadth to our understanding of God’s ultimate plan. You should hear echos of the previous verses in most of the content of these two verses.

The first idea of inheritance in v11 really stems out of the concept of sonship introduced back in v5, he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ. Sons get the inheritance of their father, not based on whether they are perfect children, but on the very fact that they are children. And we’ve been adopted purely by the effectual power of God’s wondrous grace; which should make us the most joyous, most trusting and least self-righteous children in the world! We have obtained an inheritance, but don’t start thinking that ‘obtained’ means you actually took hold of it by your own accord, the verse goes on to say, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will. God choose you a long time ago! This verse is one of the most beautiful, yet immovable statements of God’s sovereignty. God works all things according to the counsel of his will. All things. Earthquakes, cancer, tsunamis, Satan, the fall, Judas, Barack Obama, snow, church, babies, famine – none of it happens in discord to the counsel of his will. Ultimately, He works it all. We need not freak out at this point. A God who is anything but completely sovereign is not a God worth our worship at all. He demands our silenced mouths, our minds that hurt from trying to figure this stuff out – because a God who is anything less is simply too simple to be God. But he’s still your father – that’s the truly amazing thing. Your dad knows and controls everything – and he loves you, has saved you, washed you, and has promised that everything you’ll experience in life is for the best, because he has a bigger plan, as we find out in v12;

11In him we have obtained an inheritance…v12so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.

Sound familiar? Paul’s just looking at what he’s already said from a different angle. He made clear in v5-6 that God predestined us to become Sons through Jesus Christ so that his grace would be seen and worshipped as glorious. Now our very inheritance as sons – the inheritance being the consummation of our adoption as Sons, that is the now the focal point of when the eternal praise of God’s grace begins. I may be wrong, but I take the phrase “we who were the first to hope in Christ” to mean the church as it first appears in the throne room of heaven. The arrival of the church is a marked point in the worship of heaven. Revelation makes clear the worship of Christ has already begun, but it seems here that as the church is brought into their inheritance as sons, the praise of God’s glory at the arrival of the church adds yet another dimension to the praise of the glory of God’s grace. What a privilege! And I didn’t do anything to be a part of this! That’s the whole point isn’t it – it’s all by grace so that God gets all the glory! All by his grace, all for his glory. I think that refrain is going to keep coming back in Ephesians.

Heavenly Father,

I am consistently blown away by your grace as I dive deeper into Ephesians 1. I can never thank and praise you enough for what you have done for me. I long to stand and worship you forever and ever in heaven – that I might begin to express what I must express! Thank you for blessing me in Christ with sonship – that I might, incredibly, have your inheritance – to see and worship the glory of your grace for all eternity. Help me to live as a joyous child, who never presumes on his own righteousness, but purely on your grace – that I might live to see Jesus Christ and your grace glorified in all the world. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

How good is Ephesians 1!

Matt.