HOPE, GLORIOUS INHERITANCE AND GREAT POWER - PART 3

MONDAY 23 AUGUST 2021

A glorious inheritance is God's plan and purpose for the saints in Christ. Knowing that we are saved and cleansed by the blood of the Lamb makes us "saints" in the spiritual sense and therefore, in God's sight, we are holy and set apart for the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.

Reference: Ephesians 1:18 New King James Version (NKJV) "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power."

So why do we need to be enlightened about this glorious riches of God's inheritance in the saints? First, the most simple rendering and meaning is "so you will know how rich and glorious the blessings God has promised His holy people are." Let me give you a metaphorical instance of what Paul had in mind as he was writing this by divine inspiration. King Solomon was blessed with wisdom and wealth and Queen of Sheba admired the wisdom of Solomon from afar. In fact, according to the Scripture, the Queen of Sheba heard that King Solomon was richly blessed, famous, wise, and devoted to God, and for these reasons, she came to Jerusalem to visit King Solomon.

When the Queen of Sheba came to Solomon and saw all his wisdom and the palace he built, the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the Lord, her eyes of understanding opened and she was overwhelmed, so to speak. In 1 king 10:6-7 (NIV), Queen of Sheba said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard."

With this story, you can understand Paul's mind when He prayed the prayer of spiritual enlightenment: "so you will know how rich and glorious are the blessings God has promised His holy people." Though they were in Christ, the Christians in Ephesus needed the eyes of their heart to be enlightened so they would know how rich and glorious the blessings God has made available for His holy people. They were like Queen of Sheba, hearing about it from the far distance of physical standpoint, but they needed a spiritual insight and revelation of it. By the mystery of enlightenment, they would easily affirm the spirit-reality of those inheritance above just hearing about it. In other words, they would come through into knowing and walking in them.

Today, it is almost elegant to tell people that you are "born again". It has become a watered-down term which for many means nothing more than receiving Christ as Lord and the Holy Spirit coming into their hearts to ease their guilt and give them comfort in a tough world. Many Christians don't know more than this, and so they don't desire more in God. There is such a thing as the eyes of our heart being enlightened to know more. So don't play spiritual babes for so long, feeding on the sincere milk of the Word only (1 Peter 2:2 NIV). There are strong meats. Paul once said to the Corinthian Christians, "I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able" (1 Corinthians 3:2 KJV).

Hebrews 5:13-14 (ESV/DRB) reads, "For everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But strong meat is for the perfect or the mature..." Can you see the reason for Paul's prayer point of enlightenment? It's so we would go deeper in the knowledge of these glorious riches of divine inheritance in the saints. So God calls every born again Christian to believe what He has accomplished for us through Christ on the cross and to know and possess the benefits and untold riches of the blessing made fully available in Christ.

What are the riches of the glory of God's inheritance in the saints? We have the inheritance we enjoy on earth and also the heavenly inheritance, all in Christ. We can enjoy and walk in our glorious inheritance on earth such as divine glory, healing, health, provision, protection, safety, sanctification, wealth, prosperity, grace, victory, righteousness, holiness, wisdom and all kinds of spiritual gifts. And we have much more glorious inheritance to enjoy in the world to come, after Christ's return. Stay tuned for part 4 of this topic. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Psalm 16:6; Romans 8:17; Ephesians 1:11-14; Colossians 1:12; Ephesians 2:6-7.

Exuberant Declaration: The eyes of my heart is daily enlightened to grasp the majesty, glory, wonders and riches of the blessing God has promised and delivered to His holy and set apart people in Christ Jesus. They are immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness well directed towards me. And I'm forever sealed with the precious Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of my inheritance until I acquire the possession of them all, both in this life and in the life to come, to the praise of God's glory. Blessed be God!