We are Christ's Inheritance
May 2016
“…that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints”
- Ephesians 1:18b
Reflect
Here are Reveal we are not typically fans of taking a verse out of context. Because one of the hills we die on is to seek truth as it exists in the Bible, we prefer to read a passage, or at least a whole verse.
But this snippet from Ephesians doesn’t lose any power or meaning when it is pulled out of its original context, so let’s make an exception. There is a powerful truth hidden in these few words. Here it is:
We are Christ’s inheritance.
He is not our inheritance in this passage.
We are His.
It’s mind-blowing, isn’t it? And we are not only His inheritance, but we are his glorious inheritance.
Rewind
When is the last time you woke up, dragged yourself out of bed with full-on morning bedhead, looked in the mirror, and thought to yourself – “I am glorious!”
Well, glorious is the word the Jesus thinks of when He considers us. We are so precious to Him, so worthwhile, filled to overflowing with so much glory, that He chose to die on a cross to be with us.
Remember, there was not monarchy in heaven. God the Father didn’t summon Jesus and command Him to become a baby for us. God the Father didn’t have to. Before He became that helpless infant suckling at His mom’s breast, He saw that we were glorious. Before He endured the sorrow of being threatened by the religious leaders, He decided we were worth it. Before He felt the presence of God the Father pull away from Him, leaving Him alone in the wretchedness of sins He never committed, Jesus chose us as His inheritance.
When He is all grown up, the gift that He gets from His Father is…us.
React
Allow this profound truth to settle into your spirit for a moment. Then ask yourself this: In light of the profound realization that we are Christ’s inheritance, what are some ways we can respond?
No matter how dark the day, no matter how difficult the circumstances, no matter how untamable the downpour of negativity might feel in your lives, remember this: You are Christ’s inheritance.
- Ephesians 1:18b
Reflect
Here are Reveal we are not typically fans of taking a verse out of context. Because one of the hills we die on is to seek truth as it exists in the Bible, we prefer to read a passage, or at least a whole verse.
But this snippet from Ephesians doesn’t lose any power or meaning when it is pulled out of its original context, so let’s make an exception. There is a powerful truth hidden in these few words. Here it is:
We are Christ’s inheritance.
He is not our inheritance in this passage.
We are His.
It’s mind-blowing, isn’t it? And we are not only His inheritance, but we are his glorious inheritance.
Rewind
When is the last time you woke up, dragged yourself out of bed with full-on morning bedhead, looked in the mirror, and thought to yourself – “I am glorious!”
Well, glorious is the word the Jesus thinks of when He considers us. We are so precious to Him, so worthwhile, filled to overflowing with so much glory, that He chose to die on a cross to be with us.
Remember, there was not monarchy in heaven. God the Father didn’t summon Jesus and command Him to become a baby for us. God the Father didn’t have to. Before He became that helpless infant suckling at His mom’s breast, He saw that we were glorious. Before He endured the sorrow of being threatened by the religious leaders, He decided we were worth it. Before He felt the presence of God the Father pull away from Him, leaving Him alone in the wretchedness of sins He never committed, Jesus chose us as His inheritance.
When He is all grown up, the gift that He gets from His Father is…us.
React
Allow this profound truth to settle into your spirit for a moment. Then ask yourself this: In light of the profound realization that we are Christ’s inheritance, what are some ways we can respond?
- Joy. We can respond with joy. If the Dude holding the heavens and the earth together by the power of His word says we are glorious and worth of being an inheritance, let’s start to assume that maybe (just maybe) He knows a thing or two. This truth when fully realized in our lives can result in unending joy, which is bigger and broader than any trouble could ever touch.
- Gratitude. A lot of times these words are used as synonyms, but they have different meanings. Joy is a deep-seated sense of completeness, but gratitude is to be overflowing with thankfulness. Who but God could look at the messes we make in our lives and say, “You are a glorious inheritance!”?
- Humility. Jesus, the only sinless man who ever lived, looked at us (the radical conglomerations or confusion, mixed emotions, misplaced passions and misunderstood motives) and said to the Father: “That right there is worth dying for. It is worth losing my connection with you. They are worth it.” If Jesus, being sinless, can respond with such servanthood, what choice do we have except to give our lives in the service of others?
No matter how dark the day, no matter how difficult the circumstances, no matter how untamable the downpour of negativity might feel in your lives, remember this: You are Christ’s inheritance.