Short Summaries of

Sermons on Ephesians

by Rev. Ralph Allan Smith

The Inheritance of the Saints

(Eph. 1:11)

To be a son means to be an heir. God predestined us unto adoption before the foundation of the world so that we could be co-heirs with Christ (Eph. 1:5). Christ Himself is the seed of Abraham to whom the promises were made (Gal. 3:16) and in whom all of God's promises are fulfilled (2 Cor. 1:20). Those who are in Christ share with Him the inheritance (Gal. 3:27-29; 4:7). But what does Christ inherit? In the book of Hebrews Paul says that God has spoken in His Son "whom he hath appointed heir of all things" (Heb. 1:2). Christ inherits "all things"! But do the saints also? John says, "He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son" (Rev. 21:7). Those who persevere to the end shall inherit all things. They shall become what God intended man to be in the beginning--God's representatives who rule and enjoy the world as His servants. The new Adam leads a new race of men in a new world that will truly glorify God.

The Inheritance In Ancient Israel

The idea of inheritance is central to the law of Moses. There are at least 80 references to the idea of inheritance in the books of Moses. The land itself is frequently referred to as Israel's inheritance (Gen. 15:7; 28:4; Ex. 23:30; 32:13; Lev. 20:24; Num. 26:53; etc.). It was divided up by tribe and family so that each family in Israel had an inheritance in the area that belonged to their tribe (Jos. 13:6-19:51). Gary North estimates that each family had an average of about 11 acres at the beginning. (This is actually a generous estimate because it does not take into account the land area devoted to cities or the fact that some parts of the land would not be arable.)

Ancient Jews would have asked concrete questions that Christian commentaries have ignored for almost 2000 years. For example: "If this land is given to my children forever, how much of it will remain for each child a few generations from now?'' North says that with a population growth rate of 3 percent per annum--a rate sustained by many agricultural nations in the twentieth century--the population would have doubled in just 25 years. Israel was promised greater than average population growth for faithfulness to the law so her population could have doubled in even less time. Even at a relatively normal rate after 50 years in the land, time for the first jubilee, the average farm would be under three acres. After 100 years, the average family should have less than one half of an acre--not much of a farm.

The physical limitations of the land and a few simple calculations would have led Jews in Moses' day to consider the deeper meaning of the law of land inheritance. Other matters too would provoke them to consider the symbolic meaning of the land. They were called a nation of priests (Exo. 19:6) so they understood that the priesthood was symbolic and representative of the whole nation. But the priests were explicitly told: "Wherefore Levi hath no part nor inheritance with his brethren; the LORD is his inheritance, according as the LORD thy God promised him" (Deu. 10:9; cf. Num. 18:20; Eze. 44:8). If the LORD is the inheritance of the tribe of Levi, He is also the inheritance of the whole nation.

David made this deduction and expressed it in Psalm 16: "The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage" (16:5-6). Asaph expressed this faith in Psalm 73: "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever" (73:25-26). In the midst of extreme sorrow and pain Jeremiah called to mind his inheritance: "The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him" (Lam. 3:24). The figurative meaning of the land was known to ancient Israel. God's people expected to inherit more than a few feet of dirt. Their hope was in the LORD. "The portion of Jacob is not like them [the idols]; for He is the Maker of all things: and Israel is the rod of His inheritance: the LORD of hosts is His name" (Jer. 51:19; cf. 10:16).

New Covenant Inheritance

It should not come as a surprise to the new covenant people of God, therefore, that the eternal blessings of salvation should be spoken of as our "inheritance." As the children of God, Christians inherit the world and, far more importantly, God Himself: "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together" (Rom. 8:16-17).

Our salvation is spoken of as "inheriting" God to teach us to hope unto the end. We must not be discouraged about what we have not been able to do in this life, nor should we cling to the blessings of this life as if they were what we live for. All of these things will pass. Our hope is in the Lord and in eternity. This does not mean that we sit back and do nothing. On the contrary, because we have a guaranteed inheritance, we can persevere in our labor for the kingdom: "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Cor. 15:58).

Through the combined labors of God's people over the centuries the kingdom of God will eventually be brought in. For most of us, our individual part in bringing in the kingdom will no doubt be very small, but the significance of our work is larger than any of us can imagine. It is appointed to Christ to inherit all of the earth (Psa. 2:8; 82:8). This is His right as the Messiah and the seed of Abraham (cf. Rom. 4:13; Gal. 3:16). Christ has been exalted to the right hand of God to rule until the church has gained a complete victory in history: "For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet" (1 Cor. 15:25).

The righteous will inherit the world with Christ. We rule with Him in the sense that to each one of us God grants an area of influence and authority for which we are responsible. We are to be good stewards of the grace of God, using the one or two talents that He has given us to increase the kingdom in history. We return to our Master more than He gave us so that the kingdom progresses over time. Eventually all nations of the world will be brought to faith and the name of Christ will be glorified in all the world.

But this is a long process of persuasion and reformation. We are not "revolutionaries for Jesus." Here we labor for the conversion of Japan to the Christian faith, but unless the Spirit of God does a special work, it will not happen. In the meantime, is our only hope an earthly kingdom that may not come for another 100 or more years? Not at all. As Peter wrote: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (1 Pet. 1:3-5). The eternal inheritance is our final hope. The earthly kingdom of Christ will merge into His eternal kingdom so that the work that we do for the one is meaningful for the other. We receive an eternal inheritance that our earthly labor helps to build. But when all else is said and done, the inheritance of all things in Christ is only the inheritance of the manifestations of God's love. The blessings are precious because they come from Him and glorify Him. It is God Himself that is our portion. If that truth does not fill us with sincere joy and hope, no other blessing, either heavenly or earthly, counts for much.

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