The Inheritance given by God

Ephesians 1:11-14 LITV

Notice what Paul wrote, in whom we also have been chosen to an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of the One working all things according to the counsel of His own will. Notice the word ‘We’. The word “we”refers to all Christian believers. We know this because after v. 11, Paul wrote in v.12, for us to be to the praise of His glory, the ones who had previously trusted Christ, referring to Jewish believers in Christ, and in v. 13, in whom also you, hearing the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also believing you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, referring to Gentile believers in Christ, and then v. 14, who is the earnest of our inheritance. “We” in v. 11 refers to all true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, whether Jew or Gentile believer in the Lord Jesus, we are one in Christ, and both are heirs according to the promise of God.

Because we have election, we have redemption, and because we have redemption, we have been given an inheritance. All this was predetermined in the very mind of God before the foundation of the world. Paul emphasizes the master planning of God from eternity, to choose and redeem a people for Himself, and to give them a heavenly inheritance in the Lord Jesus. 

Notice the words, being predestinated according to the purpose of the One….. This is referring to the Father. This inheritance was predestined by the Father in His Son. God set the boundary and limited to His elect people in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Not only are the people of God elected for Salvation, but also predestined to an inheritance. It was predetermined by God. Notice the words in v. 11 according to the purpose of the One working all things according to the counsel of His own will. It is according to God, not man. The word "will" is the same word in v. 1 (thelema), which means a thing willed. It was the very will of God. It was in the very heart of God, His pleasure, the desire of God’s heart. He is the source of this work. The author of this work, the one who writes the story. The Lord is the One who puts it into progress, and the Lord is One who will bring it to completion. This was done by the Lord’s own direction and will, no other gave Him advice, nor direction, nor by the will of another, no one persuaded Him, nor inspired Him, nor made an effort on Him, nor gave Him any reason to do what He did, but all done by His Grace. The Inheritance has been establised by God to give to His people, and may we never forget to praise Him for His goodness in the Lord Jesus Christ, His Son. 

Look at the word, “working” in v. 11. It is the Greek word, “energeo”, and it is where we get the English word, “energy”.  God never plans something, and then try and to work out how to accomplish the plan, but He predestined, and by His omnipotence, fufills whatever He predestined. In v. 14,  the Bible says that the Holy Spirit is the earnest of our inhertance, which means He has been given to us as a guarantee, what we have in part, we will receive in full.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, Our Father loves you and me with a measureless, eternal, and perfect love. We will be with Him. Nothing can change that, it is all fixed and secured in the Victorious One, our Lord and Saviour, Christ Jesus. No man could stop creation, nor the incarnation, nor the crucifixion, nor the resurrection, nor our salvation, and nothing can stop our glorification, nothing can stop us from being with Jesus. Heaven is a real place, but what makes heaven, heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ. Being with Him makes all what we have in Him, special, and without Him they would be empty. Jesus is in heaven, and we will be with Him. Amen.

Salvation Belongs to Yahweh

Welcome to this blog article. We are going to look at 2Thes. 2 from verse 13. This is a great scripture to show that God elected certain people for salvation. The Bible says in 2Thes. 2:13 and 14 LITV, But we ought to thank God always concerning you, brothers, beloved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning to salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth, to which He called you through our gospel, to obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now we see here very clearly that Paul wrote, But we ought to thank God always concerning you, brothers, beloved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning to salvation, in sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth, which He called you through our gospel, to obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We see here very clearly that Paul wrote that God chooses people for salvation. God chose His people from the beginning to salvation, from the beginning, they were chosen, for Ephesians 1:4 tells us that God chose us, which means His people, in Him, which means Christ Jesus, before the world was. The Bible makes it very clear that God chose His people from the beginning, not God chose His people at the beginning, but God chose His people from the beginning to salvation, for His people were chosen in Christ before the world was.

Then Paul wrote, in sanctification of the Spirit. This is the work of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit has been sent by the Father and the Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is setting apart those who are the people of God, those whom God elected, those whom God choose to extend His saving grace to, by the good pleasure of His own will. When the Holy Spirit sanctifies, sets apart those whom God has chosen, the Holy Spirit regenerates them, takes out the heart of stone and gives them a heart of flesh, and raises them to spiritual life, He changes their wills, and that person will come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, as the Bible says, belief of the truth. This is seen here in this text, for Paul wrote, because God chose you from the beginning to salvation, in sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth. Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth go hand in hand, and cannot be separated. When one does not come to belief in the truth, it is because the Spirit did not set them apart, and they remained in their wilful rebellion against a Holy God.

Important to understand that the Holy Spirit is not trying to save everybody equally, and whereby some people say yes, and some people say no in an unregenerated state, but the Bible teaches that those whom the Holy Spirit sets apart, will come to believe in the truth. They will believe in Christ Jesus.

Paul continue to wrote, which He called you through our gospel, to obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the work of the Holy Spirit and His gospel. The Holy Spirit works with His gospel, and when He does, they come to God through the Lord Jesus Christ, and receive the salvation which Christ accomplished for them when He came and laid down His life for  them.

We also see the Triune God here. God chose you, referring to the Father,  and then the sanctification of the Spirit, which refers to the Holy Spirit, and then belief of the truth, which He called you through our gospel, to obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, referring to the Lord Jesus Christ. We see the three persons of the One true God, working together in the salvation of the people of God. We clearly see here that this is a work of God. The Father thought salvation, the Son bought salvation, and the Holy Spirit wrought salvation.

When we go to Romans 8:28, the word foreknew is a verb and not a noun. There are people who use this like a noun and not a verb, but the word ‘foreknew’ is a verb in the Greek. That is important. This is a verb, and God is the One doing the action of the verb. Why did God foreknow them who would come to Christ, because God choose them for salvation, and because He did, they will come to Christ, as we have seen in 2Thes. 2:13. 

This is seen clearly in v. 30 in Romans 8 LITV, for the Bible says, But whom He predestinated, (they are those whom He foreknow) which means He choose them, He predestinated them, these He also called. Remember what Paul wrote in 2Thes. 2:14, to which He called you through our gospel. It is the Spirit and the Gospel.

Now, this call here in Romans 8:30 is not referring to a general call, but an effectual call. We can see this here in v.30, for the Bible says, for whom He called, these He also justified. Who are justified? Those who have been saved. This is speaking about an effectual call because them whom God calls are justified, they are saved, just like we have seen in 2Thess, 2:13-14. All who God calls here, are justified. They receive salvation. It can not be referring to the general call to salvation, for many do not come to the Lord, and not receive salvation, which obviously means they are not justified. Amen. Then it continues to say in v.30, those whom He justified, these He also glorified. God, God, God all the way. So whom God foreknew, He predestinated, He called, He justified, and He glorified, God from the beginning to the end. Amen.

It is very clear in the Word of God, that whom God chooses to save, He will save, and they will spend an eternity with Him in Heaven. Praise the Lord that He does, for as Jonah said in Jonah 2:9 LITV, Salvation belongs to Jehovah (Yahweh). Amen.