In Him also we have obtained an inheritance…
Ephesians 1:11a
In this passage, we see more of the blessings that are ours because we are “in Him” or “in Christ.” Again, I suggest you spend a little time with Blue Letter Bible or another Bible software program of your choice and search the phrases “in Him” and “in Christ” for yourself. After all, we all learn better by doing rather than just watching someone else do it. So jump on in and get your feet wet. And when you do, begin with “in Christ” and scan the verses to see how the theology of these two words permeates almost all of Paul’s writings. He obviously understood the significance of being “in Him,” and it would do each of us good if we understood it as well.
We have been studying the first chapter of Ephesians and are focusing on verse 11, where it says:
In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.
So let’s look at each word and phrase in the first part of this verse to see exactly what God is saying so we can determine exactly what He means by what He says (we are only going to look at the first eight words today; we’ll cover more next time).
In Him – We have discussed this at length in a prior post. Basically, this phrase reveals to us that, apart from Christ, the only thing we can expect from God is condemnation for our sins. But, because of Christ and because we are now found “in Him” (which is all a gift from God lavished upon us), we can rejoice in all circumstances for:
There is therefore now (present tense) no condemnation to those (put your name here to make it personal) who are (what) in Christ Jesus, (described as those) who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit – Romans 8:1.
We Have Obtained an Inheritance – This phrase is a translation of a single compound Greek word, eklērōthēmen, which has two renderings. In other words, this word can be translated in two different ways. And each of these translations, even though they mean something entirely different in English, are correct both grammatically and theologically. Plus, this word is in the aorist active indicative tense, which means it is so certain to happen, that it can be spoken of as having already taken place. We see this also in Ephesians 2:6, where the same tense is used when it states God, “raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” The certainty of this is so secure that the Holy Spirit speaks of it as having already happened. And the same applies to our obtaining an inheritance in Him.
But there are two correct renderings of the Greek word in question. The first, and the one that seems to fit the context best, means “we have obtained an inheritance” in Him. Or, we have received an inheritance from God as adopted sons whom He predestined or predetermined from eternity past (Eph. 1:4-5). And the inheritance we have received in Him is just part of how God “has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3). This is why Romans 8:15-17 makes the point of revealing we are not only “children of God,” but “heirs”— those who receive an inheritance. But it continues, we are “heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.” So, it would appear the first rendering of this passage, of our receiving or obtaining an inheritance from God, is accurate and supported by Scripture.
But what about the...
