EPHESIANS 1:3-14
5. The church is the Lord’s instrument of reconciliation and peace, His representative body upon the earth. As the in-
strument of the Lord, the church is to do two things.
a. The church is to take Christ and His message of reconciliation and peace to the world. Through “His body,
the church,” all division and disorder among men are to be condemned, and His message of harmony and
peace is to be proclaimed.

b. The church is to practice reconciliation upon the earth. “In the church” all laws, barriers, and divisions are
to be done away with. They are to be nonexistent. The church is to be a speck, an embryo of heaven upon
the earth.

“To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their
trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we
are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s
stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that
we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Cor.5:19-21).
“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pas-
tors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for edifying
of the body of Christ” (Eph.4:11-12).

7
(1:11-13) Inheritance: the sixth blessing—God has given us an inheritance, that is, made us the heritage of God Him-
self. Note several significant points.
1. The inheritance or heritage was predestinated, that is, foreordained. God works all things out after the counsel of His
own will. He must, for only God knows what is best. And nothing could be better than to be given the greatest inheritance possi-
ble: that of being made the very heritage of God, the very possession of God. (See note, Foreordain—Eph.1:5-6.)
2. The inheritance is clearly stated in the words “that we should be,” that is, that we should exist eternally. God gives
the believer an eternal state of being—an eternal existence. In fact, the word “inheritance” (eklerothemen) means heritage.
God takes the believer and makes him His own heritage and possession. The believer himself is made the inheritance of God.
He is given the glorious privilege of being, of living and existing forever as God’s most cherished possession and heritage.
He becomes the most precious gem and treasure of God. This is the believer’s inheritance, his heritage.

“Yet they are thy people and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest out by thy mighty power
and by thy stretched out arm” (Dt.9:29; cp. Ex.19:5).
“For the LORD’S portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance” (Dt.32:9).
“Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a pecu-
liar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine” (Ex.19:5).
“For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel [believers] for his peculiar treasure”
(Ps.135:4).
“...I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine” (Is.43:1).
“And they [believers] shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my je-
wels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him” (Mal.3:17).
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God,
and not of us” (2 Cor.4:7).
“Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and
of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ
himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an
holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the
spirit” (Eph.2:19-21).
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye
should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light”
(1 Pt.2:9).

3. The reason God makes us His inheritance is that we should exist to the praise of His glory. We shall live forever in
the new heavens and earth as the perfect demonstration of His glory. The fact that God would take sinners—totally depraved
sinners—and save them will cause praise upon praise to be heaped upon His name. His unbelievable love will be seen and
glorified forever and ever by all creatures—both of heaven and of earth, both visible and invisible, both now and yet to be.
All shall stand in stark amazement at God’s spectacular glory—the glory of His eternal grace and love shown to the world in
His dear Son, Jesus Christ.

“To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved”
(Eph.1:6).
“For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. By him therefore let us offer the
sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name”
(Heb.13:14-15).
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye
should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light”
(1 Pt.2:9).
“And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and
the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thou-
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