Ephesians 1:15–23 (ESV)

15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, 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, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Yesterday, we examined Paul’s motivation for praying for the Church. That motivation was two things: he had heard of their faith in the Lord Jesus and their love toward all the saints.

Paul then prayed for four specific things:

1.  He first prays that God may give them the ability to know Him personally and fully by granting them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God (verse 17).

The next three are specific things he wants believers to know.

He says in verse 18, “that you may know…”

Yesterday, we looked at the first thing Paul wanted them to know.

2. “that you may know – what is the hope to which he has called you,”

The next thing Paul wants them to know is…

3. “what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,”

Paul first mentions our inheritance in verse 11.

Ephesians 1:11–12 (ESV)

11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.

As Paul says earlier, we have an inheritance because we are now God’s children by adoption.

Ephesians 1:5 (ESV)

”he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,”

As J Vernon McGee puts it, “This is a marvelous truth. God gives us an inheritance—He rewards us for something we have not done. It is the overall purpose and plan of God that believers should have a part in Christ’s inheritance. They are going to inherit with Christ because they are in Christ. Paul writes, ‘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. 8:17).

Now, try to wrap your minds around this: everything the Father gives the Son, He gives to us as “joint heirs.” He gives to us His complete love, redemption, forgiveness of sins, resurrection from the dead, eternal life in the presence of God, ultimate glorification and many more.

There is another way to look at this. We are the inheritance of God. As hard as it is for us to understand, God looks at us in such a way that He has placed great value upon us.

1 Peter 2:9 (ESV)

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

In short, we have the full inheritance as co-heirs and God rejoices in us as His heirs