July 2

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people….”  —EPHESIANS 1:18

As Christians, we know that beyond this mortal existence our souls live on. We have received salvation in Christ and will go on living into the heavenly realm. Having been sealed with the Holy Spirit, it is good to rejoice in our inheritance, but we need to see beyond that to understand what is meant by the “glorious inheritance in his holy people”. 

We are not only beneficiaries of salvation, but as remarkable as it may seem, God is a beneficiary too. Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians is that they may understand and appreciate what God has inherited in them, and so cease their tendency to selfish desire by dwelling on what they have received in Christ, and instead may seek to fulfill all that Christ has received in them. Paul says, “Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4-5). That is an incredibly wonderful gift, to be cleansed, forgiven and saved, but what comes next in the Christian life?

Paul tells us in Romans 5:5 that “God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” When we are “alive in Christ”, we begin to look at the world and the people around us from God’s perspective. One of the first symptoms of this is that we are developing a hunger and thirst for righteousness. We are then moved to be more Christ-like, and soon discover we are bringing Jesus into every aspect of our lives. It then follows that we want to serve Him, and God will place His desires for us in our hearts. Right from the initial stage of being drawn to God to accomplishing His purpose for us is the work of the Holy Spirit.

Detached from Christ we are powerless in producing fruit for Him. It is in His strength and energy we operate. In Him we have as Paul describes, “the incomparably great power for us who believe” (Ephesians 1:19). Drawing upon that power is the source of fulfilling what God has called us to do. Being “alive in Christ” is derived from an intimate relationship with Him, whereby we are being increasingly transformed into His likeness and become the instruments God has inherited for His work in this world. Being “alive in Christ” is what Jesus meant when he said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, I pray I become increasingly more “alive in Christ” and that You will use me for your work in this world. Thank You, Lord. 

TO REFLECT UPON: Do I have an earnest desire to be used by God?