WHAT IN THE WORLD DOES THAT MEAN? What does Paul mean when he speaks of us having an “inheritance” in the Lord?
- Ephesians 1:14; Colossians 1:12; Colossians 3:24.
- This is a phrase that has bothered me for a long time and I didn’t really have a great answer to it. There are a few places in his letters that Paul speaks of us having an “inheritance” in the Lord. That seems an odd phrase to use. Generally when we speak of an inheritance it’s in the context of someone dying. We obviously know that God isn’t going to die, so what is that supposed to mean instead?
- I had never found a good answer until recently I was reading a book by N.T. Wright and he mentioned in passing a point about this that opened things up in a completely new way to me. I started digging on that and found that it all adds up in a way that I had never considered before. So this morning’s sermon is the result of that insight and my subsequent digging.
- This isn’t, though, just a sermon about a curious theological point. No, it gets to the heart of the salvation story that God is writing from a direction that we don’t usually think about, so I think it will be spiritually beneficial for us to unpack all this.
OUR "INHERITANCE": Paul’s reference is not to death but to the Exodus.
- Exodus 15:17; Exodus 33:13; Exodus 34:9; Leviticus 20:24; Numbers 16:14; Numbers 26:53-54, 56; Numbers 33:54; Numbers 34:2, 13-15, 17, 29; Deuteronomy 4:20-21, 38; Deuteronomy 12:10.
- I want to start by establishing the importance of the word “inheritance” in the Exodus and then I want to unpack the Exodus story as a whole.
- When we hear Paul speaking of an “inheritance” our minds go to the idea of death because that's what we normally associate the word with. But Paul had deep knowledge of the Old Testament from his extensive studies and training and to him the word was a reference to an important part of the Exodus story.
- Let’s look at a few examples: Exodus 33:13; Numbers 26:53-54; Numbers 34:2, 13, 14, 15, 17, 29; Deuteronomy 4:20-21, 38.
- As you can see, the word “inheritance” is frequently used. We didn’t look at all the references - I’ve included a full list in your sermon notes. God uses the word “inheritance” to refer to the place that God is taking Israel. So “inheritance” doesn’t refer to God dying but instead it’s the word often used to highlight that God was giving a permanent gift to His people. That's important, so let me repeat it: “inheritance” highlights that God was giving a permanent gift to His people. In their case, it was Canaan.
- Now, I want to give deeper on this idea by talking about the pieces of the Exodus story. I’m going to simplify it and share it in four parts.
THE FOUR PARTS OF THE EXODUS STORY:
- In the sermon outline, put both sets of verses below.
1. Out of Egypt.
- Exodus 3:10-12; Exodus 6:13.
- Look up the above verses.
- Explain the story.
2. Through the waters.
- Exodus 14:21-31.
- Look up the above passage.
- Explain the story.
3. God’s presence on the journey.
- Exodus 13:21-22.
- Look up the above passage.
- Explain the story.
4. Enter the Promised Land.
- Exodus 3:17.
- Look up the above passage.
- Explain the story.
- Now is where we really get into what Paul was getting at. Everything up to this point has been prologue.
- Paul isn’t using the word “inheritance” to explain Old Testament things. Paul is using “inheritance” to explain New Testament things and that brings the Exodus story forward as a template.
- What does that look like? Well, I want us to go back over these four points and talk about the exact ways that the Exodus story echoes our story.
1. Out of Egypt.
- 1 Peter 2:9.
- Look up the above verse.
- Explain the idea.
2. Through the waters.
- 1 Peter 3:21.
- Look up the above verse.
- Explain the idea.
3. God’s presence on the journey.
- John 20:22; 2 Timothy 1:14 (lives in us).
- Look up the above verses.
- Explain the idea.
4. Enter the Promised Land.
- Romans 8:20-23.
- Look up the above verses.
- Explain the idea. Not heaven but the redemption of creation.
WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA HERE? We are the people of the true Exodus.
- Our story is parallel to the story of the Exodus of Israel. In the four ways we looked at above, our story echoes what God did there.
- As important as Israel and its story is, I would argue that our story is far more important because it’s not a story about one nation but about the whole world. It’s not a story of one people but all people.
- The story of Israel gives us a hint of what intended to do but now we have the fruition of that plan in Jesus and the explanation that Paul gives us.
- We are the children of the true Exodus. We are the children of the true inheritance.
- The inheritance is not that God is going to die. The inheritance is that God is giving a permanent gift to His people.
- We will be changed. The world will be changed. Christ will rule. We will rule with Him.
WHAT WE HAVE NOW: The Holy Spirit is a “guarantee,” letting us know that we are the firstfruits of the new creation.
- Ephesians 1:13-14; James 1:18.
- [New creation] Ezekiel 11:19; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 5:15; Galatians 6:15; Ephesians 2:15; Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:10.
- Now that we have charted out the larger picture of what Paul is getting out here as part of the long-term vision of God’s plan, I want to close by talking about where we are right now.
- First, look with me at Ephesians 1:13-14.
- Note that this is one of the passages that talks about “inheritance.” We’ve unpacked that.
- I want to look at the rest of those verses. Specifically, Paul tells us that the Holy Spirit who is now within us is a “deposit.” That is, something with us but that points to a bigger thing coming in the future.
- This Holy Spirit is a “guarantee” of what is to come. That is, the full redemption and re-creation that we have been talking about - coming into the new creation “inheritance.”
- Second, continuing with that idea, look with me at James 1:18.
- A new, important word is introduced to our conversation here. The word is “firstfruits.” What does that mean?
- It’s the idea that we are the first portion of what the new harvest is going to be. We have unpacked the larger picture in the sermon of what the new world is going to look like. But God has already started that in us. You know how (and I’ve listed the references in your sermon outline) the New Testament refers to us as “new creation”? That is, having been saved, God makes us into a “new creation.” Those words are not empty placeholders but a deeply significant name. Pay attention: we are the “firstfruits” of the “new creation.”
- Wow.
- That should humble and amaze us.
