The believer’s inheritance originates in the eternal decree of God. Paul writes that we “have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will” (Eph. 1:11), and that the Holy Spirit “is given as a pledge of our inheritance” (Eph. 1:14). The Spirit is the pledge (arrabōn), referring to a payment made in advance, a “first installment, deposit, down payment, pledge.”[1] This is a nonrefundable deposit that guarantees what is to come. Hoehner observes, “The ‘deposit’ of the Holy Spirit is a little bit of heaven in believers’ lives with a guarantee of much more yet to come.”[2] Chafer notes, the pledge “is a prepayment, or foretaste of an oncoming bounty…an intimation of the boundless, experimental fulness of the inheritance which is yet to be.”[3] The inheritance was designed in eternity past, secured by the work of Christ, and applied at the moment of faith. Every believer stands in this position by grace, not by merit. It belongs to the family of God because of union with Christ.
This inheritance is also secured and protected. Peter states the inheritance is “imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Pet. 1:4). The word τηρέω (tēreō) means “to continue, keep, hold, reserve, preserve.”[4] The inheritance is being carefully guarded by God Himself. What God protects cannot be ruined, taken away, or lost. The Spirit’s sealing ministry confirms this certainty, marking the believer as God’s possession and guaranteeing future realization (Eph. 1:13–14). Paul adds that as children of God, “if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8:17). The status of heir flows from sonship. It is fixed, legal, and irrevocable. Eternal life and a share in Christ’s kingdom are included in this grant. According to Raymer, “A Christian’s inheritance cannot be destroyed by hostile forces, and it will not spoil like overripened fruit or fade in color. Each Christian’s inheritance of eternal life is kept in heaven or ‘kept watch on’ by God so its ultimate possession is secure (cf. Gal. 5:5).”[5]
This inheritance is entirely unearned. It refers to all that belongs to the believer by virtue of being in Christ. It includes eternal life, justification, a permanent relationship with God, and a guaranteed future in His kingdom. This inheritance is received at the moment of faith apart from works. “The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23), and “having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1). It cannot be increased, diminished, or forfeited. It rests completely on Christ’s finished work and God’s unchanging promise.
The Christian possesses an inheritance that is guaranteed, secure, and eternal; therefore, he lives with certainty and assurance. It is grounded in grace, preserved by God, and independent of human performance. This truth stabilizes the believer’s thinking and directs his confidence away from self and toward the faithfulness of God, who secures every aspect of salvation for those who are in Christ.
Steven R. Cook, D.Min., M.Div.
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[1] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 134.
[2] Harold W. Hoehner, et al, “Ephesians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 619.
[3] Lewis Sperry Chafer, The Ephesian Letter (New York: Loizeaux Brothers, 1935), 52.
[4] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 1002.
[5] Roger M. Raymer, et al “1 Peter,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 841.