The apostle Paul concludes this section of praise to the Father for pouring out his spiritual blessings by describing the great hope we have in Christ for an inheritance. The overall theme of this passage is to praise God for the blessings He has gifted us in Christ. In verses 11-14, we see that the last of the spiritual blessings mentioned here is our inheritance in Christ that is sealed by the Holy Spirit. Our passage will follow the outline below:

1. Obtaining an Inheritance (v.11)
2. The Purpose of Our Inheritance (v. 12)
3. The Holy Spirit Seals Our Inheritance (v.13-14)

Paul not only tells us how we got this spiritual blessing of being God's inheritance (v.11), he's also telling us why in verse 12. Paul is telling us here that God's people are God's inheritance by God's will, “for His own glory.” The flow of Paul's argument is as follows: if you have believed in Jesus, you have received the promised Holy Spirit, who will never leave you, and who is the guarantee of our inheritance in heaven. In verse 13, the Apostle Paul is saying to the Gentile believers, ‘God has placed His mark of ownership on you by giving you His Holy Spirit.'

Just like a downpayment on a house, the Holy Spirit is proof that we belong to God. The Spirit is given to us as a deposit, as a down payment, by God, indicating to us that He will give us the fullness of His blessing.

Paul's last point in verse 14 is that we have been given the Holy Spirit as a mark of God's possession of us, to the praise of His glory. To realize that we belong to God, that we are God's special possession, must change the way that we approach life. Paul is calling on us Christians to praise God with all that we are and all that we have, and all that we do. We've been chosen as God's unique treasure in Jesus Christ to the praise of the glory of God.

Getting Started                          

1. Have you ever received a fraudulent email promising you an inheritance that you never knew you had? Share your story.

• Read Ephesians 1:3-14

2. What insight, principle, or observation from Sunday’s sermon did you find to be the most helpful, eye-opening, or troubling?  

Digging Deeper

3. In verse 11 it is easy to read about receiving an inheritance from God and think that the author is speaking about our hope for heaven. But that is not the point of this text. Read the following verses to explain the meaning of this inheritance: Deuteronomy 4:20, Deuteronomy 9:29, Deuteronomy 32:8–9, Psalm 33:12

4. In verses 11-12 the apostle Paul is specifically referring to God’s Old Testament people, those who “hoped in Christ” (i.e., those who looked forward to the promised Messiah). Does what he says about them also apply to the Gentile believers? Read 1 Peter 2:9-10  

5. In verses 13-14 Paul describes how the Gentiles came to share in the blessings of God in Christ. What three actions are described in these verses?

The Heart of the Matter

6. Every person who receives a physical inheritance should be a good steward of the assets they need to manage. We too, must be good stewards of the gifts and resources the Lord has entrusted to us. What is one resource God has blessed you with? How can you use this for Him as a good steward? 

7. We've been called to live for His glory, and so the whole of life is to bear the marks of our realization that God has chosen us for Himself. What are some ways the devil tempts Christians to live for their own glory?

8. To realize that God has given us His inheritance changes the way we look at the finest and the most wonderful things that this world has to offer. What are some things that can or have tempted you to worship the created things above the one who created them?