Legal Inheritance (Ephesians 1:11)

EPHESIANS 1:11, "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance..."

INHERITANCE

When a person thinks of an inheritance, there may be visual images of sacks of money; property; estates; business endowments, or a myriad of other possible pictures that leap to mind. The Greek word is (kleronomia) [2817, Strong's], and contains all of these possible interpretations.

PAST - PRESENT - FUTURE

One thing about an inheritance, is that it is generally speaking of something from the past, given to someone for the present, and future use. Whether it is land; money; a business acquisition, or position, it is something that someone already possesses, and they are passing it on to someone else, for immediate and future use. The important point, is that the inheritance is given by someone who has the legal right to give the inheritance because it belongs to them. However, there is not generally the ting of violent appropriation associated with the concept.

ABRAHAM

In the Old Testament, the most common imagery is definitely surrounded in battle and forcible obtainment. God gave the land "...from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates" (Gen.15:18), to Abraham, while he was a stranger in it. He made a covenant with Abraham, giving him a possession, that was inhabited by other nations.

JOSHUA

God said to Joshua, "Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given to you..." (Josh.1:3). There were 31 ruling kings that Israel totally defeated (Josh.12:24), and then each tribe had to subdue their specific inheritance.

THE LORD GAVE

"And the LORD GAVE to Israel all the land which He swore to give to their fathers, and they possessed it, and dwelt in it. And the LORD GAVE them rest round about, according to all that He swore to their fathers; and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them. The LORD DELIVERED ALL their enemies into their hand. There FAILED NOTHING of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel: ALL CAME TO PASS" (Josh.21:43-45).

LEGAL RIGHTS

Even though the inheritance was given, and victory was assured, there were still battles to fight; blood to be shed; and conquests to be taken. It is interesting, that even in Greek papyri, there are instances of heirs relinquishing their legal rights to a legitimate inheritance, because it came with certain obligations, in running a business, or fulfilling certain requirements, of working land, and not being able to sell it; so rightful heirs, would release their claim to what legally belonged to them.

OBLIGATIONS

We would not commonly think of an inheritance having obligations, but Israel was given what was possessed by others, but what God said, belonged to them. All they had to do, was obey God, and enforce their claim through multiple battles; that they were guaranteed to win.

POSSESS INHERITANCE

We are "...heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ..." (Rm.8:17). If we are Christ's, "...then we are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Gal.3:29), but we still have to possess our inheritance. We have a future salvation, but we also have a present reality, for the promise is to Abraham and his seed that we should be heir of the world (Rm.4:13).

RESPONSIBILITY

We have an inheritance, and we have a responsibility to take back our world, to regain, legal possession of all that God, our Father has given us. This cannot be passive, but a forceful acquisition, in the spirit realm, which translates into physical reality, of all that is our inheritance and legal possession.

TAKE BACK

We have a choice, to relinquish our legal rights, and fade into spiritual obscurity, or take back what legally belongs to us, and not rest, until all that God has promised, because He had the legal right to give it, is evidenced in our lives, and we walk in complete and total victory.

You are God's Best and God's Best is Yours