Ephesians 1:18, “that you may know …, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints”
If a child was to appear in public hungry, sick and with rugged clothes, that child would not be bringing shame to himself but to his father primarily. Everyone will be asking, “whose child is this?” They may want to blame the father until they find out that the child may have neglected or even refused to receive everything the father has provided and in that he or she is bringing shame to his name.
In light of all these, Paul prayed this point 3 “that his readers would know the inheritance in the saints” and walk as children who belong that the Father be glorified in the Son. Experimentally and delightfully knowing what are the blessings which God has called you to hope for by His Word and His Spirit. And in this inheritance, Paul plugs in the word “riches” which means abundance, the immense treasure of blessedness He has provided as an inheritance for holy souls.
Of course all these makes no sense until we know who we are. You cannot have inheritance unless you are an heir; for you to be an heir in this case, you have to be a son; knowing our nature, you are a slave who can only be made a son by adoption.
How do we therefore know we are now sons? Romans 8:14-16, “14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 … you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” Three things which confirms us as sons, 1.When you are led of the Spirit of God, 2. When the Spirit of adoption empowers you to cry “Abba, Father” which means “My Father”, 3. When His Spirit bearing witness with your spirit reveals that you are His child. This is for us to understand that those converted, or born again, are adopted as children of God; upon those adopted He bestows His Spirit; this Spirit in their hearts produces a loving trust that enables them to address God as Father. Abba, Father
For all these to make more sense, let’s look at adoption in Genesis 48 (Inspired by Voddie Baucham, Jr). Here is Jacob old and about to die. He is in Egypt brought by his son Joseph. Joseph is the prime minister of Egypt, he married an Egyptian and had two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. These two boys are Jacob’s grandsons who are not direct heirs of their grandfather’s inheritance, however watch what happens. Jacob begins by outlaying how God blessed him Genesis 48:3-4, “3 Then Jacob said to Joseph: “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, 4 and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a multitude of people, and give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.” Then we learn why he spoke of the inheritance, vs. 5-6, “5 And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, ARE MINE; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. 6 …; they will be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance”
Jacob adopted Joseph’s two sons, he called them his. Reuben lost his birthright, 1Chronicles 5:1, “Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel—he was indeed the firstborn, but because he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, so that the genealogy is not listed according to the birthright.” And out of this adoption, they received inheritance just like the sons of Jacob being tribes also. Galatians 4:6-7, “6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ”
Romans 8:17, ”and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, …” God in His rich grace adopts us into His family and freely bestows His inheritance on us. He not only makes us heirs, but He Himself is our inheritance and portion. We are heirs of all things which are His; we share in his love, grace, and mercy; and His wisdom, power, truth, and faithfulness etc. All things are ours who have God as our God and Father; are all represented as things to be inherited by the saints.
How Paul desired and desperately prayed that we would know the inheritance in the saints by first knowing who we are, how we’ve been made sons, what blessings He has bestowed upon us and our cry for them to be activated through prayers for His glory. 2Peter 1:1-4, “1 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” Inheritance is another resource we have in Christ, may we never a shame the Father because we have neglected our inheritance. To finish, blessings Ev
He Has Magnified His Word 