Our Glorious Inheritance

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people,” Ephesians 1:18 NIV

The church is much more than just a building or a place of worship—it is a living body that shares in a divine inheritance through Christ. It’s part of God's eternal plan for us, providing us with spiritual blessings, guidance, and a future hope. Through the church, we can understand and claim the incredible inheritance that is ours as followers of Christ. 

This inheritance is not something we can earn or work for by our own efforts, it’s a gift from God, bought for us through Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, and the church plays an important part in helping us understand it. 

The church is the body of Christ, where we are united and strengthened together and through our relationships with others, we grow in our understanding of God's promises. It’s the place where we experience the fullness of what it means to be part of God’s family, encouraging each other in our faith journey.  Everything we do as a church - Sunday services, Grow groups, the Bible reading plan, serving on a team, are all ways we learn more about our inheritance in Christ, where “the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so you may know Him better” (Ephesians 1:17) can grow. 

God’s power is at work within us through the church and is a key part of the inheritance we receive. It enables us to live according to His will, to serve Him, and to do His work.  It equips us to use the spiritual gifts we have received, allowing us to fulfil our calling as members of the body of Christ.  We are not isolated believers but are connected to each other through Jesus, and this sense of belonging helps us to fully appreciate the inheritance we share in Him. We, the church, are His representatives and we are called to reflect His love, His truth and His hope for the salvation of all.  We are the fullness of Christ to the world. 

As members of the church, we have a huge privilege and responsibility to reach the world.  Through the church, we gain a deeper understanding of our spiritual inheritance, experience the power of God at work within us, and find our identity as part of His body.  It’s the place where we discover, live, and share in the incredible blessings that are ours in Christ. 

This knowledge of our inheritance is useless, if you’re not connected to the rest of the body.  Are you fully experiencing and sharing in the glorious inheritance that Paul describes?  Are you part of a Grow group?  Are you serving on a team?  

Actively participating in church life, is not just for your own benefit but for the blessing of others as well.