January 2 I Monday

Genesis 4-6

Matthew 2

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”    —Ephesians 1:3

If someone told us that we have an inheritance in our name, would we believe it and reach out to get it, or would we doubt and just call it a scam? There once was a man in Portugal who was the son of a wealthy aristocratic woman. Although he was very rich, he was not a very happy man. He had poor family relations, few friends and no offspring of his own. One day, he called his lawyers and two witnesses that he simply invited off the street and they sat around a table in his home while he selected 70 random people from a Lisbon phone book to leave his fortune to when he died. The lawyer, along with the witnesses, noted this random selection of people he did not know and affirmed that he was sound of mind. About 20 years later, this man died, leaving a couple properties, cars and healthy investments. The lawyer was tasked with contacting these 70 people, some of whom died, but most of whom were still alive. The vast majority thought it was a scam. Only two followed through the information and were able to receive a considerable amount from a man that most have never heard of. The rest sat on an inheritance that they did not believe was theirs—they never got to enjoy its resources.

       There are some Christians who are in that situation. We regard the idea that we have every spiritual blessing in Christ, where we have received in Him everything that we ever need for life and godliness, and say it is too good to be true. We become suspicious and cynical. Even if we try to believe it, we do not understand it and continue to live in spiritual poverty when this statement should ring true in the ears of every believer: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). What kind of difference does this truth make in our life? How would we live differently tomorrow morning if we know that we have everything we need in Christ and Christ is in us?

       Some of us may wonder, how do we know for sure that we have this inheritance? Paul tells us, “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance...” (Ephesians 1:13-14). When we place our faith on the finished work of Jesus Christ, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the guarantee that we have received this inheritance.

Prayer: Dear God, thank You for blessing us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. I can face the day with the assurance that everything I need is in Christ.