The first part of verse 11 says, “In Whom also we were made an inheritance.” “In Whom” refers to the heading-up Christ. Verse 10, which speaks of heading up all things in Christ, ends with the words “in Him,” and verse 11 begins with the words “in Whom.” Paul’s composition here is rather awkward and repetitious. However, Paul wrote this way purposely in order to emphasize the fact that all things in heaven and on earth are headed up in Christ. In emphasizing this fact, Paul did not care for excellence of composition. The words “in Whom” reveal that we have been placed into the heading-up Christ.
In the heading-up Christ we also were made an inheritance. The word “also” in verse 11 refers to the heading up of all things in Christ. All things are to be headed up in Christ, and we also have been made an inheritance in Him. In Christ we were made an inheritance. Please pay close attention to the tense here. In the future, all things will be headed up in Christ, but already we were made an inheritance in Him. The Greek words rendered “were made an inheritance” can also be translated “have obtained an inheritance.” The Greek verb means to choose or assign by lot. Hence, this clause literally means we were designated as a heritage. We were made an inheritance to inherit God’s inheritance. On the one hand, we were made God’s inheritance (v. 18) for God’s enjoyment; and, on the other hand, we were made to inherit God as our inheritance (v. 14) for our enjoyment.
Which do you think is greater, for us to be made an inheritance or for God to head up all things in Christ? I would say that being made an inheritance is much better than being headed up. Our being made God’s inheritance opens the way for Him to head up all things in the universe.
Although we have been made an inheritance already, we need to ask ourselves whether or not we live as God’s inheritance. Do you live as one who is the inheritance of God? Do you look like God’s inheritance or like a lump of clay? How can clay be God’s inheritance? In ourselves we certainly are not worthy to be God’s inheritance, but we have been made an inheritance in the heading-up Christ. According to our natural being, we are not worth anything, but in the heading-up Christ we were made God’s inheritance.
It is by having God wrought into us that we are being constituted into an inheritance. God is still working Himself into us today. Most of us are part clay and part gold. The part that is gold is God’s inheritance. I thank God that as the process of being made God’s inheritance goes on, the gold in us is increasing and the clay is decreasing.
We should not stop with the mere objective teaching about being the inheritance of God. Many years ago I was taught that we are God’s inheritance, and I was very happy to hear this. Eventually I discovered that I am nothing but clay. It seemed absurd that clay could be God’s inheritance. After much experience and study of the New Testament, I learned that we are still in the process of becoming God’s inheritance. In this process the natural life must be eliminated, and the gold, the divine nature, must increase by being wrought into more of our being. When this process has been completed, we shall be fully the inheritance of God not only objectively, but also subjectively.
The process of being made God’s inheritance goes along with the heading up of all things in Christ. The more we are willing to be headed up in Christ, the more the gold, the divine element, will increase within us. This is transformation; it is also subjective sanctification. In subjective sanctification our being is saturated with God’s substance, God’s essence. As God’s element is wrought into our being, we become His inheritance. Yes, we have already been placed in the heading-up Christ, but we are still in the process of being made His inheritance in full.
To make us His inheritance, God the Father has predestinated us to be His sons. The process of making us God’s inheritance is based upon and is according to God’s eternal predestination. God is now working on us to reach the goal of His predestination.