We all want our parents, and those who matter most to us, to be proud of us. We want to be a credit to them. We certainly don't want to let them down or to embarrass them in any way. If we have inherited a good name, or a family business, we want to uphold their reputation. If this is so for our earthly parents, how much more should it be for our heavenly parent? We are God's children, and destined for his heavenly home.

St. Paul tells us that we have inherited in Christ an eternal legacy which we are meant to put to good use so that God can be proud of us. He wants us to be a credit to him - to live to the "praise of his glory." He wants us to become the fulfillment of his hopes and dreams for his creation.

"Here is the staggering thing - that in all which will one day belong to him we have been promised a share (since we were long ago destined for this by the one who achieves his purposes by his sovereign will), so that we, as the first to put our confidence in Christ, may bring praise to his glory." (J.B. Phillips)

"In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory." (ESV)

If we inherited a family business we want to leave it to our children in better shape than when we received it. The advice Paul gives to Christian servants applies to all of us in our work and witness. "Don't work hard only when your master is watching and then shirk when he isn't looking; work hard and with gladness all the time, as though working for Christ, doing the will of God with all your hearts." (Eph.6:6,7 TLB) My mother inherited the family business from her parents and with my father's help expanded it into a more successful enterprise. I was the only son, and I am sure, they had hoped that I would take over from them some time. But God had another plan for my life. I was destined - predestined according to the Bible - to leave home and follow another calling. What I learned from my parents was put to good use in the ministry of the church. What I inherited from them, God used in a different way.

At the end of time we will be evaluated on how we have done with the inheritance we have been given. In the parable of the sheep and goats, the Son of Man will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. "He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.'" (Matt.25:33, 34) The inheritance is the eternal kingdom of God into which we are born again by the Spirit. It is a kingdom which will never end, prepared for us since before the creation of the world. We were long ago destined for this - it was foreordained - planned according to God's sovereign purpose - the counsel of his will.

Our inheritance is foreordained. It is a legacy which God has planned for us. Many people find the concept of predestination difficult. They think that it smacks of determinism and eliminates free choice. It is an affront to those who see themselves as in control of their own destiny. But if God, by definition, is all-powerful, then he can direct our lives by his counsel. The Bible teaches that there is no fickleness or randomness of fate or nature. This is in contrast to both the pagan gods of the ancient world and the secular philosophies of the modern world. The Bible teaches unequivocally that God is working out his purposes in and through our lives and circumstances. This gives us comfort as we live out each day knowing that God goes ahead of us to prepare the way, and alongside of us, enabling us and appointing divine events in our lives. He is working his plan every day according to his eternal purpose. This gives us confidence that we can find meaning in the present. We call this the sovereign will of God.

At the same time St. Paul emphasizes our personal responsibility in morality, and in the call to respond in faith and obedience to Christ. There is no excusing ourselves by blaming our genes or our environment for failure. There is no determinism in personal behavior. Making conscious personal choices to believe and to obey God are absolutely essential and part of fulfilling God's plan for our lives. God uses us to freely fulfill what he has ordained. But what about all the evil and tragedies in the world? Who is responsible for them? Jesus attributes these to the enemy - the devil - and to human sin (Rom.5:12; Acts 2:23; Matt.13:28, 39).

This doctrine of predestination and God's sovereignty is a means of comfort and assurance that evil and sin will not ultimately triumph, and that God's plans will finally be fulfilled. When Paul was in Corinth he was discouraged until he heard the Lord saying to him in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city." (Acts 18:10) God has his plan, and we are called upon to work with him in fulfilling it through each of our lives.

Why is it important to know that God is working out his purpose in our lives? Our inheritance does not guarantee freedom from trouble or suffering. When we are in the midst of difficulties we should not doubt that all is in God's plan and that He will work it out. He did it in Jesus through the Cross and the Resurrection. We are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. (Rom.8:17) If we want God to be proud of us we must be willing to share in the sufferings of Christ.

As we get older we realize more and more that our choices are limited and that many things are beyond our control. This can lead us either to despair and depression, or it can lead us in humility to a deeper realization of the sovereignty of God, and that our lives are in his hands. Through life we learn to trust him, for he loves us and will take care of us. "Because of what Christ has done we have become gifts to God that he delights in, for as part of God's sovereign plan we were chosen from the beginning to be his, and all things happen just as he decided long ago. God's purpose in this was that we should praise God and give glory to him for doing these mighty things for us." (Eph.1:11,12 TLB) Let us live to the praise of his glory.

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