“giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.”
Biblical thanksgiving always has sufficient reason and content. It is more than an emotional outburst.
“who has qualified us”
There are two reasons why we are to give thanks:
1. We were made sufficient for our eternal inheritance.
2. We were delivered from the Satanic realm (v.13).
The first content of thanks is that God qualified us to share in the saints’ inheritance. We are not fit in and of ourselves for heaven. We are “qualified” because God qualified us in Christ at the moment of salvation. This qualification comes from our status quo with Christ (positional truth). We qualify because we are one with Christ. Note that God does the qualifying. The reason we give thanks is that God made us sufficient, not deserving (2 Cor 2:16; 3:6)
2 Tim. 2:21, “Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.”
We are positionally fit before God for eternity by our salvation in Christ; however, we may not be fit for the Master’s use even though we are fit for heaven. We are fit for heaven because Christ’s blood cleansed us from sin, but we may not be clean vessels. God will bypass the unclean saint and use someone with less training, giftedness, or skill.
Principle:
We are eternally fit for heaven the moment we receive Christ, but we are not necessarily fit for service.
Application:
We are eternally fit for heaven one second after we receive Christ, as we ever will be. No amount of spirituality or witnessing will make us any more fit for heaven. Fitness for heaven depends upon the finished work of Christ, not on our work for Christ. Because of Christ’s incomparable work on the cross, the believing sinner stands perfect in the sight of God (Eph. 1:6; 2 Cor 5:21). God puts into the believer, the split second he comes to know Christ, God’s own righteousness. We cannot add to or subtract from our exalted, eternal, unalterable position in Christ. This is true of every born-again believer, no matter the quality of his life.
