This post was last updated on April 17, 2026

Day 18 (Year 2)

Salvation Is Not Just a Ticket to Heaven

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.” (Ephesians 1:18 NASB)

The word “heart” in the above, kardia in Greek, refers to “the place where understanding, thoughts, feelings, and motivations, etc., originate.” In the Old Testament, some body parts also have psycho-spiritual functions, and the heart is one example. In other words, there are eyes in our hearts, and even after believing in Jesus, we might not receive His illumination. So, we need to pray for God’s light to come in, and we need to remove all obstacles before our eyes.

Apostle Paul prayed for God to enlighten the eyes of believers’ hearts, so that we may know the hope in His gracious calling. The word “hope” in the scripture, elpis in Greek, refers to “expectation of good or evil,” and here it means “joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation.” In other words, God’s calling contains hope, and those who accept His calling often have elevated expectations of Him, including hoping for His saving grace and rewards, such as the inheritance mentioned in the scripture. It is worth noting that the verb “is” in “is the hope” is in the present tense, meaning believers have hope now. This also includes the events mentioned earlier, such as receiving God’s protection and deliverance in danger, and truly knowing Jesus. His work often requires us to have a corresponding hope to cooperate with Him.

The phrase “the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints” is worth noting. If God is to obtain an inheritance among believers, He must first give it to us. And “His inheritance in the saints” can only be seen after the eyes of our hearts are opened. Conversely, when the eyes of believers’ hearts have not been opened, they might be cut off from His riches and struggle to survive on their own. In fact, God’s riches, including His provision and work in both the spiritual and material worlds, are freely given to His holy people. Thus, the salvation that we receive by believing in Jesus is absolutely not just a ticket to heaven, but the ability to experience His works through hope in this life and to receive the riches He bestows. This is what God delights to see. Therefore, believers must pray for the eyes of our hearts to be opened, so that we may enter into His riches in this present age and ultimately, unceasingly bring glory to Him.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you feel the eyes of your heart need God’s illumination? If so, are there any obstacles that need to be removed by relying on Him first?

2) Do you believe that God wants to bestow riches upon you, and do you have this hope in your heart? If so, do you have sufficient room in your heart and spirit to receive them?