“Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”
We have all probably wished at some time or other that we could inherit a fortune. We probably did not think about the fact that someone would have to die for us to be inheritors. Be that as it may, we do not have to wait to be rich heirs. The Bible tells us that through Christ we are heirs of God. Why? Because when we accepted Jesus as our Savior we became sons and daughters of God through our faith in Christ. If we are heirs, what have we inherited? Paul gave us a hint of the extent of our inheritance in Philippians 4:19: “But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Think about all of the riches of God. The Bible tells us that everything belongs to God, in heaven and on earth; therefore, we have an extensive inheritance. What are some of these riches that we have inherited? The first thing that comes to my mind is that we have inherited the richness of God’s love, mercy, and grace. How thankful we should be that God did not continue to treat us as slaves, but in His love He accepted us into His kingdom and made us His children. We do not ever need to feel unloved, because we can be assured that God loves us all of the time. Just as our salvation is based on His grace, His love is also based on His grace. He loves us in spite of ourselves. The second thing that comes to my mind is that we have inherited His forgiveness. Guilt is a big part of being human, but God forgives us so that we do not have to be consumed by guilt. We have the Bible’s promise that if we will “confess our sins (Jesus) will be faithful and just to forgive us our sins.” Not only that but He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Keep in mind that we cannot earn the forgiveness of God, but He gives it to us freely out of His “riches in glory.” The third thing that comes to my mind is that we have inherited His peace. In John 16:33, Jesus gave a promise concerning His peace: “These things have I spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you will have tribulation (trouble); but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul gave us a promise concerning the peace that Christ gives us. He promised that if we take all things to God in prayer: “the peace of God which passes all understanding, shall keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” We cannot earn the peace of God that “passes all understanding,” but we can claim it by grace as part of the inheritance of “His riches in glory.” This peace is beyond our understanding because it is eternal peace that abides in our hearts, even as in the world we have troubles. The fourth thing that comes to my mind is that we have inherited Joy. In Galatians 5, Joy is listed as part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Besides that, Jesus promised us His joy in John 15:11...These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” We do not have to conjure up joy, because we have it as part of our inheritance from“His riches in glory.” The fifth thing that comes to mind is that as heirs of God through Christ, we have the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It is the Holy Spirit who leads and guides us through life. Jesus made a promise about this in John 14:26: “But the comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things and bring all things in remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you.” These are all great reasons to rejoice in our inheritance, but the greatest of all is eternal life in heaven forever and forever. We are heirs of God and we need to remember it and rejoice in it. Bro. Joe
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AuthorDr. Joe Beauchamp is the author of this blog and website. Categories
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