NOTE: This week we will continue to study the subject of our spiritual union with Christ. Please see the previous posts in this series.
There is a radical difference between who we were (before Christ), and who we are now (because of Christ).
So also there is a radical difference between what we had before Christ (a one-way ticket to hell), and what we have now, because of Christ.
We now have a radically different relationship with God. We have a radically different quality of life. We have a radically different eternal future.
God didn’t just change who we were, giving us a new identity. He also gave us all the authority, power, and resources we will ever need. And these blessings now belong to us as part of our inheritance in Christ.
Our new identity is eternally connected to Jesus.
So also is our inheritance. We are one spirit with Him. The Bible tells us that we are now “heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ”. (Romans 8:17)
When we think of an earthly inheritance, we usually think of all the things that we may receive, such as real estate, a house, a car or maybe Aunt Mildred’s mangy cat.
What and how much we receive depends upon: our relationship to the testator (the person who authored the will); and the resources and wealth the testator wants to make available to us.
Jesus, through the shedding of His own blood, ratified a new testament (covenant, will). We became heirs of that covenant the moment we were born-again.
We just saw in Romans 8:17 that the Testator of that New Testament is our Father-God, and that we have a share of Jesus’ inheritance. We are called joint-heirs or co-heirs with Him. As God’s children, we have received the same rights and privileges that Jesus has.
Our abundantly lavish inheritance in Christ is perfectly described as “grace upon grace, spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor, and gift heaped upon gift.”
(John 1:16, Amplified Bible)
Imagine a small child on Christmas morning, with huge piles of gifts, opening them one by one with excitement and exuberance. His delight warms the hearts of his parents. The gifts have captivated his attention, and have become the focal point of his celebration.
But we know that the greatest gift of all, which the child may not yet recognize nor consider, is the love of his parents. It’s that love which motivated their generous giving of each and every gift. The parents understand that with each passing day, the child will eventually come to realize the true treasure, their love.
So it is with our Father-God. Motivated by the purest and strongest love; love that is eternally unfailing, and unconditional, He gives us His heart of hearts, His best, His Son Jesus. And, with Him, everything else … all the other riches of our inheritance as well.
“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also, freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)
“…blessed with every spiritual blessing… before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:3-4)
“His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness…” (2 Peter 1:3)
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above… from the Father of lights…”
(James 1:17)
Everything else, all those wonderful blessings we enjoy each day, as wonderful as they may be, are just “everything else”! It’s kind of like putting the “etc.” (etcetera) at the end of a list.
Our list of blessings should read: “Jesus, etc.”
Please don’t misunderstand. We are not minimizing any portion of our inheritance.
It was all purchased by Jesus’ blood, and it’s
awesome!
But right now, Holy Spirit is reminding us, like the child sitting under the Christmas tree, surrounded by a mountain of gifts and torn wrapping paper, that it is the Father’s love that has given us our eternal inheritance – JESUS!
We want to maximize Him!
” ⁵ Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine. ⁶ The land you have given me is a pleasant land. What a wonderful inheritance! ¹¹ You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.”
(Psalm 16:5,6, and 11, New Living Translation)
The rich blessing, privilege, and honor of experiencing a deeply intimate relationship with our Father, our Lord, and His Spirit is the greatest treasure and wealth we could ever inherit.
God is our portion. The things on earth that we chase after, things that we think will satisfy us, pale in comparison to the joy of His presence, and the pleasures of living with Him forever. He alone should be what we desire, what we crave, and what we seek! He is more than enough!
Just as surely as He is our inheritance, we are also His! We are His people, and He is our God!
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9)
“Through our union with Christ we too have been claimed by God as His own inheritance. Before we were even born, He gave us our destiny; that we would fulfill the plan of God who always accomplishes every purpose and plan in His heart.” (Ephesians 1:11, TPT)
Here is a beautiful picture of the “forever-family connection”, between God and His children.
The Greek word translated as inheritance is the word “kleronomia”.
It comes from the root word “klao”, which means “to break”. In the New Testament this verb is always used to describe the breaking of bread.
(See Matthew 26:26; 1 Corinthians10:16; and
1 Corinthians 11:24, among other scriptures)
Jesus said, “Take, eat, this is my body which is broken (klao) for you.”
In the act of communion, we remember (look back) at the breaking of His body for us. The “bread” that was broken, for our personal healing and wholeness, was His body.
This is good, suitable and right for us to look back when celebrating communion, but God also wants us to look ahead to the ultimate unity of His Body.
The fragments of “bread” we see scattered in the different denominations and in diverse cultures are the broken and disjointed members of His Body.
One translation of Ephesians 1:10 says, “… in time when His purpose has been fulfilled He will unify all the fragments of His creation in Christ. (Ben Campbell Johnson, “The Heart of Paul”)
God’s plans and purposes are already being fulfilled. Our “oneness of spirit” with the Lord
(1 Corinthians 6:17) is the beginning of God’s new creation, but there is much more to come.
We are getting closer by the day, to THE DAY!
In that day, believers from every nation, tribe, and tongue (His inheritance, His possession) will be gathered together as one, with one heart, one mind, one purpose, and one voice to adore and worship Him, and Him alone! Jesus in us, and us in Jesus, made perfect in One!
⁹ “And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for you were slain, and have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, ¹⁰ and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:9-10)
Hallelujah!
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