This post comes from Calvary Chapel Pastors
I am an heir. You are an heir.
An heir is a person legally entitled to another person’s property, possession, rank, or title, upon that person’s death.
“In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” Ephesians 1:11-14
The word will functions as both a verb and a noun. As a verb, it means God desires, intends, wishes, or prefers. The word will as a noun means it’s God’s decree, testament, or document. It’s something that is binding and unbreakable. It’s mandatory because the author is God.
There’s another operative word at work: want. You have to want God’s will. 2 Peter 3:9 says that God is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” People only think they want to go to heaven. But if you want it, you have to believe. Believe and want operate together. Believe means that you rely upon, cling to, and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
God’s will and your want coupled together puts you in a very unique position. The Holy Spirit of God puts His seal on you. At the moment you put your faith in Christ, you are sealed as a child of God.
There are a couple of more words from the above verse at work: guarantee and promise. These words linked together imply that Jesus paid a price. His payment is what guarantees the Spirit’s deposit in your heart. The payment and promise were set in motion at the point of Christ’s death. At that moment, He secured a place for you in God’s Kingdom.
Incorruptible, Undefiled, Won’t Fade
According to 1 Peter 1:3-5, God wisely stashes our inheritance away and saves it for us. He keeps it in the Kingdom for us. It’s forever.
I hear what you’re saying, though. You could use some of that inheritance here and now. But it’s not an inheritance for here. Things here are subject to corruption and decay. The stuff God keeps for you will be enjoyed by you forever. An earthly inheritance is a problem. Solomon says that the stuff you leave on earth may go to someone you don’t like or trust. What God has for you will never be mistreated.
As a pastor, I probably think about our heavenly inheritance more often than most people do. On average, a couple of times a month I say goodbye to somebody that’s passed. Officiating memorial services is something I do all the time. I constantly think about what waits in heaven.
We recently memorialized a woman successful in business, and more importantly, in her Christian life. She was younger than me and I didn’t see her death coming. She was regularly involved in ministry through community outreaches, juvenile detention centers, and to unwed mothers. She poured her life into young women. If you haven’t said goodbye to somebody recently, you may not have thought about why an incorruptible inheritance is so valuable. The Lord’s resurrection guarantees this for you.
Accelerate the Glory of Your Inheritance
You have not earned salvation, but you have earned the rewards of your service. Think about your graduation from high school. Some people wore a cap and gown and some people wore a cap and gown along with a bunch of extra chords and tassels. Everybody wearing a cap and gown graduated, but not everybody graduated displaying the rewards of extra effort. Some of us could have achieved honors if we would have worked a little harder. Some of us needed someone to take a little more interest in our futures and encourage us to put some work into it.
Do something with your faith. What you do today will affect how much you enjoy Heaven. Our enemy is very motivated to get you to do less. He can’t take away your inheritance so he’ll try to have an impact on any extra credit you earn to enjoy for all eternity. Don’t let the enemy have his way with your Christian life.
Don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying do more for Jesus so you can get more. That misses the point. When you realize how much Jesus loves you and has done for you, the natural response is to love Him and serve Him with all your heart. Anyone who has been serving Him this way for any length of time realizes that service – others centeredness – has rewards in the here and now that translate directly into the Kingdom.
And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. Colossians 3:23-24
continue reading the views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of Calvary Southampton
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