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Heirs Of God

by Micky Galloway

Romans 8:14-17 says, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For ye received not the spirit of bondage again unto fear; but ye received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with (him), that we may be also glorified with (him).”

How profoundly grateful we ought to be that we are children of God. I John 3:1, “Behold what manner of love the father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God: and such we are. For this cause the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.” Surely there is no higher love that can be shown to a friendless, orphan child, than to adopt him, giving him parents and a home. Even God could bestow upon us no more valuable token of affection than to adopt us into His family, and permit us to regard Him as our Heavenly Father.

What are the conditions of becoming God’s children?

Not ancestry. Some like to boast that their ancestors came over to America on the Mayflower. Will Rogers used to say, “My ancestors met the Mayflower.” Many of the Jews in Jesus’ day were unduly proud of their ancestry (cf. Matthew 3:9; John 8:32-33). They thought that they had a ticket to glory because they were descendants of Abraham.

Not wisdom. (Proverbs 3:5; Jeremiah 9:23; I Corinthians 1:25-29, 31). With all our learning we are but simple ones before God. The world had its brilliant men who have brought us many conveniences, but in spite of this there is nothing they have given us through which we can claim kinship with God. According to Rom. 1:18ff, man’s wisdom just leads him further away from God.

Not because you can pray long prayers and make contributions of large amounts of money. (Matthew 23:14, 16-19, 23-27). We can become God’s children only by being “born again” (John 3:3-5; cf. I Peter 1:22-23). The process is also referred to in the New Testament as being “converted” (Matthew 18:3; Acts 3:19). I may become a child of God by doing His will (Matthew 7:21). This Paul referred to as being “translated” into the kingdom of God’s dear son (Colossians 1:13-14). It is becoming a “new creature” (Galatians 3:27; II Corinthians 5:17; Romans 6:3-4).

We are made to be “heirs of God, and “joint-heirs with Christ” (verse 17). “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with (him), that we may be also glorified with (him).” That is, if we are born again we are adopted into God’s family and made heirs, therefore, we shall be treated as sons and shall be privileged to share the favors of the family of God. We shall be partakers of that inheritance which God confers on His children. That inheritance is His favor and blessings here and eternal life hereafter. This is an honor infinitely higher than to be the heir of the most princely earthly inheritance, or than to be the adopted son of the greatest worldly power. We are also privileged to be “joint heirs with Christ.” Christ is by eminence the Son of God and as such He is heir to the full honors and glory of heaven. Christians are united with Him; they are His brethren; hence they are partakers of His glory and honor. We are sons of God in a different sense from what He is; He is God’s Son by a much higher relation; but we are God’s sons by adoption, yet still the idea of sonship prevails.

“If so be that we suffer with him.” If we suffer for His cause, and bear afflictions for His sake, we show that we are united with Him. Many do not know what it means to suffer for the cause of Christ (cf. II Timothy 3:12; 1:12). Paul knew what it was to suffer yet he knew that no one could take away his right to the inheritance. Surely we do not suffer to the same extent as did He, but we can imitate Him in the same spirit in which He bore His sufferings for us (Acts 14:22; I Peter 4:13).

“That we may be also glorified together.” If united with Him in the same kind of sufferings, we can expect to be united with Him in the same kind of destiny, beyond all sufferings and trials (Philippians 3:10; II Timothy 2:1-12; 3:12).

To be an heir of God, a joint-heir with Christ is indeed a glorious thing (Romans 8:14-18). Consider some things to which we are heirs.

We are heirs of His grace. “Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; through whom also we have had our access by faith into this grace wherein we stand; and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:1-2). If we know of some rich and powerful man we would like to be able to say, “He’s my friend.” We would like to be able to have him say to us, “If I can ever help you in any way, just let me know.” The ever-available favor of God means far more to us. Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help (us) in time of need.”

We are heirs of salvation. “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to do service for the sake of them that shall inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14)? Salvation through Christ is God’s supreme objective in the scheme of redemption (cf. Ephesians 1:10-11; II Timothy 2:10; Titus 2:10).

We are heirs of His promises. “And if ye are Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise” (Galatians 3:29; cf. Hebrews 6:l7). Men sometimes make promises they cannot keep, but not so with God (II Peter 3:9).

We are heirs of the kingdom. James 2:5 says, “Harken, my beloved brethren; did not God choose them that are poor as to the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to them that love him?” If we have the quality of life which Christ expressed in the Beatitudes, we possess the kingdom (cf. Matthew 5:3).

We are heirs of eternal life. “That, being justified by his grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:7). Why are our names inscribed on tombstones and why do we name our boys after their fathers? We want to be remembered. Men sometimes leave millions to an endowment and their names may be inscribed on some cornerstone. If we are God’s children our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Luke 10:20, “… rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” In Philippians 4:3, Paul mentions his fellow-workers, “whose names are in the book of life.” In Revelation 20:15 John wrote, “And if any was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.” Also in Revelation 21:27, “And there shall in no wise enter into it anything unclean, or he that maketh an abomination and a lie: but only they that are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” So if we are faithful children of God our names shall live on and on, and when our bodies are decayed by reason of death, our souls shall live on forever in the blessed city of God.

John sums it up declaring that we become heirs to all things. Revelation 21:7, “He that overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be his God, and he shall be my son” (KJV). As an heir of God I am an heir “to all things” of eternal importance.

Doesn’t it mean something to you to be a child of God? Doesn’t it enable you to rejoice and lift your head high in gratitude for such an exalted relationship? Why should we frown and fret and complain? Why should we feel that there is little that we can do in God’s service as if we were heirs to nothing? Being God’s children there is no job too big for us. In Philippians 4:13, Paul said, “I can do all things in him that strengtheneth me.”

Perhaps some of you are not God’s children; then you are denying yourselves of the joys and peace of the Christian life as well as the heritage that awaits God’s children in eternity. If you have all the wealth of the world and are not a child of God you are a loser. Matthew 16:26 says, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul” (KJV)?

God cannot use you until you are willing to bow in humble submission to His will.

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