“So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when He adopted you as His own children. Now we call Him ‘Abba, Father.’ For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are His children, we are His heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share His glory, we must also share His suffering.” (Romans 8:15-17 NLT)
According to the law you can be a child or close relative of someone who dies, but not be an heir. If a person has planned for their death and has a will or trust that includes a will, the desires of the deceased take precedent over the rights of family or blood relatives. Why is this important?
Just because you’re a human being, created by a loving God who designed you for intimacy with Himself, unless the Father designates you as His child, you will not inherit eternal life in heaven. An heir is a person who is legally entitled to collect an inheritance when a deceased person did not formalize a last will and testament. Heirs who inherit the proceeds of an estate are children, descendants, or other close relatives of the decedent. The bottom line is, God makes the rules, we live or die by them. Whether we go to heaven or not is a legal matter, not simply a spiritual matter.
Do you know you’re a child of God? Do you know when you close your eyes in death you’ll awaken in the arms of a your Holy Father? It depends, doesn’t it? Are you a child or an heir? There’s an eternal difference! You CAN know for sure, but how? Paul answers that question in verse 16 above. If you are a child of God, His Spirit will bear witness with your spirit to affirm you are His blood bought child.
What does that mean? Being an heir of God is more than saying a prayer, being religious, or coming from a Christian family. Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sin, but it’s a gift that must be accepted and acted upon. If I give you the keys to a new Ferrari, but you toss them in a drawer and never drive it, of what practical value is it to you?
To say a prayer: “Oh, Lord, forgive me of my sins and secure for me a place in heaven,” then continue to live a life contrary to the will of God isn’t security, it’s a sham. God doesn’t put stock in words alone, but in transformation that can only come about by the infilling of His Holy Spirit.
Heirs of God share not only in His glory, but in His suffering. What does that mean? It essentially means to sign a blank contract. We confess our need of God, seek His forgiveness and the infilling of His Spirit to enable us to follow Him, then stand before Him with open hands. There’s a sense in which we humbly bow at His holy feet and ask: “Thank You, Lord, for the gift of eternal life. I’m now at Your disposal. Almighty King of Glory, how may I serve You?”
Then He lays a blank sheet of paper in front of you and hands you a pen. At the bottom of the blank sheet is a line, so, the Lord says simply, “If you’re heart belongs to Me and your whole aim and desire is to live a life that’s pleasing to Me, sign on the line. But know this, when you sign on that line your life no longer belongs to you, it belongs to Me. You will do what I say, when I say it.
But know this also. You will never take one single step without Me being with you. Everything I am and have will be at your disposal. If you need something and I believe it’s going to enable you to hear and obey Me more effectively, it will be yours. You will stumble and fall, but I will pick you up; you will experience disappointments, heartache, loneliness, and suffering, but stay strong, because what I’ve prepared for you is worth it all. As a matter of fact, the second you close your eyes in death, you will awaken to a life so wonderful your old life won’t even be a memory. Are you in? Do you desire with your whole heart to be My heir? Sign here ___________________!”
Tim Keller wrote: “Unless we are profoundly certain that God is our good father, We will never be able to say ‘thy will be done.’”
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed😊
Walking With Jesus 