Page 26 - September 2023 - Truth & Tidings

“ f children, then heirs; heirs of God glorious inheritance (1Pe 1:4).

and joint-heirs with Christ” (Rom Next, consider the certainty of heir-
I8:17a). In Romans 8, Paul mentions ship – “if children, then heirs.” There is
1
three marks of being children and sons of no possibility for a child of God to be
God: Spirit led (v14), adoption (vv15,23) disinherited. The God who cannot change
and heirship (v17). Let us look at some and who cannot lie said so! We are “heirs
aspects of heirship. of the promise” (Gal 3:29). God prom-
First, note the condition of heirship – “if ised Abraham a global blessing and is
children, then heirs.” Only those who are thus bound by His character. Some lose
the “children of God” (1Jn 3:1) are “heirs their earthly inheritance, either through
of God.” One becomes a child of God only their father’s caprice or by a premature
through the new birth (Joh 1:12). God be- death. God guards both us and our in-
gets us through His Word and of His own heritance! We are “kept by the power of
will (Jas 1:18; 1Pe 1:24). Once we were the God” (1Pe 1:5a) and our inheritance is
“sons of disobedience” (Eph 2:2b) by prac- “reserved in heaven” for us (v4b). We are
tice and “children of wrath” by nature, not only guaranteed our inheritance, but
but we are now “sons of God” in our re- we ourselves are assured to make it to
sponsibility and “children of God” in our heaven. Ours is an “eternal inheritance”
relationship. It is commonly accepted that (Heb 9:15), “incorruptible, and undefiled,
children inherit their parents’ estate (2Co and that fadeth not away” (1Pe 1:4a).
12:14b). An heir does not earn or purchase Furthermore, we are “co-heirs with
his inheritance; it is his by birth. We were Christ.” First, this means that we have
born into the royal family of heaven and, nothing apart from Christ. The death of
consequently, have come into a vast and our testator effected the will, and He, by
¹ Bible quotations in this article are from the His resurrection, became the executor of
KJV. His own estate, thus bringing us into His

282 TRUTH kTidings September 2023