Page 20 - March 2025 - Truth & Tidings

n reading the Pauline epistles, one because it was not appropriate. Individu-
can’t help but be drawn to the heart of als outside of the family don’t typically
Ithe apostle and the loving care he dis- have an interest in the inheritance of the
plays for the believers. This love pulsates parents. As unsaved sinners, we had no
in the prayers interwoven throughout his claim upon the inheritance of the saints
epistles. The concern he has for the saints because we didn’t belong to Christ and
is imbued in the very language that he were never part of the family of God.
uses to deliver truth to his audience, teach- And so, the Father, in His infinite grace,
ing us that truth firmly grasped must be was able to make us fit (meet), or “quali-
delivered in a loving way. fied,” to partake in that inheritance. As we
Just as you might tell a fellow Christian meditate on this truth, it is fascinating to
that you are praying for them, the apostle ponder that we, who once were “enemies
does the same here, but describes the very of God,” should now have a place in the
substance of that prayer. A careful analy- family of God and be qualified to partake
sis of its components shows Paul praying of the inheritance of the saints.
for: the knowledge of His will, a worthy
In many estate inheritance cases, there
walk, fruitfulness, an increasing knowl- is often inter-sibling rivalry. But usually,
edge of God, and patience, longsuffering
and joy produced in their walk. the claim to some part of the inheritance is
not up for debate, as each sibling belongs
Verses 12-14 provide a capstone to this
prayer with thanks to the Father – an ex- in the family. Similarly, as believers, we
belong to the family of God and enjoy all
ample worth emulating. Examining these
verses, there is much we can appreciate the rich spiritual blessings of the inheri-
about the work of the Father in our salva- tance we share. This inheritance is infinite
tion; there are truths that we were not even in its quantity and eternal in its duration.
aware of the moment we trusted Christ for If you inherit a beautiful black Bugatti
the forgiveness of sins. Let's consider four Veyron automobile, and it stays in the
aspects presented about our salvation. garage behind a mountain of boxes for
years, are you appreciating your inheri-
Qualified tance? The Colossian believers may have
Paul is describing remarkable blessing been tempted by gnostic influences to
and position bestowed upon believers by think that other means of inheritance were
the Father. And just as it is fitting for par- possible by the pursuit of special, mysti-
ents to grant an inheritance to their chil- cal knowledge apart from the truth that
dren, our heavenly Father has promised Paul had delivered to them. But here they
us an “inheritance of the saints.” were reminded that the true inheritance
However, we are reminded that there for saints lies in the fact that the Father
was a time prior to our salvation when qualified us for it, and has given us the
we were not fit to obtain the inheritance, light to appreciate our shared inheritance.

84 TRUTH kTidings March 2025