Monday, June 15, 2009

We Have an Inheritance

“and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may
be filled  to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Eph 3:19

I believe that far too many of us live our Christian lives in pauperism.  We live as homeless street people, but the Father has reserved a place for us at His table.  Yes, we know Christ died for us.  Yes, we know our sins are forgiven.  But too often this is the stopping point.  Christianity is not meant to merely bring the Christian back to even on the scales of justice.  It is meant to save the world.  We have incredible resources available to us though our inheritance. Have we forgotten that the God who spoke the universe into existence is the same God we pray to daily? Have we forgotten that He is all powerful and can do anything as easily as anything else?  Have we forgotten that He knows everything, including where you left your car keys and the solution to that problem that has been hanging over your head for months at work?  Have we forgotten that He is always with us, in fact, he lives right inside us?  Have we forgotten He is infinite, kind, good, just, compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love?  Have we forgotten He who rules the universe, to whom all power and authority owe there origins, is our Father? 

What if we started going to God and asking for our inheritance?  We are all billionaires in His Kingdom.  We have a huge sum vested in our kingdom account.  Jesus died to give it to us.  The Father did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all.  How will He not also along with Him graciously give us ALL THINGS? (Rom 8:31-32).  Now Christ is interceding for us and promises nothing in all creation can separate us from His love (Rom 8:34, 37-39).  Remember, God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Heb 11:6). God promised Abraham, “I am your shield your very great reward” (Gen 15:1).  God does not show favoritism (Acts 10:34-35).  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb 13:8) and all the promises of God are “Yes” and “Amen” in Christ (2 Cor 1:20).  We have now become Abraham’s seed (See Gal 3 and 4).  So we know He is our very great reward.  It is Him and all His resources we are inheriting.  “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Eph 1:3).  Paul prays that we would understand the hope to which He has called us and His incomparably great power for us who believe.  Paul also prays that we might know of God’s glorious inheritance in the saints.  That’s right God counts you as HIS GLORIOUS INHERITANCE! (Eph 1:18-19)  I believe this is because God knows the value of the lives He has redeemed.  He knows the exact sum in their spiritual bank accounts, because it is the same balance that is in His own – infinite! 

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” (2 Pet 1:3-4)  Did you see it?  God wants us to participate in His divine nature!  Why?  He is our inheritance!  Paul prays that we may “…know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.  Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work in us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!   Amen.” (Eph 3:19-21)  The fullness of God is our destiny.  “And we who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (2 Cor 3:18)  “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.” (Heb 1:3)   “He [the Holy Spirit] will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it know to you.   All that belongs to the Father is mine.  That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.” (John 16:14)  God wants to give us Himself as our inheritance!  He has nothing better to offer, because there is nothing better than that to offer.  He is all that is true, noble, pure, lovely, admirable, and praiseworthy (Phil 4:8)!  He is good, all good, all the time!  He is inviting us to participate in His nature!  He is inviting us to be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God!  He has sent us His Spirit to live in us and His Spirit is to take all that is God’s and make it known to us!

Yet we often live as beggars in the street, just trying to find our next spiritual meal.  He has so much more for us!  We have a place reserved for us at the Father’s table!  What if we started thinking more like, “God because You are good, I want to experience your goodness and give it to those around me.  God because You are always and everywhere presence, I want to experience Your manifest presence.  I want to walk in continual awareness of Your great presence living in me.  I want to make others aware of Your great presence always around them and ready to be in them.  God because You know everything, and you delight in sharing with Your children, I want to know what only you could know and declare it to the world.  God because You are loving, I want to know Your love and give it away to all those I meet.  God because You are all-powerful, I want to experience Your power flowing through me to heal the dying world around me, to call things that are not as though they are and see them come into being, to proclaim the greatness of You and Your Kingdom and see signs and wonders following.  I want to see Your signs and wonders not to seek the gifts, but because the gifts are the nature of the Giver and I want to participate in Your Nature.  God I want to see You and Your Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven!”

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Col 3:23-24).

Oh Lord God Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, we humbly submit ourselves to Your plan.  Help us to fully avail ourselves of all You died to bring us.  Let our bank accounts in Your Kingdom not sit dormant, but help us to make heavenly withdrawals for deposit here on earth, that we might see Your Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven.  We want to co-labor with You.  Help us understand our place in Your Kingdom that we might have full confidence in You and in Your abilities through us that you might receive through our works the glory, honor, and praise that You alone are so worthy of receiving as we co-labor with You for the establishment of Your Kingdom.  To You be all the glory forever and ever!  Amen.

References
All Scriptures not specified are quoted from Life in the Spirit Study Bible (NIV). Stamps, Donald C., and John Wesley Adams. Life in the Spirit Study Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003. Print.