“to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.”
to an inheritance
God gives the Christian a joint account in Christ’s inheritance (Romans 8:16,17). When people get married, they go to a bank and open a joint account. It is always a happy little excursion as they trot down to the bank with their money. They think that a joint account means, “Half is yours and half is mine.” A man is not married long when he finds out that it doesn’t mean that at all. A joint account means whoever gets there first gets the money, and somehow she beats him there every time!! A joint-heir with Christ is not a 50/50 deal. It means everything he has belongs to me (Hebrews 1:1, 2).
PRINCIPLE:
The Christian falls heir to all of Christ’s inheritance in heaven.
APPLICATION:
The Christian possesses great privileges because of Christ. He holds these privileges solely because of his status with Christ.
The corollary truth is that everything we have belongs to him. We cannot hold to our possessions if we love him. He gave us health, physical strength, mental ability, position, power, money, and fame. He gave them. He can take them away. He adds, and he knows how to subtract. He is great at math. Our health belongs to him. Our children and grandchildren belong to him. There may be a time when he takes these away, and then we will know he is God (Job 1:21; 9:12).
We need to learn with Job that everything we have belongs to God. Once we settle that with God conclusively, then our lives will get on track. “Lord, we had that out when I was 24 years of age. No problem, Lord. You do all things well. You are too good to do wrong, too wise to make a mistake. It is all right, Lord.”
This is the Lordship of Christ. He will not be satisfied until we come to the place of total capitulation. If God should be pleased to subtract from us, he is simply taking from his own. We gave it to him – remember? Did we mean it? This is not something we should debate. He is Lord. If we fudge on that, we trifle with the Lord.
