Photo Credit: Pinterest.com
Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified and made us fit to share the portion which is the inheritance of the saints (God’s holy people) in the Light. – Colossians 1:12
In football, there are usually some preliminary matches that qualify the various teams for the major tournament, such as the World Cup. At the preliminary stages, each team must make efforts to meet certain requirements to qualify for the main event. At salvation, Christ qualified us and made us fit to partake of the inheritance of the saints. We didn’t need to play the preliminary game – He did and won for us; therefore, qualifying us for our divine inheritance.
This inheritance is beyond human comprehension as presented by Paul the Apostle:“But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’” (1 Corinthians 2:9). Our being qualified for this inheritance is not as a result of something special which we did, “But God demonstrated His own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).For this reason, we ought to give thanks always for our glorious position in Christ Jesus.
Dear friend, this should be a great consolation to you as you go about your business and are faced with life’s challenges. Know for sure that Christ has met the demands for your qualification to take part in the inheritance of the saints. You will only have a foretaste of this inheritance on earth in the form of peace, joy, love, divine health, divine protection, preservation, etc. The reason you ought to strive till the end is that the full package of this inheritance will be delivered at our journey’s end. May you not miss out!
Know for sure that Christ has met the demands for your qualification to take part in the inheritance of the saints.
The Guarantee of Our Inheritance
“In Him you also who have heard the Word of Truth, the glad tidings (Gospel) of your salvation, and have believed in and adhered to and relied on Him, were stamped with the seal of the long-promised Holy Spirit. The [Spirit] is the guarantee of our inheritance [the first fruits, the pledge and foretaste, the down payment on our heritage], in anticipation of its full redemption and our acquiring [complete] possession of it – to the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14, AMP).
Paul, in his letter to the Ephesian Believers, drew their attention to their inheritance in God. Today, this epistle is also relevant to us as God’s children. He made known to us that as many as believe and receive the Word of Truth are qualified for this inheritance. At this point, the Apostle introduced the Holy Spirit, who is the seal (foretaste, down payment and first fruit) of this inheritance. God, through the Holy Spirit, assures us of the inheritance reserved for us in the heavens. With Him (Holy Spirit), we are sure without any iota of doubt that our eternal inheritance is secured and our hope steadfast. It is for this reason that we must grow in intimacy with Him. All we can ever become in time and eternity is a function of our relationship with Him. God will never leave Himself without a witness; therefore, He has given us His Spirit to help us stay focused in the midst of life’s turbulent storms so that we can possess our eternal inheritance in Him.
With Him (Holy Spirit), we are sure without any iota of doubt that our eternal inheritance is secured and our hope steadfast.
Our Inheritance in Christ Jesus
We will explore some of the benefits of our being in Christ, which form part of our inheritance here on earth, as we await our eternal inheritance in Christ.
- The Forgiveness of Our Sins
In Whom we have our redemption through His blood, [which means] the forgiveness of our sins – Colossians 1:14
One of the blessings redemption confers on us is the blessing of the forgiveness of sin. The Psalmist expressed the blessedness of forgiveness: “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered” (Psalm 32:1). It is at the point of forgiveness of our sins that our journey of faith begins. The shed blood of Christ provides the basis for our forgiveness.
The need to be fully acquainted with the reality of our forgiveness is indispensable. This is because Satan is a grand master at accusation and heaping guilt on the believer, even for confessed and forgiven sins. When Satan meddles, always remind him that “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1).
It is at the point of forgiveness of our sins that our journey of faith begins. The shed blood of Christ provides the basis for our forgiveness.
The knowledge of our forgiveness shouldn’t be an excuse to continue to sin because “No one born (begotten) of God [deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin, for God’s nature abides in him [His principle of life, and divine sperm, remains permanently within him]; and he cannot practice sinning because he is born (begotten) of God” (1 John 3:9).And for the one who willfully continues in sin, it is written, “Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received a full knowledge of the truth, there is no other sacrifice that will cover these sins. There will be nothing to look forward to but the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume His enemies” (Hebrews 10:26-27). May we not treat our forgiveness of sin with levity, but live daily in thankfulness to God.
- Peace with God
“It was through what his Son did that God cleared a path for everything to come to him—all things in heaven and on earth—for Christ’s death on the cross has made peace with God for all by his blood. This includes you who were once so far away from God. You were his enemies and hated him and were separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions, yet now he has brought you back as his friends” – Colossians 1:20-21
The main reason why Christ came, lived, died, and was resurrected on the third day was to reconcile man back to God. This, He did by His blood. Before Christ came to the world, we were enemies of God and far away from Him. The devil placed a wall of partition between us (God and men), and this was manifested in our words, thoughts, and actions, which were evil.
The death and resurrection of Christ brought peace between God and man by destroying the wall of partition that was set up by the devil. It is our reconciliation to God that guarantees peace with Him, as rightly stated by Paul in Romans 5:1: “So now, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith in his promises, we can have real peace with him because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.” Likewise, it is peace with God that guarantees the peace of God, as also revealed by Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:7. He said, “If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.”
Dear friend, when you have peace with God, you will have His peace in you (John 16:33), and as such have peace with men according to Proverbs 16:7: “When a man is trying to please God, God makes even his worst enemies to be at peace with him.” In having His peace, you are obligated to reconcile others to God (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). God’s will for you is to have His peace and live by it. However, it begins by embracing the Prince of peace and believing in the finished work of Christ on the cross.
- Fruitfulness in Good Works
“That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” – Colossians 1:10, NKJV
Every human being is bearing fruit. The fruit can either be good or bad fruit, depending on the source to which that individual is anchored. As born-again children of God, we are to be fruitful in good works. The Lord Jesus puts this another way, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
Every human being is bearing fruit. The fruit can either be good or bad fruit, depending on the source to which that individual is anchored.
Good works can only be acceptable to God after we are saved. Every ‘good’ work outside Christ is not acceptable to God. The word of God states clearly, “So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:8). Therefore, every work borne out of the flesh or the sinful nature cannot please God because its source is corrupt.
So, what kind of fruit are you bearing – good or bad? As a child of God, you are expected to bear good fruit through your lifestyle. Jesus said, “Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit.” (John 15:2). This fruit-bearing for believers is a command, and this fruit can either be of your godly character or working for the salvation of a soul. God does not want you to trivialize this matter, as it is of utmost importance to Him.
This list is not exhaustive in itself. In the next edition of this article, we shall explore more dimensions of our inheritance in Christ Jesus. Be blessed!
World Changers Magazine 