The Inheritance That Fadeth Not Away
To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, (1st Peter 1:4)
The Inheritance
All Christians have an inheritance that is incorruptible — so much has been lost in the professing Church since the world took the Church over with the doctrines of men. Since the age of the Apostles, ungodly men have come in unawares to promote their lies and heresies. The legalists wanted to return to the shackles of sin, and use these shackles to promote their legalistic doctrines. They ripped the inheritance of the saints from the pages of holy Scripture by their lies; consequently, the teaching of our inheritance in the Lord Jesus Christ has been neglected for a long, long time.
As Christ was foreordained to be the Savior of mankind from before the foundations of the earth, He also was foreordained to be the Heir of all things. Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; (Hebrews 1:2) In this verse we see the glorious appointment of a Holy Heir who is the Lord Jesus Christ. And He is the Heir of ALL things. (In the parable of the vineyard, the heir was sent as God’s beloved Son, showing the pre-existence of Sonship and Heirship.) There is nothing left out that He does not possess. His appointment as Heir of all things came BEFORE He acted in His creatorial power. He was Heir of the world, and Heir of mankind, PRIOR to His work of creation. His Heirship was given unto Him as the Son of God before He spoke the first words of creation. His Sonship is divinely integrated with His Heirship as both the Son of God and the Son of man, and also with the very elect, the children of God.
And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, (Romans 9:23)
Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? (Romans 9:24)
As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. (Romans 9:25)
And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God. (Romans 9:26)
In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: (Ephesians 1:11)
That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. (Ephesians 1:12)
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, (Ephesians 1:13)
Our inheritance is IN eternity. Our inheritance is upheld by the everlasting God. Eternity has no bounds for God FILLS eternity. God saw US, the children of God, IN Christ BEFORE the word of His power shattered the darkness with His divine light, and before the symbolism of time; for time is just a fleeting shadow in eternity. Eternity has no bounds, and is completely timeless. Before the foundations of the world, God the Father appointed His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Eternal Heir of ALL things. All things were placed under the Power and Being of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we are brought into the inheritance by the everlasting God. We are not only OF Christ, but we are IN Christ for He is the Heir of ALL things. He possesses us as the redeemed of the Lord.
Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me. (Isaiah 48:16)
Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go. (Isaiah 48:17)
Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. (Isaiah 45:21)
Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. (Isaiah 45:22)
Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. (Isaiah 53:10)
He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. (Isaiah 53:11)
Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah 53:12)
Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. (Psalm 2:8)
All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. (Psalm 22:27)
For the kingdom is the LORD’S: and he is the governor among the nations. (Psalm 22:28)
The many facets of our Savior come out in these verses as Heir. His Heirship and inheritance are so vast that man cannot conceive its total scope. Only eternity can embrace Him and all that He is.
In our relationship as the children of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ, we receive the title of Sonship through adoption in the very work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. (1st John 3:1)
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (1st John 3:2)
And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. (1st John 3:3)
Our Inheritance
Understanding the Word of Truth
Our birth is witnessed by the Spirit of God within us that we will know that we are a child of God. The first thing that we receive in our inheritance is an understanding in the Word of truth. We are endowed with the knowledge that the foundation and the Giver of the Word is the Lord Jesus Christ. God begins to work at the very moment of our salvation.
That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. (Ephesians 1:12)
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, (Ephesians 1:13)
Our Inheritance
Eternally Linked to Christ
This is where God begins — with the miracle of the new birth. At this miracle we have died to the world, and made alive unto God. At the very instant of birth we become an apparent heir with Jesus Christ in His Heirship. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. (Galatians 4:6) Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (Galatians 4:7) We are eternally linked to Christ at the moment of our spiritual birth. We are inseparable from the power of God in Jesus Christ. He has chosen us, He has called us, and He has saved us unto His eternal kingdom in which He is the Eternal King. He is the true Seed of promise in Genesis Chapter 3 and Galatians 3:16. We have a heritage with faithful Abraham through the promises that God Almighty gave to Abraham that in his seed shall all nations be blessed.
Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. (Galatians 3:7)
And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. (Galatians 3:8)
So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. (Galatians 3:9)
Our Inheritance
Our Divine Nature Sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise
We, the redeemed of the Lord, enter into this wonderful heritage as recorded in Ephesians 1:13. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, (Ephesians 1:13) We have been SEALED by the Holy Spirit of promise. The Holy Spirit has brought us into the promises of God, and we are sealed by Him through the promises of God. The Holy Spirit of promise has sealed us by the divine nature within us. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (2nd Peter 1:4) If we combine 2nd Peter 1:4 with Ephesians 1:13 we have the Spirit of promise sealing us, and in Peter, the exceeding great and precious promises as part of our inheritance, we have become a new being through the sealing work of the Spirit of God by implanting within us the divine nature and the precious promises of God. This should excite your spiritual side. You have received Holy Spirit of God from heaven, and He has come to fulfill the promises of our Savior Jesus Christ. As the Spirit of promise, He is fulfilling the works and actions of the Spirit of Christ.
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if anyone has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. (Romans 8:9)
Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: (1st Peter 1:10)
Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. (1st Peter 1:11)
Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. (1st Peter 1:12)
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (2nd Peter 1:21)
Our Inheritance
Incorruptible – Undefiled – Fadeth Not Away and Reserved
These scriptures separate the ministry of the Spirit of Christ from the ministry of men. The Holy Ghost is inseparable from Christ, and He has been sent to glorify the Son of the highest, the Lord Jesus Christ. All that we learn about our Lord and Savior must come from the eternal Word and the eternal Spirit of God. He (the Spirit of God) has a title, as we see in Ephesians Chapter 1. He is the Holy Spirit of promise, and in this position He has sealed us and He keeps us in the power of the Almighty God. The word ‘sealed’ is to magnify the promises of God made by God to His people throughout time. The word ‘sealed’ has the power of a divine document SEALED with the signet of the divine King with all His authority as Heir of all things.
The sealing of the Spirit of promise brings in the seal of our justification before God in the blood of His dear Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. As heirs and joint heirs with Jesus Christ, we have an inheritance that is incorruptible. Peter, through the Holy Spirit, describes and magnifies our inheritance. First, he describes it as incorruptible. Nothing can corrupt our inheritance — not the world, nor the flesh, and neither the devil. Our inheritance is SEALED by the Spirit of promise, and it cannot be defiled by man and his evil heart. The combination of these words incorruptible, and undefiled present a bulwark to the everlasting inheritance that we have received from our Lord Jesus Christ. And although the heart of man may fade, our inheritance burns brighter and brighter until that perfect day. Our inheritance is both reserved in Christ, and in heaven for us. Therefore, man cannot corrupt our inheritance; however, in this life we are to lay hold of what is ours in Jesus Christ. Our inheritance is beyond the control of man.
I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. (John 17:9)
And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. (John 17:10)
And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. (John 17:11)
While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. (John 17:12)
And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. (John 17:13)
I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. (John 17:14)
I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. (John 17:15)
They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. (John 17:16)
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. (John 17:17)
As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. (John 17:18)
And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. (John 17:19)
Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; (John 17:20)
The same power that kept His disciples when the Lord Jesus walked upon this earth, is the same power that is at the right hand of God for us in the heavenly Man Jesus Christ. He holds His inheritance, and His inheritance is ALL the saints who have been given to Him by God the Father. This inheritance is settled in heaven, and can never be taken out or away from heaven, and once again, the assurance of this is by the Holy Spirit of promise. Therefore, we can, as more than conquerors overcome this world in which we dwell. We have established our heavenly citizenship with Christ, and by this we are more than conquerors.
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. (Romans 8:37)
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, (Romans 8:38)
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:39)
As the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person fadeth not, so therefore, our inheritance in Christ fadeth not away. The faith given by our Savior increases with the knowledge of Christ through the Holy Spirit from glory to glory. This inheritance has been reserved for us before the foundations of the world. We were reserved and had a place in His presence. This presence of the Son of God is reserved for each saint. The glory of His Being has been presented to us by the word of God and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, (Ephesians 1:18) And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, (Ephesians 1:19)
We again see the preexistence of our inheritance, all given and kept by the working of His mighty power. We also have a place that is under construction by divine hands for the Lord Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us.
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. (John 14:1)
In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2)
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:3)
And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. (John 14:4) To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, (1st Peter 1:4)
The stability of Deity has embraced us with both His righteousness and His holiness with everlasting love. He has reserved for us not only a place in His presence, but a place in His glory, and the glory to come, that those who are redeemed will be conformed to the image of that glory that fadeth not away.
Our Inheritance
• The Earnestness and Benefits
• Eternal Salvation and of His Body
Although we are waiting for the union and completion of our inheritance, we have already received the earnestness and benefits of our eternal inheritance. The very first thing that we received, as God has promised, is our eternal salvation. This is given to us by the Holy Spirit of promise, and He, the Spirit of God, has SEALED us unto His eternal redemption in Christ Jesus. We have been translated in our present state into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: (Colossians 1:13) We have been given to Christ as part of His eternal Body, and therefore, we will be conformed to the very image of Christ. His Church, one day, in its fullness will be revealed as a glorious Church in the very glory of its Head, who is Christ. Christ is the Master Builder, and all power in heaven and earth has been given unto Him. He is the Deity of creation, and ALL things are in subjection to Him. He builds His Church upon Himself for He is the chief Cornerstone, and all members of His Body make up a holy temple in the Lord. And this is the heritage that we are part of. This is according to His eternal plan, and determinate counsels. As the Alpha and the Omega, He surrounds and embraces both the beginning and the end in His immense eternity.
Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; (Ephesians 2:19)
And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; (Ephesians 2:20)
In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: (Ephesians 2:21)
In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:22)
Our inheritance is SEALED because we are part of that holy temple in the Lord. That which is in Jesus Christ can never fail, can never be diminished, can never fall away for it is by His power and His Word that He upholds all things. However, man has not proved to be faithful throughout his entire history. Mankind has failed to fulfill God’s desire for man, and to be obedient to the will of God. Since we are dealing with the divine temple, which is under the complete control of the Lord Jesus Christ, let us look back into the Old Testament concerning the Tabernacle and Solomon’s temple.
The Failures of Man in the Priesthood
The Tabernacle
First, the Tabernacle, man had no control over its plan, its construction, or its materials. The plan was given to Moses from heaven above. The materials were specified by God to Moses, and the building was given by God’s Spirit on Bezaleel. Although God was the Master Builder, He used Bezaleel to construct the Tabernacle so that what Moses saw in the holy mount was built upon the desert floor. (Exodus 35:30-35) The Tabernacle was to be a spiritual oasis, a place where God could dwell among them, the children of Israel, and refresh their souls and spirits. Now the custodial care of the Tabernacle was given to Aaron and his sons, and a priesthood was established by God using man for the custodial and spiritual care of the Tabernacle and the people of Israel, but (through time) this priesthood became so corrupt that the Ark of the Covenant was taken into captivity by the Philistines. And even in captivity, the Ark of the Covenant was under the complete power of the Almighty God. He, Himself, triumphed over the Philistines without any assistance from mankind. All was directed from above, and all was fulfilled by the Almighty. Man, again, had failed, but God faileth not.
The Failures of Man in the Priesthood
Solomon’s Temple
The design and material of the temple of Solomon were not left up to man. The design was given to David from above. The materials were ordered by the Lord, and David committed to Solomon, his son, all that God had delivered unto him. Therefore, the building of the temple of Solomon was again removed from the hands of man. The temple was given from heaven, and sealed by heaven by the glory of God coming in and sealing the temple with the very presence of God. Man could not design something that is holy — for man, in Adam, is not holy. All had to be directed form above, and once again, God gave to man the custodial care of the temple, and once again, man failed, and man was found unworthy.
That Which Fails Not
The Temple of God
Now in the fullness of time, God sent forth His Son. He declared, of Himself, that He was the temple of God. He declared, of Himself, that He had all custodial care over that temple that was His body. And man, this time, could not interfere nor abuse the holiness of God. The Son of God was given from above. All was taken out of the hands of man. Christ, Himself, would be the Temple of God, and His Body would be the temple of His Spirit so that man would not be able to corrupt the eternal state of the Church, or its members. All would be under the guidance of the Holy Spirit; however, God in His mercy, in His compassion, allowed man to take part in the Word of God: to teach, and to preach all the divine doctrines concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, from Moses, the prophets, the Psalms, and the New Testament. And yet, while the apostles were still preaching the miracles of Christ, and the divine wonder of salvation through Jesus Christ, the devil raised up men of reprobate minds, thus, they came in to disrupt, and to change both the glory of God and the vitality and the validity of God’s Word.
The Failure of the Testimony in the Age of the Church
The intent, of these men of reprobate minds, from the beginning was to create a system controlled by the two-legged beast called man. In their teaching there would be no moral compass, or scale that could legitimately weigh them in the balance. The devil, through his henchman created a fantasy which is now called Christendom. The two-legged beasts teach the doctrines of man, and deny the doctrines of God.
In the Old Testament, the Tabernacle was destroyed because of man. The testimony of God remained, and God again revived His purpose in the temple of Solomon, and with the priesthood of man. Man again failed. And Solomon’s temple was destroyed, and all the temples of man became dust because of the unfaithfulness of man. And yes, the testimony of the Church on earth has failed. The one thing that the Tabernacle, the Temple, and the Church have in common is the wickedness of the heart of man failing to be obedient unto the things of God.
The Holy Spirit of God is now working to finalize the Church age. The end of this age will soon be concluded when the last soul comes into the Father’s bosom. The faithful remnant (versus the godless masses) will be caught up to be with the Lord, and the Church will no longer be a testimony on the earth. God, Himself, will bring in the fullness of His Church in heaven above when the fullness of the Gentiles and their wickedness is complete.
The interesting phrase that God uses in the parable of the vineyard is, I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him. (Luke 20:13)
But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. (Matthew 21:37)
But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. (Matthew 21:38)
And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. (Matthew 21:39)
Then began he to speak to the people this parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time. (Luke 20:9)
And at the season he sent a servant to the husbandmen, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the husbandmen beat him, and sent him away empty. (Luke 20:10)
And again he sent another servant: and they beat him also, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty. (Luke 20:11)
Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him. (Luke 20:13)
But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours. (Luke 20:14)
So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them? (Luke 20:15)
The Lord Jesus came into the vineyard to claim His heritage for He was Heir of all things. Yet, the wicked husbandmen took Him outside of the vineyard and crucified Him. They claimed the vineyard for themselves when they cried out in front of the cross, they cried out that, If He was the Son of God then let Him come down from the cross, and save Himself.
And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God. (Luke 23:35)
And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, (Matthew 27:39)
And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. (Matthew 27:40)
Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, (Matthew 27:41)
He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. (Matthew 27:42)
He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. (Matthew 27:43)
And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, (Mark 15:29)
Save thyself, and come down from the cross. (Mark 15:30)
Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save. (Mark 15:31)
Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him. (Mark 15:32)
These scriptures were fulfilled at the cross when they crucified our blessed Lord. It fulfilled the parable that the Lord Jesus spoke of these wicked husbandmen. Even as the Lord was giving this parable, the rulers and the Pharisees knew that this parable was describing them; that they, themselves, were the wicked husbandmen. When this parable was given, it was given on Solomon’s porch in the temple, the Heir had come to claim both His eternal priesthood, and His Kingly realm. Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. (Zechariah 6:13) Christ clearly showed Himself as the promised Messiah, and His enemies understood Him. (Luke 23:35; Matthew 27:42, 43; Mark 15:32) And yet, they refused Him, and took Him outside the vineyard and crucified Him. He had declared to them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. (John 2:19)
And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, (Matthew 27:39)
And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.(Matthew 27:40)
Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah 53:12)
The Battle for The Earthly Inheritance
In the fulfillment of this parable of the wicked husbandmen, we also see the fulfillment of the prophecy found in Isaiah, Chapter 53, verse 12. The determinate counsels of God overcame the counsels of the wicked husbandmen to destroy the heir. For there was a far greater accomplishment in the death of the Lord Jesus to bring precious souls to God. In the Pharisees, once again, we see that first lie of Genesis Chapter 3, that men would become as gods. The Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Herodians, and the rulers of the Jews had usurped the vineyard, and laid claim to that which belonged to God. As Cain destroyed Abel, they thought that they could destroy the Son of God; yet, the word of the Lord Jesus was fulfilled in three days.
Since the fall of man, both the devil and man have tried to overthrow the Almighty to claim the earth for themselves and the world with the people who dwell therein. (Psalm 24:1) Now if mankind could overcome the Almighty, he could keep the vineyard. Man would be in the temple showing himself as god, and the heritage would be theirs; however, they did err not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God.
And today, right now, the clamor once again is to cast the Heir out, and to claim the vineyard. The professing church cries out, ‘Give us more of the world, and give us a man to rule over us.’ They will not submit to the preeminence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. (Colossians 1:18) Man has spread his infectious heresies to the point that they do not even know the truth. The Pharisees and the Jews were at that same point when they crucified the Lord Jesus. And in 70 A.D. the Lord destroyed those wicked husbandmen (from that point on the Aaronic priesthood ceased to exist, and thus, would no longer be recognized by the Almighty).
The Battle for Our Inheritance
• The Word of God
• The Unity of the Body of Christ
• Christ the Head of The Church
Instead of the Aaronic priesthood, we have a High Priest in heaven, Jesus Christ the righteous. Once again, we have to understand that the Lord Jesus is Heir of all things, and that we have been brought into His Body as joint heirs with Him. We have been changed from Adam (in sin and death) to Christ (with life and light). The Pharisees denied the Word of God, as today, the Word of God is denied almost unilaterally by the world and by the professing church. Why is this important? The Word of God is part of our inheritance. It is our heritage to possess it, and to keep it, and to understand it, and to make it part of our eternal being. It conforms us to the image of Christ. It teaches us of all the wonders of our Savior Jesus Christ. In the seven letters to the churches in Revelation Chapters 2 and 3, we see the rebuke of the Lord Jesus Christ against those same wayward husbandmen. Consequently, the Lord is there to remove their lamp stand. In six of the seven churches there is denial of the Word of God. Only in one Church is a door opened, and in that Church of Philadelphia, the Word of God is given once again by the Spirit of God to awaken souls with the gospel message of God’s dear Son. He has opened the door that was sealed by the Nicolaitans in the 1st century of Church history. These ungodly men had usurped God’s power and God’s authority over the Church, and because of the absence of the Person of Christ on earth, they thought that they had the rights of heaven, and not the Lord Jesus Christ. Their empire will become the world of Babylon. It will be destroyed by the supernatural power of God Almighty. As God destroyed Jerusalem and Solomon’s Temple (which had become Herod’s temple) because of their rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ, so the final world religion will be destroyed because of their rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is where we have a great heritage as the children of God. The Lord Jesus has opened a supernatural DOOR for us. He is presenting Himself once again to a dead Church, and to a dead world by opening the Word of God to the dark doors of so-called Christianity. Although this door has been opened wide, the masses of Christendom refuse the Word of God. They have taken on the shroud of Laodiceanism that Christians should mix with the world, and invite the world to be on equal grounds with them. They deny the first element of salvation: which is separation from the world; thus, the Lord Jesus will deny them in that day for He will declare that He never knew them.
Our Inheritance is ALL Centered in Christ
All the treasures of all the cathedrals, and all the organizations that man have built to overthrow the authority of God and His Word will be brought to ciders. God has created a heavenly people for Himself, and we are part of the kingdom of heaven, and not of the earth. Our kingdom is centered on Christ Jesus the Lord and not in the Sunday apostasy that praises themselves and not Christ. A people who kiss and anoint the feet of the rich are not a people of heaven, but a people of hell. We are surrounded with the apostasy of the worst kind: it is filled with covetousness which is idolatry, and this is not accepted by the Lord in any way.
Psalm 119 shows us the importance of the Word of God through the Living Word the Lord Jesus Christ. Not only is it settled in heaven (where Christ is) verse 89, LAMED. For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven, but it is also a heritage to those who love the Lord. (Verse 111, Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart), and in Deuteronomy 33:4, Moses commanded us a law, even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.
To Understand Our Inheritance and The Mind of Christ
If we desire to know the mind of God, it must be through the Word of God which is our heritage. The Word must be ministered by the Holy Spirit of promise which is also part of our inheritance.
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, (Ephesians 1:13)
Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:14)
Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts (2nd Corinthians 1:22).
Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. (2nd Corinthians 5:5)
And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. (Romans 8:23)
God has given His Spirit as an earnest of our salvation. The Holy Spirit is within us as the Spirit of promise to fulfill not only the inheritance, but the will of God. He, the Lord Jesus, is the Heir, and we, the redeemed, are joint heirs with Him, and IN Him. He has given us an unction of the truth through His Spirit of promise, and He will reveal His will and mind through His Word to us. John in his first epistle wanted us to see that we are not alone in this world. We have been given an understanding by the Spirit of promise that Christ dwells in ALL true believers, and that the Spirit of God’s Son is a witness within us.
But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. (1st John 2:20)
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. (1st John 2:27)
Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. (1st John 4:13)
We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. (1st John 4:6)
And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. (1st John 3:24)
And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness (1st John 5:19). And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. (1st John 5:20)
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. (Romans 8:9)
One should always remember that the Word of God is from God, and is given by God. These verses that we have just considered show the reality of Christ, and the Spirit of God IN the life of EVERY true believer. We also see that the Spirit of God is directly connected to His Spirit of promise, and our inheritance in Christ Jesus. As we read in Ephesians, Chapter 1, verse 13 and 14, this, the Spirit of promise, is part of our life, and He is part of our eternal existence with Jesus Christ.
The apostle Paul through the Spirit of God, tells us that we have the mind of Christ. This would be through the Spirit of promise. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. (1st Corinthians 2:16) Also the Spirit of God brings before us this truth in Philippians 2:5, Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. This is one of the mysteries of our salvation, often denied by man: that God can give us His thoughts in the mind of Christ. Our lives, as joint heirs with Christ and as the sons of God, are channels of the thoughts of God to man.
When God creates a new vessel in a new born creature, old things are past away, and behold, all things become new. This new vessel is now contained with the things of God and not the things of Adam. Christ is in us, as the hope of glory. With the mind of Christ we seek the things which are above where Christ sits at the right hand of God. Only the Spirit of Him, who loved us, can take us there in sweet fellowship with our beloved Savior. A desire to be with Him should be our goal. To learn more about Him should be our passion. We are in a temporal world, but we are spiritual people of the heavenly. We have been redeemed FROM the world to be with Christ. We have the everlasting gospel to prove our birth. And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, (Revelation 14:6) We have God’s everlasting righteousness to prove our position in Christ. Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth. (Psalm 119:142) We are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ, we are IN Him, the everlasting God, from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the LORD. (Psalm 106:48)
Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen. (Psalm 41:13)
To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you. (1st Peter 1:4)
Addendum
Some Points of Thought
1. The God of the everlasting covenant.
Genesis 9:16
Genesis 17:7
1st Chronicles 16:17
Hebrews 13:20
2. The God that gives everlasting possessions.
Genesis 17:8
3. The God that has an everlasting name.
Isaiah 63:16
Philippians 2:9, 10
Revelation 19:13, 16
Psalm 23:23
4. A God that is an everlasting King
Jeremiah 10:10
Daniel 4:3 and 4:34
Daniel 7:14 and 7:27
5. A God of everlasting life
Daniel 12:2
John 3:16 and 3:36
John 4:14
John 5:24
John 6:27, John 6:40 and 6:47
John 12:50
1st Timothy 1:16
6. And we cannot forget that our God is a God of everlasting love.
Jeremiah 31:3
Galatians 2:20
John 3:16
Revelation 3:9
To our God from everlasting to everlasting
from an heir of God with Jesus Christ,
Thank You Most High God.
Amen.
© Copyright 2019, Michael Haigh
This article may be used, but not for gain. Freely ye have received, freely give.
All Scripture references are from the Authorized King James Bible. (KJV)
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