Every child of God can look forward to his eternal
inheritance. In this message, Pastor Brian expounds
Romans 8:17, to show the Reason, Substance, and
Condition of the Christian’s Inheritance.
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The Christian’s Inheritance
Romans 8:17
We are in the midst of a rich, rich passage of Scripture! We are in the middle of Romans 8. Folks, it just doesn’t get any better than this! Romans 8:14-17 are dealing with our sonship. We are sons of God. This passage also deals with the Spirit of God. You can see this by just noticing how many times the word “son” or “children” appears, and then how many times the word “Spirit” appears.
Last Sunday, our message was entitled, How Does the Spirit Work in the Sons of God? We noticed three things about the Spirit’s work in God’s children:
1) The Spirit Leads them to Put Sin to Death. This is one of the ways you can know whether you are a child of God or not. If you are a true child of God, the Spirit leads you to wage war on your sin.
2) The Spirit Causes Them to Cry Out Abba! Father! When a person is born of the Spirit, he instinctively knows to cry out to God as his Daddy! No longer does he look on God as a cruel and wrathful Master, but as a loving and good Father.
3) The Spirit Testifies with Their Spirit that they Are Children of God. The Spirit is the one that ultimately gives the Christian assurance of his salvation. He communicates directly with our spirit and makes it clear that we are children of God.
Originally, I was going to include a 4th point, which was 4) The Spirit Assures Them of their Glorious Inheritance. However, we didn’t have enough time for the fourth point, and I’m kind of glad, because now I can take this entire sermon to develop this fourth point. It has to do with the Christian’s inheritance.
Romans 8:17 divides itself into three parts:
1) The reason for our inheritance – “why do we receive an inheritance?”
2) The substance of our inheritance – “what is our inheritance?”
3) The condition of receiving our inheritance – “what must we do to receive the inheritance?”
Let’s look at each one in turn.
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The Reason For Our Inheritance (why do some people receive an inheritance from God?)
And if children, heirs also. The reason some will receive an inheritance from God is because they are children of God. Now, I know that’s pretty obvious, but we need to state the obvious. In verse 15, Paul told us that when we received the Holy Spirit, He is a Spirit of adoption. When He comes in to dwell within us, He makes real our adoption into God’s family. He works within us and causes affections for God to well up within us until we cry out, “Papa, Father!” Now, whenever a child is adopted, that child has a legal right to the father’s inheritance. Usually that inheritance is given to the child when the father dies. However, God can’t die, and will never die. So, God gives His inheritance to His children when we die. At death we begin to enter into our glorious inheritance, and at the Resurrection, we will enter into it even more fully.
So, the first thing we must realize is that the reason some people will be given an inheritance from God has nothing to do with what they do, but everything to do with who they are. It is not a matter of working harder. It is a matter of being a son or daughter of God. A person becomes a child of God in the New Birth. The Spirit of God comes in to dwell and changes his heart, and reorients his affections toward God, and a new life begins! At the same time, the Spirit makes real our adoption as God’s sons until we cry out with full affection, “Abba! Father!”
Are you a child of God? Has the Spirit testified with your spirit that you are His child? Has the Spirit produced new affections and love for God, and do you instinctively cry out when you have a need, “Father! Papa!”
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The Substance Of Our Inheritance
(what does our inheritance consist of?)
Heirs of God. There is a whole lot to our eternal inheritance, but we might as well start off with the most wonderful part of it. We inherit God! In the Old Testament, God was very specific as to the inheritance He gave to His people. When the children of Israel entered the land of Canaan and conquered their enemies, God gave each tribe a specific portion of land. However, He did not give any land to the Levitical priests. Listen to Deuteronomy 18:1-2, “The Levitical priests, the whole tribe of Levi, shall have no portion of inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the Lord’s offerings by fire and His portion. They shall have no inheritance among their countrymen; the Lord is their inheritance, as He promised them.” The priests didn’t get any land, but they got something far better. They got God! They were privileged to serve the Lord in the tabernacle and later in the temple. They ate from the holy offerings that the people offered to God. They had the privilege of being separated from all secular concerns, and just focus on God and His glorious attributes.
Folks, the New Testament tells us that we are priests unto God. Listen to 1 Peter 2:5, “you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” As priests, we receive God Himself for our inheritance. The greatest possible treasure we could receive is God! That’s why Paul writes in Romans 5:2, “and we exult in hope of the glory of God.” Our greatest ground of rejoicing is our confidence and hope that we will experience the fullness of the glory of God one day! That’s why the Asaph could write in Psalm 73:25-26, “Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Folks, the glory of heaven is not going to be that we are going to see Grandma and Grandpa there, or that we will be with Fluffy or Spot again. The glory of heaven is God! A true Christian is one who can say the same thing that Asaph says: “besides You I desire nothing on earth.” Nothing I desire compares with God. Revelation 21:7 says, “He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.”
So, in eternity, we inherit God. We become heirs of His love, grace and mercy. We are heirs of His faithfulness, and truth, and righteousness. We are heirs of His wisdom, goodness, and power. All of God’s attributes are directed towards us for good. We enjoy Him and get to know Him in ever-increasing measure. God is the Treasure! But, there is more.
Fellow heirs with Christ. Of course, this makes perfect sense. In the book of Romans, we have learned that the Christian has been united to Christ. We are married to Him. When a woman marries a man, she instantly is co-owner of whatever He possesses. When Debbie married me, she became a co-owner of a 5-string banjo, and a motorcycle, and that was about it! Because we are Christ’s bride, and are united to Him, whatever He inherits, we inherit. So, what does Christ inherit? Hebrews 1:2 says, “in these last days God has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things…” All things! Jesus has inherited all things. No wonder He could say, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Mt.28:18). No wonder He could pray in John 17:2, “even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.” No wonder Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:21-23, “So then let no one boast in men. For all things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.” Paul says that all things belong to us! Both good and bad things – like life and death. That must mean that whatever comes into our life, whether we see it as good or bad, will serve our everlasting joy! Brothers and sisters, our inheritance means we get “all things”! There is nothing that would be good for us that we don’t receive. Mind boggling!
The World. The Bible specifically says that Christ inherits the world, and thus, so do we. God says to Christ in Psalm 2:8, “Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Your possession.” Jesus gets the whole world. And guess what? So do we! Paul says in Romans 4:13, “For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.” You and I are sons of Abraham through faith in Jesus Christ. Therefore we receive the same promise that Abraham received. The promise to us is that we are heirs of the world! No wonder Jesus could say in Matthew 5:5, “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.” What is the Lord talking about? I believe He is talking about the New Earth that He is going to create at the end of human history. One day the earth and its works will be burned up, but God is going to create a new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. We will inherit the New Earth. Imagine a world without sin, suffering, sickness, crying, pain, or death! Imagine a world with no armies, police, fire departments, or IRS! Imagine a world where everyone prefers one another to themselves, and seeks to serve others. Imagine a world without any selfishness, or pride or cruelty. I know we really can’t imagine that, but that’s what we are going to inherit!
Glorified Bodies. “so that we may also be glorified with Him.” Our inheritance is linked to being glorified with Christ. Now, what does Paul mean by being glorified with Him? Well, the context of the chapter tells us what. In the next six verses, Paul launches into a discussion of what God is going to do in the future. The creation is going to be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. And not only the creation, but we ourselves also! We are going to receive our full adoption, which is the redemption of our bodies. For Paul, to be glorified with Christ, is to be raised in an incorruptible body.
Now, why do we need a glorified body? Why not just exist as perfect spirits forever? If we are going to enjoy the New Earth and all the good things in it, and if these good things are not to become idols that we love more than God, we need bodies capable of deeper, higher, fuller joys than we have right now. We need glorified bodies if we are to experience the glory of God.
Does the Bible give us any other hints about what this inheritance will be like? Yes, let me give you several verses of Scripture rapid fire that help us.
Ephesians 1:11, “also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will”. This inheritance comes only to those whom God predestined to give it to. God is the Giver, and He gives it to whom He will.
Matthew 25:34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, `Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
Paul calls our inheritance, the kingdom. Our inheritance is the Kingdom!
Hebrews 9:15 “For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.” So our inheritance is eternal.
1 Peter 1:4 “to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.”
Titus 3:7 “so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” One aspect of our inheritance is eternal life.
Hebrews 1:14 “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?”
Hebrews 6:12 “so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”
1 Peter 3:9 “not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.”
So, let’s sum up what the Bible teaches about our inheritance. It is referred to as a blessing, the promises, salvation, and eternal life, and the kingdom of God. It is described as eternal, imperishable, undefiled, will not fade away, and reserved in heaven for us. It is given to all those God has predestined for it.
My friends, does this whet your appetite for your inheritance? Romans 8:17 is a spectacular promise! This can provide food for your meditation for a long, long time! Memorize Romans 8:17, and think deeply about it, and praise God for it!
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The Condition of Receiving our Inheritance
(what must we do in order to receive the inheritance?)
If indeed we suffer with Him. Not only is Romans 8:17 a spectacular promise, but it is a scary promise. It is only promised to those who suffer with Him. If a person does not suffer with Jesus, he does not fulfill the conditions to receive the inheritance. No cross, no crown. No suffering, no inheritance.
So, what is Paul referring to by suffering with Christ? Again, the context will help us. Let’s look at the greater context of Romans 8. In Romans 8:18-23, Paul speaks about the Creation groaning, and the Christian groaning. We groan our way to glory. Why? Because we live in a fallen, sin-cursed world. The suffering Paul is referring to, must include the suffering we read about in Romans 8:23, all the groaning we experience as we live in a fallen, sinful world. Further, in Romans 8:35, Paul lists some of these sufferings – “Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? …But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.”
You might feel fearful that you will miss your eternal inheritance, because you are not persecuted for your faith here in America like others are in other parts of the world. However, Paul is not just talking about persecution. He does mention persecution in Romans 8:35, but he also lists things like “distress, tribulation, famine, nakedness, peril, sword.” All of us experience tribulation, and distress. And many have experienced famine, nakedness, peril and sword. In other words, I believe that the sufferings Paul is talking about are any sufferings we face as we groan our way to glory. We get through those sufferings by trusting in Jesus. That’s why he describes them as “suffering with Him.” These are sufferings we experience because of our faith in Christ, and these are sufferings we endure by our faith in Christ.
Conclusion
Why does God tell us about our inheritance, and the fact that we must suffer with Christ in order to receive it? I believe it is because the Lord wants to wean us from the pleasures of this world in order to prepare us for the pleasures of the world to come. If there were no tribulations and distresses in this world, our sinful hearts would fall in love more and more with the pleasures and comforts of this world instead of falling more in love with our heavenly inheritance, which is God Himself. Therefore, suffering is a great mercy, because it teaches us not to trust in and set our hearts on this present world. God wants our hearts, all of them. That’s why Paul says in Colossians 3:1-4, “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”
Brothers and sisters, look forward to your inheritance! Believe what God says about your inheritance! Groan on your way to your inheritance! When we really believe what the Bible says about our inheritance, this will give us the stamina to bear up under great and mighty sufferings, and will cause us to look forward to the glory to come. Brothers and sisters, set your hearts on the things above!
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