When I accepted Christ as my
savior, I literally became a child of God. This happened through the
process of adoption into His glory! Romans 8:17 says that because I have been
adopted as a son of the Lord himself, I have become a co-heir with Christ.
Basically that means I have an inheritance from God himself!!
Inheritance in an earthly sense is when parents who plan and
save will set aside an inheritance for their children. This inheritance is then
typically gained when the parents pass on from this life here on earth. Now, my
thought is if our parents pass on to us a blessed inheritance, how incredible
could the inheritance of God himself possibly be?!
A big mistake I have made in
my life was believing that I will claim God’s inheritance for me after I die
and walk through the pearly gates shaking St. Peter’s hand. How many of
us think the reason Jesus Christ came and died was so that we could get to
Heaven? We spend so much time focusing on the end of the story in all its glory
for a “safe” place in Heaven from this chaotic world that we miss the true
nature of God’s inheritance for us! Heaven has become this primary destination
in our lives, not the benefit of becoming God’s sons and daughters! I believe
that our generation needs desperately to understand that our inheritance is NOT
waiting for us in the distant future for after we survive this hell on earth
experience (seriously look around you; poverty, corruption, tyranny,
discomfort, etc, etc). Why wouldn’t God want us to have the inheritance NOW!!
Why would a loving God want to “test” if his sons and daughters are “worthy” of
the inheritance?
Jesus told the story of the Lost son in Luke chapter 15
illustrating that no matter how much you abuse the inheritance you have been
given, he holds compassion in his heart towards you! You are his son (or
daughter) and nothing can change that. He loves you! God’s inheritance is
something He intends for us to claim NOW, today, this moment! Living with God’s
inheritance in our hands means that we need to start living now!
When God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the garden,
He gave them extra commands that the rest of creation did not receive. God said
that what he made was “good” and when He created man (in his own image by the
way!) he called is “VERY good”. God told them to multiply, fill and refill,
subdue and take dominion over the earth. They were created and set there with
the mandate to rule NOW. They had the chance to live and indulgent life in the
literal presence of God then and there. They understood their inheritance. It
was all the earth and all that was in it. God gave it all to them, in their
free will!
So, what happened to that inheritance?! Well they gave it
away the very moment they disobeyed what the Lord had said. It took one small episode for them to lose the
inheritance as the serpent came and in a grand moment of human weakness, they
handed over their inheritance to him.
When Jesus came (the Lord’s plan all along), the serpent
(satan) went straight after him to tempt him like everyone else. This made the
point clear that satan had the rule of the earth. Matt 4:8-10 tells how satan
offers Jesus all the kingdoms of the world (this world, the one we currently
live in) if Jesus would simply bow and worship him. Jesus NEVER disputes satan’s claim of the world. Jesus knew that
the fall of man in Genesis resulted in this transaction. The slimy serpent
thinks he has the right to put his nasty hands on what God has clearly told us
that belongs to us!! Of course we know that Christ died a natural, earthly,
human death. Satan thought he got him. He
thought he had killed off the ONE God had sent to save his children. But Jesus
resurrected for the grave! CONQUERING DEATH!! Taking back the title deed
to this world, the inheritance that was entrusted to us! Doesn’t that get you
pumped up?! I’m excited writing this! What a revelation!!
Jesus came to this earth and died among us not so we could
just get the blessing of Heaven but so that the inheritance we lost in the
garden would become obtainable. So we can claim it NOW!
Okay, you may wondering what I mean by inheritance. Well, as
previously mentioned all that’s in the world. Psalm 2:8 says that God “will
make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.” This
is a prophetic word about Christ of course, but if we are co-heirs, then our
inheritance is the same! Our inheritance is THE
NATIONS!!
When Jesus breathed his last breath, he exhorted, “IT IS
FINISHED!!” He wasn’t talking about His life. He was speaking about the victory
He had claimed on our behalf; the fact that He had reclaimed the inheritance
for you and me. He died so that we could once again re-inherit the nations….the
people! Jesus says himself in Matthew 6 that we should pray like this: “YOUR
KINGDOM COME, your will be dne on EARTH as it is in HEAVEN.” We are not dying
to get to heaven. We are here to bring Heaven down to earth, to bring God’s
kingdom here, NOW! The nations are our inheritance; bringing God’s kingdom here
is how we claim that inheritance. The nations are people….HEARTS!! We are
reclaiming them so that they too might become adopted by God in order that we
can ALL share in this inheritance.
So the question is do you
LOVE enough to get off your butt and step into your purpose and destiny of what
truly belongs to you?! Are you willing to
STOP waiting around in a life of monotony trying to live “safely” and without
any “bad” sin (which I’m sorry you’re failing at because all sin is the same)
for a rescue rapture mission by Jesus to save you?
Yes this world is chaotic and is hurting. YOU ARE THE ANSWER
TO THAT CRY!! Jesus came and showed us how to live this life…let’s start living
it! Do you have ANY compassion for those suffering under the cloud of tyranny
in Burma?
Or under the yoke of prostitution in Thailand? Or the hurting, desperate
and inward dying person sitting on the pew right beside you?
Doesn’t it make you’re heart long to bring God’s kingdom
here NOW?! It’s not about sending out missionaries, it’s about YOU making the
call and stepping into YOUR INHERITANCE!
I’ve made the decision to
grab MY inheritance and make a change in this generation! It’s pretty obvious
that this life isn’t about me! I’ve stopped thinking about what others can do
for me, but what I can do for others!! My name is Matt Peters and I am a son of
God through the adoption of being born again. As a co-heir with Christ I claim
my inheritance. I stand in the void for the orphan and the widow. I want to see
dead things come ALIVE! I’m done with the norm. Life’s a blessing, enough
moping around in my own self-pity. It’s time to stand up and take back what’s
been ours all along. THANK YOU JESUS!!
