A Word from the WORD: "OUR GLORIOUS INHERITANCE" (Article 212)
Life Fellowship
“My son,” the father said, “you are always with me, and everything I have is yours....” (Luke 15:31 NIV)
Jesus' story of the father with the two sons, recorded in Luke chapter 15, is a well-known one. The statement mentioned here was made by the father to the elder son who was very angry that his younger brother had been given a grand reception on his return home after having led a thoroughly wayward life.
The comment is a tragic reflection of just how much the elder brother had failed to enjoy and experience his inheritance even though he had been living with his father throughout his life. Everything the father owned had been his, both in terms of availability and accessibility. But tragically, he failed to understand all this and finally ended up accusing his father of neglect and favouritism.
The situation presented here has direct application for us as well. Like the elder brother, we can be in the Heavenly Father's family and yet neither understand Him nor experience what He has prepared and provided for us. What's worse, we can even end up complaining and grumbling that God does not care about us.
God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). All these blessings are truly invaluable and incomparable. And the apostle Paul specifically prayed that believers would be able to know and experience the riches of this glorious inheritance (Ephesians 1:17-18).
1. THE ACCESS (Matthew 27:51; Ephesians 2:13; Hebrews 10:19, 22)
Through sin, man's relationship with God got severed. The curtain in the Temple, installed between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place, was a clear illustration of the barrier and distance that existed between man and God. However, the moment Jesus died on the Cross, the curtain of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom. This was a supernatural work, one wrought by the hand of the Father Himself.
This act of “tearing” shows just how earnest God was in wanting to reconcile people to Himself. It was as if He was eagerly awaiting the moment when the Perfect sacrifice for sins would be made and the way could be opened for man to be able to have unrestricted, uninterrupted, unlimited access to Him.
What a priceless privilege we have been given- access to the living God! Once we were far away from God but now we have been brought near through the blood of Christ. Now we can literally stay with Him, dwelling in and enjoying His presence all the time! We can cast all our burdens on to Him and commit every need to His loving care! (Matthew 6:25-34; Philippians 4:6-7; 1 Peter 5:7)
We have been given the right to become children of God through Jesus Christ (John 1:12; 1 John 3:1). The elder brother had never realised this. Notice his language. It is that of a “slave”, not that of a “son”- “Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!” (Luke 15:29)
How sad when we too fail to recognize that the heart of our God is that of a loving Father and relate with Him in a manner similar to the elder brother. We must note that wherever the Bible describes us as “servants”, it is always in the context of ministry or responsibility, not relationship.
2. THE ANOINTING (Luke 11:12; 24:49; Acts 1:4-5)
Words are not enough to describe the greatness of this gift- the Holy Spirit. Jesus emphasised His value and importance in several ways. He spoke of earthly fathers giving “good gifts” to their children and then declared how much more His Father would give “the Holy Spirit” to His children (Matthew 7:11; Luke 11:12). He told His disciples that it was “for their good” He was going away, so He could send them the Holy Spirit (John 16:7). And before He finally ascended to Heaven, He directed them to wait in Jerusalem till they received “the Promise of the Father” (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5). All these terms and descriptions are such powerful expressions of how wonderful the Holy Spirit is and how vital it is to receive Him.
John the Baptist, who was sent by God to prepare the way for Jesus, revealed the full scope of Jesus' life and ministry. His message concerning Jesus was that He was “the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world” (John 1:29, 36) and the One who would “baptize people in the Holy Spirit” (Mark 1:8; John 1:33). Jesus came as Saviour and Baptizer!
The Holy Spirit has been given for primarily two purposes: Purity and Power (1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; Acts 1:8). One is regarding emancipation from sin, the other is concerning effectiveness as a witness. The Spirit of God helps us to lead holy lives by working within us to desire and to act according to God's good purpose (Romans 8:5; Philippians 2:12-13). And He energizes our inner man causing us to walk in strength and victory over all the works of darkness (Ephesians 3:16-17).
The best way to lead an overcoming life is by being “full of the Spirit”. To take an example of “being full”, let us consider a person who has had a highly satisfying meal. Such a person would never take another bite of the best food offered to him because there is no more space in his stomach. It is easy and natural for him to say “No” because he is full! This is the same with a person who is Spirit-filled. He is so satisfied in the Lord that he just cannot feed on what the world offers him, as tempting and luring as it can be! This is why Paul tells us to “walk in step with the Spirit and you will not fulfil the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16).
A Spirit-filled believer is a threat and terror to the Kingdom of darkness. The confession of the evil spirit in Acts 19 is truly very revealing- “Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?” (vs 15). Undoubtedly, a person full of the Spirit is well-known in the Enemy's camp. Individuals who walk with God are greatly feared by Satan.
3. THE ASSEMBLY (Galatians 6:10; Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:4)
No believer is an orphan. Not only does he have God as His Father, he has the church for his family. We are members of God's household, brothers and sisters in Christ. The assembly of believers is truly a tremendous gift from God.
Our relationship with God must be “personal” but it can never be “private”. Even the prayer which Jesus taught His disciples reveals this truth. He told them to come before God and say, “OUR Father....” (Matthew 6:9)
For the apostle Paul, believers were his joy and he was always exceedingly grateful to God for them (Philippians 1:4; 4:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:2). Real fellowship is so much more than just showing up at services or having food together; it includes unselfish loving, honest sharing, practical serving, sacrificial giving, sympathetic comforting, and all the other “one another” commands found in Scripture.
It is simply amazing that while we may be from different tribes, tongues, or various other backgrounds, we can still have genuine fellowship together. While we may otherwise be total strangers to one another, there is a bonding that unites us as people of God and helps us share our lives together.
4. THE ASSIGNMENT (Matthew 5:13-14; Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 5:20)
We often take pride in being chosen and appointed for a specific task on earth. Whether it be menial or consequential, we love being selected by a reputed firm and assigned to work for it.
Well, there are several responsibilities that are unique to the people of God. These are described in various ways in the New Testament. For instance, the Christian is called to be the “salt of the earth”, the “light of the world”, and “witnesses of Christ”. And in his letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul speaks of us having been chosen and appointed by God to be “Ambassadors of Christ”.
Let us consider this last term in detail. We are the representatives of Heaven on earth. We stand and speak for God. The message of Christ is to be communicated and the ministry of Christ is to be continued through us. More specifically, each one of us has been given the ministry and message of reconciliation, to call all people and implore them to be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:18-20).
Such a great and serious privilege must never be undervalued or carelessly handled. The name of the Lord is at stake here. We must not cause God's name to be blasphemed among the Gentiles because of the wrong words we speak or the wrong way we live (Romans 2:24). Rather, our lives must result in unbelievers glorifying God (Matthew 5:16; 1 Peter 2:12). We must make it our endeavour daily to make the teaching about God our Saviour attractive by leading a godly lifestyle (Titus 2:10).
5. THE ABODE (John 14:2; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21)
The Christian is the only individual who is looking forward to tomorrow. While the entire world is gripped by fear seeing the drastic changes in climatic conditions, financial breakdown, outbreak of deadly diseases, shortage of essential resources, and a whole lot of other problems, the believer is confident and cheerful in the midst of it all. No, he is not sadistic nor is he blind to reality. On the contrary, he is strong and steady because he sees something that others don't see!
God has given us ample signs regarding conditions that would exist in the world during the last days. And when we look all around us, we are seeing the fulfillment of these signs. To the believer, therefore, each scenario that arises in the world is further proof that the Lord's Word is true and His return is near! “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28).
What are we looking forward to? The apostle Peter could not have put it in clearer terms. “We are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13). This is what God has in store for us. It is a glorious inheritance.
Life in that new home will be far different and distinct from life here on earth. The “old order” consisting of sin, evil, tears, pain, poverty, suffering, curse, and death will give way to a “new order” made up of rest, rejoicing, reward, revelation and righteousness (Revelation 21:4-5). Over there, the dwelling of God will be with men, and He will live with them (Revelation 21:3). Once again, man will see God's face and enjoy intimacy with Him for all eternity (Revelation 22:1-5).
This is our destiny. It will be the greatest “house dedication” ceremony ever conducted or attended. And because this is our glorious hope, it is vital that we purify ourselves and make every effort to lead holy and godly lives (Hebrews 12:14; 2 Peter 3:11; 1 John 3:3).
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you!
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