Tag Archives: inheritance

AN INHERITANCE SAFE FROM CHANGE AND DECAY – 1

May 3, 2024Bible StudyChange and decay, inheritance, Kept in heavenLuella Campbell

People make and change their wills all over the earth, all the time. Some child, relative, or long term associate is included in a will but… if he/she steps out of line, the testator changes the will and the individual is penalised for offending the testator.

Sqabbles and quarrels over inheritance split families apart. Lifelong feuds happen over money or goods inherited or not inherited. Lawyers gain wealth from people’s pain… and so it will continue until the end of time.

Probably, worst of all, people who inherit vast sums of money and valuables often squander them faster than they are inherited. The temptation to spend what they did not earn by hard work is so great that they keep little or nothing for their future.

Humans have a great capacity for messing up when we get our hands on things of value.

Not so our inheritance in Christ! God is wise. He gives us a taste of our inheritance now but also keeps it safe and out of reach for us in a place no one on earth can touch.

Short as they are, Peter’s letters are littered with gems found nowhere else in the New Testament. We would be much poorer had his letters not been included in the Bible. The first chapter of his first letter begins with a jewel in our treasure hunt for these precious gems.

Peter writes of an inheritance so secure that nothing or no one can change or defile it.

1 Peter 1:3-4 NLT‬
[3] “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, [4] and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.”

New Testament letters are full of references to an inheritance we will share with Jesus. These are clues to the vast treasures waiting for us at the end of this life.

‭1 Peter 1:5 NLT‬
[5] “And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this SALVATION, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.”

Our inheritance is a parcel of treasures wrapped up in a word…
SALVATION…as many-faceted as a diamond. Salvation means many things to many people. Saved from eternal hell; saved from the ravages of a sinful life; saved from the emotional prison of hatred, bitterness, revenge, unforgiveness, anger, fear, insecurity; saved from slavery to destructive habits; saved from selfishness and greed, and much more…but saved to what?

Salvation has a greater pull towards a life of peace and security than even the things we have left behind when we entered this new life. We have been saved from… so that we can be saved for …a new life filled with God’s mercy, favour, peace, and presence.

The heart of salvation is wholeness, the restoration of everything that was lost, damaged, or broken through Adam’s decision to go his way. When Adam chose to follow the devil’s deception, he forfeited for himself and the human race to come, every privilege, honour, and blessing God intended for His human family, including life with Him under His benevolent rule forever.

Humans were damaged, broken, and lost to God’s good plan until grace stepped in, providing mercy for those undeserving humans who accept and receive pardon and restoration through His own Son.

Together with the wholeness that is already at work in those who believe is a vast array of promises, endorsed by Jesus, which empower us towards the eternal goal of being replicas of God’s Son. Only then, when we participate in the restoration to wholeness that God has provided, can we participate in the inheritance that awaits us in the life to come.

‭2 Peter 1:4 NLT‬
[4] “And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.”

So, God protects this salvation for us in heaven, that no one on earth can defile or change, despite those who preach a ‘different gospel’. He also protects us, who are beneficiaries of this inheritance, from failing to fulfil the conditions attached to this inheritance…faith in and faithfulness to Jesus as the testator.

Therefore, we must qualify for our inheritance in Christ, safe as it is for us in heaven. God is preparing sons and daughters to receive all the benefits of life in His kingdom. However, He cannot permit those who do not qualify, by their obedience to Him in this life, to take their place on His kingdom.

Paul warns those who make no preparation for the life to com…

‭Galatians 5:17-18 NLT‬
[17] “The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. [18] But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.”

A battle rages for mastery in our hearts. The winner gets the prize… salvation and a place in God’s kingdom, and the loser gets the penalty… eternal separation from God and His loving rule.

What happens if we fail to win over the old nature, which victory we are to pursue purposefully if not perfectly?

‭Galatians 5:19-21 NLT‬
[19] “When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, [20] idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, [21] envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will NOT INHERIT the Kingdom of God.”

However, there is a glorious inheritance awaiting those who take God seriously, bend their energies towards obedience, and trust in God’s grace to overcome the old sinful nature.

‭1 Peter 1:6-9 NLT‬
[6]”So, be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. [7] These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. [8] You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. [9] The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.”

However, we have a promise and a hope that the one who chose us, called us, and predestined us to be like His Son, will finish what He started.

‭Philippians 1:6 NLT‬
[6]”And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”

‭Jude 1:24-25 NLT‬
[24] “Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. [25] All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.”

‭1 Peter 1:13-16 NLT‬
[13]”So, prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. [14] So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. [15] But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. [16] For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

God has promised to keep our inheritance safe for us AND He has promised to keep us safe for our inheritance.

What a treasure and a reward for those who go the distance!

GOD’S “ENGAGEMENT RING” – 3

March 31, 2024Bible Studydeposit, Holy Spirit, inheritanceLuella Campbell

Ephesians 1:13-14 NLT‬
[13]”And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. [14] The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.”

How happy Paul was to explain to his readers that they, the Gentiles, had been given an equal share in the benefits of the gospel! However, could they be sure that they, as well as the Jews, were included in God’s salvation plan?

Yes! God has also given the Gentiles a pledge (Greek – arrabon), a downpayment, like an engagement ring, His Holy Spirit, to guarantee that He will complete the transaction.

History and the Bible tell us that God chose Abraham and his descendants from among all the nations to belong to Him. He redeemed them from slavery, led and protected them on their journey from Egypt, and settled them in the Promised Land by many miracles.

God promised them a Saviour, His Messiah, who would come in person to redeem them from sin. However, when He came, they rejected Him because they refused to accept His credentials or believe the evidence of His power and authority.

So, according to His plan, God gave Paul the task of taking the good news of salvation to the Gentiles.

‭Acts of the Apostles 9:10-11 NLT‬
[10] “Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord!” he replied. [11] The Lord said, “Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now….
[15] But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel.”

His plan from the beginning was to include the whole world in His salvation, prophesied many times through His Old Covenant prophets…

‭Isaiah 49:6 NLT‬
[6] “He says, “You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”

So, on his first missionary journey, when the Jews in Antioch of Pisidia refused to listen to him, Paul turned to the Gentiles.

‭Acts of the Apostles 13:44-48 NLT‬
[44] “The following week almost the entire city turned out to hear them preach the word of the Lord. [45] But when some of the Jews saw the crowds, they were jealous; so they slandered Paul and argued against whatever he said. [46] Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and declared, “It was necessary that we first preach the word of God to you Jews. But since you have rejected it and judged yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we will offer it to the Gentiles. [47] For the Lord gave us this command when he said, ‘I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth.’” [48] When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and thanked the Lord for his message; and all who were chosen for eternal life became believers.”

Paul reasoned that the refusal of the Jews to believe in Jesus triggered the next phase of God’s plan – the inclusion of Gentiles in His merciful offer of salvation.

‭Romans 11:11-16 NLT‬
[11] Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves. [12] Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it. [13] I am saying all this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this, [14] for I want somehow to make the people of Israel jealous of what you Gentiles have, so I might save some of them. [15] For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead! [16] And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy—just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too.”

God’s plan came together, piece by piece, until the gospel message of salvation was carried to every part of the civilised world.

Jew and Gentile, reconciled through the cross to become God’s new nation, which God secured and guaranteed by the gift of His Spirit, was God’s great purpose from the beginning.

‭Ephesians 2:11-14 NLT‬
[11] “Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. [12] In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. [13] But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. [14] For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us.”

Through His death, Jesus opened the door to Jew and Gentile alike. He obliterated the hatred between them by removing the” wall” – the law that separated them, replacing law with grace, including all who believe in Him in the New Covenant.

The Jews’ refusal to receive God’s grace meant that the Gentiles who believed Paul’s message, were welcomed into God’s kingdom.

‭Romans 11:28-32 NLT‬
[28] “Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. [29] For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn. [30] Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against him, God was merciful to you instead. [31] Now they are the rebels, and God’s mercy has come to you so that they, too, will share in God’s mercy. [32] For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone.”

For Peter, preaching to Cornelius, a Roman Centurion, and his household, the matter was forever settled when the Holy Spirit fell on these Gentile believers as He fell on the disciples on the day of Pentecost.

‭Acts of the Apostles 10:34-35 NLT‬
[34] Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. [35] In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right.
[44] Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message. [45] The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too. [46] For they heard them speaking in other tongues and praising God. Then Peter asked, [47] “Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?”

And the Spirit in us testifies to our sonship, both Jew and Gentile.

‭Romans 8:15-16 NLT‬
[15] “So, you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” [16] For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.”

Jew and Gentile, then, share equally in the gracious gift of God’s Spirit as His down payment, guaranteeing the completed transaction, eternal life through the Lord Jesus Christ.

TALK ABOUT POWER!

November 15, 2020Bible Studyenlightened, eyes of your heart, incomparably great power, inheritanceLuella Campbell

TALK ABOUT POWER!

I pray also that the eyes if your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints and His incomparably great power for us who believe (Eph. 1: 18-19).

Once again we must remember the background of these Ephesian believers. Many of them had come out of witchcraft. After their conversion, they had made a huge bonfire of their witchcraft paraphernalia in the city. Their lives had been invaded by the power of God, the God of pure love. From then on, they could no longer have a part of anything that misused other people.

Why do people dabble in witchcraft? Why do some even sell their souls to the devil? He promises them power! But the only power the devil can give is power to control and power to destroy. It is evil power because it affects the lives of other for the worse. The next problem with demonic power is that it diminishes the person who uses it. Every time one person brings harm to another, he is diminished and dehumanised.

These ex witches and wizards burned their past when they burned the tools of their sorcery, to tell the world and the devil that they had finished with that life. They were now under a new Master, one who also had power, a different kind of power of which they had never dreamed. Perhaps at that point of their new-found faith, they did not know the magnitude of the power that resided in them.

What did they need? Enlightenment. Understanding. Knowledge. Up this this point in their lives, they had been fed and had believed lies. Since the early history of man, a false religion had grown up around Nimrod, great grandson of Noah, and his evil wife Semiramis and her illegitimate son, Tammuz. Through a series of fabricated stories that Semiramis spawned, she had deified Nimrod as the sun-god, Baal, and she became the moon-goddess, known as Ashtaroth, or Astarte (Diana), or by other names in many parts of the ancient world.

Behind these false stories, the father of lies was garnering worship for himself under a variety of nom de plumes, which was exactly what he craved, even if he had to do it by deceit. Paul came to Ephesus with a blistering message of the truth. Satan, alias Caesar, alias Baal or any other name behind which he hid, was not Lord. Jesus was Lord and He proved it by His resurrection. Satan, through the evil religious leaders in Israel, tried to destroy Him but, instead, his plan backfired and Jesus destroyed him.

Those who were held captive to the devil and were enslaved to live in wickedness, were now free from the devil’s clutches. Jesus had rescued them from their hell, forgiven their sin, power-washed them clean by His blood and relocated them to the kingdom of God where they had always belonged. Satan was the squatter, the hijacker and the felon who had usurped God’s position on His earth. Paul said, “If you want to know real power, that’s God’s power.”

Many of us have seen the effects of the raw power of nature. Fire, wind, water, earthquakes, rip through a region and leave utter devastation in their wake. But have you even noticed the power of a seed? I have seen buildings split open by the force of a growing seed. That’s power! Power does not only destroy. God’s power is able to restore, renew and recreate. He can heal broken hearts, broken people, and broken relationships. He can give people whom the devil has destroyed, a fresh start. Jesus said that it’s like being “born again”.

Paul wanted these people, who had only known destruction in their lives, to experience that kind of power. He prayed that they would have their spiritual eyes opened to the truth of what had happened to them. God had removed the cloud of doom that hung over them, and the deep-seated fear of death which was the legacy of those who gave allegiance to the devil. He had replaced it with hope, the unseen end product of what He had done for them through Jesus.

Their faith in Jesus had cancelled fear. They were safe in God’s kingdom – under His authority and protection from the one who had now become their arch-enemy. Jesus had bought them back from slavery. They were legitimately His. They now belonged to God, body, soul and spirit, and He had the power to keep them from wandering back into enemy territory as long as they kept their eyes on Him.

However, the power of God didn’t end there. He had put a power source in them that had created the universe. Take that, devil! Satan is not a creator; he can only counterfeit what God has created. Even the people who worship him do not belong to him. He stole them and put his mark on them, the mark of rebellion in their hearts. God put His plan right back on track by rescuing the ones the devil had kidnapped, cleaned out all the evidences of his ownership and replaced them with His Spirit, His guarantee of ownership.

What power is there in the universe greater than the power of the Holy Spirit? His power is recreating, regenerating, restoring, and renewing power. “That’s the power of God I want you to know,” said Paul. God alone can give you the understanding and experience of His power that is able to set aspects of your life right that went horribly wrong when Adam rebelled against God – your relationship with God, and your relationship with people. When these two areas of your life are back on track, everything in your life will come back into focus.

God’s power does something amazing inside of you. He enables you to take control of yourself. That’s it! When you have your own heart in check, through the power of the Holy Spirit in you, your world will turn right side up. It’s part of the fruit of the Spirit and it’s called “self-control”, and the amazing thing is that it all happens when we believe what God has said!

ISBN: Softcover – 978-1-4828-0512-3, eBook 978-4828-0511-6

Available on www.amazon.com in paperback, e-book or Kindle version, on www.takealot.com or order directly from the publisher at www.partridgepublishing.com.

My second book, Learning to be a Disciple – The Way of the Master (Copyright © 2015, Partridge Publishing), a companion volume to Learning to be a Son – The Way to the Father’s Heart, has been released in paperback and digital format on www.amazon.com

25 – ENGAGING THE POWERS OF THE KINGDOM – THE POWER OF OUR INHERITANCE

November 7, 2020Christian Lifeeternal life, heirs, inheritanceLuella Campbell

25 – ENGAGING THE POWERS OF THE KINGDOM – THE POWER OF OUR INHERITANCE

As God’s Son, Jesus is the heir to the Father’s entire estate, the universe and everything in it.

“And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe.” Hebrews 1:2 NLT

JESUS IS GOD’S SON

“For God never said to any angel what he said to Jesus: “You are my Son. Today I have become your Father. ” God also said, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son.” Hebrews 1:5 NLT

Made like us

“Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.” Hebrews 2:17 NLT

“So, now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters.” Hebrews 2:11 NLT

Confirmed to be God’s Son by His resurrection

“The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 1:3-4 NLT

Heir of the Father

“In these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.” Hebrews 1:2 NIV

WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR THIS INHERITANCE?

There are three privileges that children in a family enjoy that orphans, slaves and servants do not experience.

Children have a name.

A child born into a family takes the father’s name which gives him/her an identity and access to all the benefits of that family. Since we are “in Christ”, we have access to everything that Jesus owns “in His name”.

“You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!…” John 14:13-14 NLT

“Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?” Romans 8:32 NLT

Children have a home

As part of the family, every child has a right to live in the father’s home.

“There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” John 14:2-3 NLT

Children have an inheritance

In Hebrew culture, children were heirs of their father’s estate. Jesus told a story about two sons, the younger of whom demanded his inheritance before his father’s death.

“The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.” Luke 15:12 NLT

HOW DO WE QUALIFY FOR AN INHERITANCE WITH JESUS?

We are God’s children…

By faith in Jesus

“But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.” John 1:12-13 NLT

Called brothers and sisters

After the resurrection, Jesus called His disciples “brothers”.

“The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.” Matthew 28:8-10 NLT

“So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters.” Hebrews 2:11 NLT

We have the witness of the Spirit

The discipline of the Father

“As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all.” Hebrews 12:7-8 NLT

The new nature in us

“Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous…. Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.” 1 John 3:7, 9 NLT

“And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.” 2 Peter 1:4 NLT

The promise of an inheritance

“And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.” Romans 8:17 NLT

WHAT IS OUR INHERITANCE?

We are co-heirs with Jesus of an inheritance that is both for the present and the future.

THE PRESENT

The “present” part of inheritance is the “divine nature” with which Adam was created, but was marred at the Fall. As we have learned over many weeks, God has provided the means and the power, in the New Covenant, to restore His nature in us as His children to prepare us for our eternal life with Him in His family.

God uses different means to work in us, to train us to overcome the old nature by nurturing our new nature. He uses the disciplines of hardship and suffering, as we have already studied, to put to death, through the Spirit, our sinful flesh and to strengthen our confidence in His love.

In the context of our inheritance, He has given us powerful tools in His Word to enable us to “grow in grace”.

By engaging this “power” of the kingdom, we embrace every promise God has given us, endorsed by Jesus, by a hearty “Amen!” We speak our “Yes” to the words that empower us through the Spirit to think and act like God and not like the world.

“For Jesus Christ, the Son of God, does not waver between “Yes” and “No”… and as God’s ultimate “Yes,” he always does what he says. For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.”2 Corinthians 1:19-20 NLT

THE FUTURE

God is preparing us for our future inheritance by restoring His nature in us in this life, in the midst of the darkness and sin all around us. We need this worldly environment with its hardship and suffering to build character, to strengthen our faith, and to teach us patience, perseverance and endurance because only those who endure to the end will be saved.

All of our life experiences are moving us towards our future inheritance.

Salvation

“Therefore, angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation.” Hebrews 1:14 NLT

What does “salvation” imply?

We tend to focus on one aspect when we speak of salvation. To us, it means having our sins forgiven so that we can go to heaven when we die. This is only a minute part of the rich meaning of salvation.

“Salvation” in its fullest meaning, implies “wholeness” – the completeness that Adam was created to be, before he sinned.

“So, God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them…. Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.” Genesis 1:27, 31 NLT

“VERY GOOD” was God’s verdict on all creation including the first two human beings… “perfect and fully functional”, everything meshed together in perfect harmony.

future inheritance, then, implies restoration to the completeness and full functionality that Adam and Eve enjoyed in the beginning.

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”… I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light…. Its gates will never be closed at the end of day because there is no night there…. Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” Revelation 21:4, 22-23, 25, 27 NLT

Eternal Life

“One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” Luke 10:25 NLT

What is eternal life?

Jesus gave a simple yet profound definition of eternal life…

“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” John 17:3 NIV

There is only one verse in Scripture that gives insight into what it means to “know” God.

“But a beautiful cedar palace does not make a great king! Your father, Josiah, also had plenty to eat and drink. But he was just and right in all his dealings. That is why God blessed him. He gave justice and help to the poor and needy, and everything went well for him. Isn’t that what it means to know me?” says the Lord.” Jeremiah 22:15-16 NLT

Knowing God is more than casual acquaintance. Many people glibly say, “I believe in God.” but it means no more than saying, “I believe in the sun.” To believe in God and to know God implies knowing in the most intimate sense of the word.

If eternal life is to “know God”, it involves a knowing that deeply affects the whole of one’s life.

“And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.” 1 John 5:11-12 NLT

Therefore, for us to have this gift, this inheritance of eternal life, not only a life that never ends but also a life that continually grows in personal and intimate knowledge of Jesus, we make it our aim to know Him now.

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.”2 Peter 3:18 NIV

John gives us a simple way to know God… we must love one another.

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” 1 John 4:7 NIV

HOW DO WE ACCESS OUR INHERITANCE?

Put off and put on…

“Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.” Colossians 3:9-10 NLT

We have been given unconditional access to all of God’s promises in the New Covenant which enable us to put on (activate) our new nature which God has given to us through our faith in Jesus.

Say “yes” to every promise that meets our need

“For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.” 2 Corinthians 1:20 NLT

Learn faith and endurance by loving others…

“Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.” Hebrews 6:11-12 NLT

Through sharing Jesus’ suffering

I don’t think Paul meant that we must suffer for Jesus in order to share in His inheritance. I think he meant, not THAT we suffer but HOW we suffer. Everyone suffers in one way or another but our attitude to suffering makes all the difference.

Jesus suffered with humility and obedience.

“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges ; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.” Philippians 2:5-8 NLT

Jesus suffered with submission and faith in the Father.

“For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone. He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.”1 Peter 2:21-23 NLT

Jesus suffered with a purpose

“God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation.” Hebrews 2:10 NLT

God’s purpose for our suffering is to be “participants in the divine nature”.

“And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the Lord ’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” Hebrews 12:5-6 NLT

“For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness.” Hebrews 12:10 NLT

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” Romans 8:28-29 NLT

Getting to know Jesus, then, includes having the same attitude as He had to His suffering, humbly submitting to the Father’s will, trusting in Him to work for our good, knowing that He is conforming us to the image of His Son.

WHAT ARE THE POWERS OF OUR INHERITANCE?

A powerful motivation to live holy lives

“Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.” 1 John 3:2-3 NLT

A joyful anticipation of future glory

“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” 1 Peter 1:3-7 NLT

A great salvation we must not neglect

“So, we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it…. What makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak?” Hebrews 2:1, 3 NLT

CONCLUSION

We have an important part to play if we are to share in this glorious inheritance with Jesus.

Salvation, the sum total of our inheritance, is not only a done deal but also a day-by-day participation with the Holy Spirit in becoming who we are… sons and daughters of God.

“Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” Philippians 2:12-13 NLT

“As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvellous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 NLT

Salvation is guaranteed to those who endure to the end. Those who turn back show that they were never a part of us anyway.

“They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.” 1 John 2:19 NIV

We learn to overcome the world and to live as God’s sons and daughters as we fully embrace our inheritance both for now through His promises and for eternity through His gift of Jesus who is both salvation and eternal life to us.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

All Scripture quotations in this series

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

23 – ENGAGING THE POWERS OF THE KINGDOM – THE POWER OF THE NEW COVENANT- PART 2

November 5, 2020Christian Lifeinheritance, new covenant, promisesLuella Campbell

23 – ENGAGING THE POWERS OF THE KINGDOM – THE POWER OF THE NEW COVENANT- PART 2

We have spoken about the New Covenant as God’s promise to do for His people what the Old Covenant could never do. We have looked at the purpose of the Old Covenant, to prepare His people for the coming of the Messiah who would be the New Covenant to Israel and through them, to fulfil God’s promise to Abraham to be a blessing to all the nations on earth.

Now it’s time for us to study the New Covenant in greater detail so that we can understand what it has done which the Old failed to do and how it can empower us to overcome our enemies and prepare us for our role in eternity as God’s sons and daughters.

Since a covenant is a legally binding contract between two consenting parties, and since it cannot be broken unless one or the other party fails to fulfil its terms, we need to understand why the New Covenant can never fail.

Let’s look at this important fact first. What makes the New Covenant infallible where the Old Covenant failed?

At Mount Sinai, God made a covenant with His people. He offered them a marriage contract with terms that they accepted.

“Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure (a marriage proposal in Hebrew culture) from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me. And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation.’ This is the message you must give to the people of Israel.” So Moses returned from the mountain and called together the elders of the people and told them everything the Lord had commanded him. And all the people responded together, “We will do everything the Lord has commanded.” So Moses brought the people’s answer back to the Lord .” Exodus 19:5-8 NLT

Israel’s history proved that they were incapable of keeping this covenant. They were guilty of spiritual adultery by their idolatry, and God eventually divorced them by sending both Israel and Judah into captivity in foreign lands.

“During the reign of King Josiah, the Lord said to me, “Have you seen what fickle Israel has done? Like a wife who commits adultery, Israel has worshiped other gods on every hill and under every green tree. I thought, ‘After she has done all this, she will return to me.’ But she did not return, and her faithless sister Judah saw this. She saw that I divorced faithless Israel because of her adultery. But that treacherous sister Judah had no fear, and now she, too, has left me and given herself to prostitution.”

Jeremiah 3:6-8 NLT

But that’s not the end of the story. In His mercy, God promised restoration and, in the end, a new contract that could never be broken.

“In those days the people of Judah and Israel will return together from exile in the north. They will return to the land I gave your ancestors as an inheritance forever.” Jeremiah 3:18 NLT

God knew that His people would fail to obey His covenant before the foundation of the world, so He planned a covenant that would never fail.

“The day is coming,” says the Lord , “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the Lord.” Jeremiah 31:31-32 NLT

Since His covenant had to be contracted between Himself and the human race, His plan was to send His Son into the world as a human being to represent the human race, just as Adam represented all mankind as the first human being He created.

“When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.” Romans 5:12 NLT

God’s New Covenant would stand or fall on the faithfulness of His Servant, Jesus.

“I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.” Isaiah 42:6-7 NIV

We know that God accepted Jesus’s death (blood) as the ratification of the New Covenant, (just as the Old Covenant was ratified (signed) in animal blood), because He raised Him from the dead.

“… and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 1:4 NLT

So, Jesus fulfilled the Old Covenant by dying to pay the debt of the whole human race for disobeying God’s law. He is now the New Covenant, which He signed and sealed with His own blood.

“Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. “This is my blood of the (new, some manuscripts) covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them.” Mark 14:23-24 NIV

Since Jesus perfectly fulfilled the Old Covenant with its rules, regulations, and rituals, it has become obsolete. We are no longer obliged to keep its terms and conditions.

“If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it…. When God speaks of a “new” covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear.” Hebrews 8:7, 13 NLT

“The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared. But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” Hebrews 10:1-4 NLT

THE TERMS IF THE NEW COVENANT

Since a covenant is contracted between two parties and, since the New Covenant was contracted between the Father and the Son, what are the terms of this New Covenant that make it different from the Old Covenant?

GOD’S PART

All sin is forgiven and all remembrance of sin is removed.

“He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.” Colossians 2:14 NLT

Sin’s power over us is broken. We are no longer obligated to obey its demands because grace has replaced the law.

“Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.” Romans 6:14 NLT

Through faith in Jesus, we are no longer “in Adam” but “in Christ”.

“Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous. So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:19, 21 NLT

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT

All guilt, shame, and fear have been removed.

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because, through Christ Jesus, the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:1-2 NIV

We have boldness to enter the Most Holy Place.

We have direct access to the Father through Jesus who is our eternal and heavenly High Priest.

“There were many priests under the old system, for death prevented them from remaining in office. But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.” Hebrews 7:23-25 NLT

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.” Hebrews 10:19-22 NLT

We have received Christ’s Spirit, we have been adopted into God’s family, and have been made co-heirs with Christ of everything that belongs to Him.

“So, you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.” Romans 8:15-17 NLT

“So, don’t boast about following a particular human leader. For everything belongs to you— whether Paul or Apollos or Peter, or the world, or life and death, or the present and the future. Everything belongs to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.” 1 Corinthians 3:21-23 NLT

Our inheritance is the divine nature which God gives us through His promises.

“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.” 2 Peter 1:3-4 NLT

All of God’s promises become ours through simple agreement.

“For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.” 2 Corinthians 1:20 NLT

Jesus has fulfilled all of God’s promises and now we are free to receive them by faith by speaking the “amen” – “let it be so” to the appropriate word. Our prayers become “thank you” in place of Old Covenant prayers which were “please” prayers.

We have been rescued from the dominion of darkness…

“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,” Colossians 1:13 NIV

Set free from the yoke of bondage to the law…

“So, Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.” Galatians 5:1 NLT

No longer under the curse of the law

‘But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.” Galatians 3:10 NLT

We are the body and bride of Christ

“For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church.” Ephesians 5:23 NLT

“For I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself. I promised you as a pure bride to one husband—Christ.” 2 Corinthians 11:2 NLT

WHAT IS OUR RESPONSE TO THE NEW COVENANT?

Unlike the Old Covenant which demanded perfect obedience to all its laws, the New Covenant has only one requirement – love.

“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.” Romans 13:8 NIV

According to John, we will maintain a good conscience if we obey the two commandments of the New Covenant.

“And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.” 1 John 3:23 NLT

There are two important parts to this command.

Believe in Jesus’ name

To believe means much more than to give intellectual assent to a fact or truth. Believing implies throwing your total weight on Jesus, accepting and acting on the truth of who He is and what He has said.

Jesus’ name is more than the way to distinguish Him from other people. In Hebrew thought, a name is a prophetic utterance of character. Everything that Jesus is is expressed in His name.

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21 NIV

Therefore, to believe in the name of Jesus is throw one’s full weight of trust and obedience on Jesus because His name means Saviour and He saves His people from their sins.

Love one another

We are not commanded to love Jesus in Scripture. Our love for Him and for our fellow believers flows from His love for us and is produced by the Holy Spirit as part of the package of salvation.

“And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Romans 5:5 NIV

Everything Jesus promised us comes from His love for us and everything He requires of us is our loving response to His love.

“We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19 NIV

“Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” John 14:21 NIV

What are Jesus’ commands?

“Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.” 1 John 3:21-23 NIV

TO SUM UP

Let me tell you the about the beauty of the New Covenant.

Jesus has done all the work for us.

He has perfectly obeyed and fulfilled all the requirements of the Old Covenant.

He has died in our place to pay the debt of our sin.

He has reconciled us to the Father and restored us to God’s family as His sons and daughters.

He has unmasked and overcome the devil.

He has given us the Helper to live in us to provide the power to live a new life.

He has given us all the promises and the power we need to live a godly life.

Our response is very simple.

Three words encompass everything that explains our part in the New Covenant.

DONE – Jesus has done it ALL… believe it.

REST – in the finished work of Jesus… believe it.

LET – allow the Holy Spirit to produce what is in you… believe it.

“Now we who have believed enter that rest,…” Hebrews 4:3 NIV

“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed… continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Philippians 2:12-13 NIV

“LET no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.” Romans 13:8 NIV

“LET the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

LET the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” Colossians 3:15-16 NIV

“For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED FROM START TO FINISH BY FAITH. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” Romans 1:16-17 NLT

And so, my brothers and sisters, we who now participate in the New Covenant have a new life and a new focus.

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”Matthew 6:33 NLT

W e are no longer concerned with what happens to us because we live in a fallen world. We cannot escape, but we live above the trials and troubles that plague us all in this life. We don’t have to fight the devil and his demons.

“Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.” Colossians 3:1-4 NLT

“For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NLT