A Priceless Inheritance

If you’ve made a will, you’re aware of how much (or – let’s be honest – how little) your children will inherit.

In terms of material possessions, ours would receive:

~ a hefty slice of overgrown land

~ a couple of (aging) cats

~ a home that’s paid for

~ four (five?) cars, three of which do not have air conditioning

And I haven’t even itemized the ton of household clutter (that’s just a rough estimate. I suspect it’s closer to two tons). That’s everything we own, entrusted to these two.

Our Inheritance:

God’s inheritance for His children? You can’t see it; you can’t sell it. It is nontransferable. It was bought and paid for, by Jesus Himself. It is fully insured, by the Holy Spirit Himself.

 

God's children inherit nothing less than His Kingdom, shared with His Son, Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:4 says this kingdom is priceless, pure, beyond corruption, unfading. It is "reserved in heaven" for those who belong to God.

And it’s God Himself who “has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light” (Colossians 1:12) through His gift of Jesus. Receiving Jesus means receiving a place in God’s family, as an heir. We already possess the first installment of this inheritance, by the way: the Holy Spirit’s life in us is a down payment, a guarantee of what’s to come. 

My Sons’ Inheritance: 

Clutter piles and cats aside, it is this rich heritage I most want to leave my sons: a knowledge of God, a love for Jesus, an understanding of the powerful Spirit who lives within them. I pray for their inheritance to be as priceless as my own: the kingdom of God, shared with our Savior and Brother, Jesus Christ.

God’s Inheritance:

The Bible also speaks of an inheritance for God.

What?

What could God possibly inherit? I mean, doesn’t He own everything already? Is He lacking anything at all? The surprising answer is this: His inheritance is His children. That’s you, if you belong to Jesus. God says you are His inheritance.

God says you are His inheritance.

Selah. (“Stop a moment, and think about that.”)

In 1 Peter 2:9, God declares us to be:

~ His inheritance

~ His treasured possession

~ His jewels

~ His chosen people

~ a people who belong to Him

 ~ those He’s called from darkness to His marvelous light

So I inherit a holy kingdom with my Savior. And God inherits ME.

There is no comparison between these two things. Yet, to the Creator of mankind, who loves His children with an everlasting love, there is no possession more priceless, no treasure more valued and desired than: 

Us.

(Note: I wrote this 13 years ago. Still true today.)