03 Jan “Inheritance” – 1/2/2021

Shame on me, Lord but – I tend to think of “inheritance” as being, well, money… Am I the only one? In the opening slide today note the little boy is being read to from a book, a Golden Book, remember those? It was mine. He has inherited it. And then there’s a picture of the buttstock of an old rifle, an inheritance from the 1840s. Neither one of those inherited things are money, are they?

In the beginning of his letter to the Ephesians, Paul teaches about an inheritance that can’t be spent, should be cherished, and can be passed on. He says that we Christians have inherited from of old God’s chosen-ness. He chose us, as we are told, from before time began, to be the inheritors of the gifts secured for us by Jesus on the cross of Calvary. You’ll hear a list of words Paul uses to explain that inheritance, one that can be lost, cannot be spent, should be treasured, ought to be passed on and inherited anew by those who follow us.

This spiritual inheritance has a guarantor. The Holy Spirit in our hearts is, in a way, a down payment against the inheritance held for us in heaven until, in God’s good time, we claim it. Oh, and there’s an attorney involved: Jesus is our mediator and advocate in heaven, defending us in His body and blood against the accusations of Satan. The devil says we don’t qualify for it (true!) and we don’t deserve it (true!) and the Christ gives us our inheritance anyway. Thank you Jesus!

PP