Inherit (Part 1)

The word “Inherit” is defined as .....

receive (money, property, or a title) as an heir at the death of the previous holder.

receive or be left with (a situation, object, etc.) from a predecessor or former owner.

One that doesn’t necessarily deal with material things (Money and such) but .....

someone who derives (a quality, characteristic, or predisposition) genetically from one's parents or ancestors.

When one comes from a poor family, the word “inheritance” doesn’t mean much to them.

My mother recently told me that they are spending all the inheritance so there will be nothing left for us kids.

Really what she was saying was … “There is no inheritance to be given.”

But the inheritance she has left me and can’t take away from me is those that she has given me already:

Certain qualities that I find in myself that is hers

Certain characteristics that are my mother

Everyone of us have inherited qualities and characteristics from our parents.

When it comes to the other materialistic items of our parents, we are heirs to these items.

The kingdom our parents have built ..... we are heirs to this kingdom.

WHY? because we are their son or daughter!

This position makes us heirs.

This is our inheritance.

When I became a follower of Jesus Christ:

Confessed all my sins

Ask Christ to come into my heart

and received the Holy Spirit (Salvation)

I became a son of the Most High God

I became and heir to the kingdom

as a matter of fact ...... I inherited the Kingdom

Because of Christ dying on the cross I now have inherited the Kingdom of God

It’s that simple! Accept Christ - Heir to the Kingdom

So all we have to DO is Accept Christ (Eternal life with the Father)

If you do not accept Christ (Eternal life without the Father: HELL)

I am not trying to scare anyone.

But the truth of the matter is, you are going to spend eternity in one place or the other.

Is there anyone here this morning who want to spend eternity in Heaven and not in Hell?

Raise you hand! (Ask: why don’t you come forward right now and lets ask Christ to forgive and then ask to receive Him into your life today).

If no one raises their hand then say, “So everyone is going to spend eternity with the Father: PTL).”

What all of us can attest to is .... that the enemy doesn’t stop trying to get us to fall from grace, amen?

What he wants is for us to go back to LIVING IN THE FLESH.

But Paul is very direct when it comes to living in the flesh .....

Turn with me to Galatians 5:19-21 “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Paul writes to the Galatians region because he has been hearing reports of theme giving up their freedom, giving up the Kingdom, giving up their inheritance.

He lays out a few of the things that they were doing and was calling them out ......

Living in the flesh is evident:

The word “evident” (Greek: phaneros) which means - known; visible; manifest

The Amplified Bible - NIV: Clear (obvious)

ASV - Manifest

It means that the works are clearly evident and will continually be produced (Manifesting).

Paul then goes on to list out a lot of these works of the flesh: (15 total)

Sexual immorality: (Porneia: pornography)

deviant from the biblical norms: (homosexuality, promiscuity, pedophilia, prostitution)

Impurity:

Immorality; lustful living, impure motives

Sensuality:

Filthy conversation

Total disregard for social/moral standards; outrageous behavior

Idolatry: (Eidololatria) (found only 4 times in the N.T.)

An idolator is a slave to the depraved ideas his idols represent.

Gal 4:8-9 “Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?”

Sorcery: (Pharmakeia) (3 times in the N.T.)

primarily signified “the use of medicine, drugs, spells; then “poisoning”; then “sorcery”

Enmity:

Hatred, Hostile

It is the opposite of Agape (Love)

Strife:

Quarrel ; debate

Jealousy (Zelos)

Passion for ones own interest in the face of what appears to be competitive: rival

Fierceness (Hebrews 10:27 “but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.”) (Fire)

Fit of Rage:

associate with the Latin word “Fumes” (Smoke)

Outburst of Anger

He is really steamed!

Rivalries

Interest in gaining advantage over another

Selfish ambition

Dissensions:

Division

disagreement that threatens the unity of a group

Division: (Hairesis)

An opinion, a selfwilled opinion which is substituted for submission to the power of truth and leads to division.

Its where we get the word “Heresies”

Envy:

the feeling of displeasure produced by witnessing or hearing of the advantage or prosperity of others

Concerning more to deprive the other person of the desired thing than to gain it themselves.

Drunkedness:

habitual intoxication

indulgence in a strong drink

Drunkedness is seen as an element in the old way of life now abandoned, and as incompatible with Christian living

Orgies:

the accompaning and consequences of drunkedness.

In the N.T. times it was festivities in honor of several gods, (Especially Bacchus) the God of wine, hense feasting and drunkedness with impurity and obscenity of the grossest kind took place.

And things like these!!!!!

I think you would agree .... these things are clearly evident when they are taking place.

But here is the bad news ......

“ … that those who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.”

Those who live like this, who habitually indulge in these fleshly sins, will not inherit the future kingdom of God.

will not come into possession of (something) as a right!

They forfeit their position as heirs to the Kingdom.

They are no longer living in sonship with the Father but ....

As slaves to the Enemy.

Paul is writing to them and saying, “You have been set free.” “Don’t go back.”

Why would they?

Because the enemy lies.

There might be some of you here this morning who have been lied to. YOU BIT!

Some of us might be saying, “I am not sexually immoral.”

But you have been having impure thoughts!

Some of us might be saying, “I am not angry with anyone.”

But you have been envious of others who seem to have more than what you have.

Some of us might be saying, “I am not against anyone.”

But you have been causing division.

Some of us might be saying, “I am not getting drunk.”

But you find yourself starting to think more and more about alcohol.”

Some of you might saying, “I don’t participate in orgies.”

Praise the Lord.

But is there something the Lord is bringing to your mind “As we speak” that he wants you to surrender, give up, or let go (Be free from or delivered from).

You not LOST ...... you just need to COME BACK to a life that is edifying the Lord.

Surrender the WORKS of the FLESH and Live in the WORKS of the SPIRIT