Justification in Relation to the Believer Being an Heir of God (Doctrinal Bible Church in Huntsville, Alabama)

Doctrinal Bible Church

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Wednesday September 6, 2023

Justification Series: Justification in Relation to the Believer Being an Heir of God

Lesson # 14

In Titus 3:7, the apostle Paul relates justification with being an heir of God.

Titus 3:1 Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 2 to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men. 3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. (NIV84)

Titus 3:4 But when the kindness, yes the love for mankind originating from the Savior who is our God was manifested, 5 He saved us, by no means on the basis of meritorious actions as constituting its source. In other words, on the basis of human self-righteousness which we ourselves have done. But rather on the basis of His mercy as constituting the standard, by means of a washing produced by regeneration, specifically, a renovation produced by the Spirit who is holy, 6 whom He poured out upon us in full measure through Jesus who is the Christ, our Savior. 7 The divine purpose was accomplished so that we became heirs in order that we can confidently expect to experience eternal life because we have been justified by this His grace. (Pastor’s translation)

Titus 3:7 is a purpose-result clause which presents both the purpose and the result for God the Father saving the Christian through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ and on the basis of His mercy and by means of the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit.

It emphasizes that the Father saved the church age believer in order that they would become His heir and it also emphasizes the result of the Father saving the church age believer was that they became an heir.

In other words, the Father’s intention to make the Christian His heir was accomplished in time at their justification.

When the Christian trusted in Jesus Christ as their Savior at their justification, the Holy Spirit regenerated them and appropriated for them the benefits of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection.

These benefits include delivering them from eternal condemnation and condemnation from the Law as well as the enslavement to the sin nature, personal sins, enslavement to the devil and his cosmic system.

This faith of the Christian in time was known by God from His omniscience in eternity past and was sovereignly determined by God to take place in time.

The sovereign will of God co-exists with the volition of men.

At the moment of the Christian’s justification, the Father’s eternal purpose to make them an heir in order that they can confidently expect to experience eternal life now in the present and for all of eternity became a reality and was accomplished.

What does it mean that the Christian has become an heir when they were declared justified by God through faith in His Son?

Since being an heir of God is directly tied to the promises given to Abraham that appear in Genesis 12:1-3, 6-9; 13:14-18; 15:1-6, 18-21; 17:1-8; 22:15-18 and that God awards the inheritance promised to Abraham to those have faith in Christ who are in union with His Son through faith, being an heir means that the Christian will inherit the earth and experience the millennial reign of Christ.

It means that they are now in God the Father’s family.

The noun klēronomos (κληρονόμος), “heirs” is used of Christians as the recipients and possessors of what God has promised to Abraham and those who trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and denotes that the Christian is an “heir” of God the Father.

It also denotes that the Christian possesses a place of position and privilege as a result of their place in the family of God through adoption.

The concept of the inheritance was not only used among the Greeks and Romans but also is an Old Testament concept.

In the Old Testament, the inheritance involved the promise of land to Abraham and to His Seed or Descendant, Jesus Christ.

In Romans 4:13-14, Paul uses klēronomos (κληρονόμος) where he teaches that God awards the inheritance promised to Abraham to those have faith in Christ.

Romans 4:13 For the promise to Abraham or to his Descendant that he himself would inherit the earth was never by means of obedience to the (Mosaic) Law but rather by means of the righteousness produced by faith. 14 For, if-and let us assume that it’s true for the sake of argument, those who by means of obedience to the (Mosaic) Law are heirs, then faith is useless and in addition, the promise is meaningless. (Pastor’s translation)

In Romans 4:13, the noun sperma (σπέρμα), “Descendant” refers to the Lord Jesus Christ since the word is in the singular and in Galatians 3:16 Paul identifies Abraham’s sperma (σπέρμα), “Descendant” as being the Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, the “Seed” God covenanted with Abraham found its fulfillment uniquely in the Lord Jesus Christ (see Galatians 3:16).

Genesis 12:1-3, 6-9; 13:14-18; 15:1-6, 18-21; 17:1-8; 22:15-18; 26:4; 28:13-15; 35:9-13 reveal that Abraham received the following promises: (1) The promise of an heir from Abraham’s own body (Genesis 15:4, 13-14; 18:10, 14), (2) Innumerable (biological and spiritual) descendants (Genesis 13:16; 15:5; 17:2; 22:17; 28:14; 35:11), (3) The land of Canaan plus an extensive portion of land on the earth whose boundaries are on the Mediterranean, the Aegean Sea, the Euphrates River and the Nile River, which would include what is now known today as Turkey, most of East Africa, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman and Red Sea, Syria, Iraq and Jordan (Genesis 12:7; 13:14-18; 15:7, 18-21; 17:8; 28:13; 35:12), (4) The nation of Israel (Genesis 12:2; 28:14; 35:11; 46:3), (5) Arab nations (Genesis 17:3-5; 35:11; ), (6) Nations composed of Gentile believers (Genesis 17:3-5; 35:11), (7) Arab and Israelite kings (Genesis 17:6, 16; 35:11), (8) Regenerate Gentile kings (Genesis 17:6, 16; 35:11), (9) Dominion (Genesis 22:17; 28:14), (10) Abraham would be the medium of blessing to all the nations through the Messiah who would descend from him (Genesis 12:3; 22:18; 28:14).

Since these promises contained in the Abrahamic covenant make clear that God purposed through Abraham and his offspring, the Lord Jesus Christ to work out the destiny of the entire world, it was implicit in the promises to Abraham that he and his spiritual descendants and the Lord Jesus Christ would inherit the earth.

The full realization of this awaits the consummation of the millennial kingdom at Christ’s Second Advent.

Heirship for the church believer is through being in union with Christ (Ephesians 2:12-13; 3:5-6).

So at the moment of their justification, the Christian became an heir of the Father.

This heirship is used in relation to justification since it became a reality at the moment of justification.

It means that the Christian will inherit the earth and will experience the millennial reign of Christ and of course it means that they are now in God the Father’s family and have an eternal relationship with the Father.

Being an heir of God also includes other benefits such as receiving a resurrection body at the rapture of the church as well as rewards at the Bema Seat if they are faithful in time.

It also includes citizenship in the new heavens and the new earth as well as the new Jerusalem.

In Titus 3:7, “having been justified” presents the reason why the Father made the Christian an heir and refers to the judicial act of God whereby He declares the sinner to be righteous as a result of crediting or imputing to them His righteousness the moment they exercised faith in His Son Jesus Christ.

Consequently, God accepts them and enters them into a relationship with Himself since they now possess His righteousness.

In Titus 3:7, “by His grace” indicates that God the Father’s grace policy towards sinners was by means of His grace which was manifested through the work of the Son and the Spirit which is indicated by Paul’s statements in Titus 3:4-6.

In verses 4-5, Paul teaches that when God’s kindness was manifested through the First Advent of His Son Jesus Christ and in particular through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ, He saved the Christian.

This means His Son provided the offer of eternal salvation to each and every member of the human race through His death and resurrection.

Then, the apostle teaches in verse 5 that the Christian was not saved based upon their own merits or in other words, by their own human self-righteousness.

But rather the Father saved the Christian based upon His mercy which is an expression of His attribute of love.

This love was manifested through the cross of His Son.

In verse 5, Paul teaches that the means by which the Christian was saved was the regenerating work of the Spirit.

In verse 6, he teaches that the Father poured out the Spirit on the Christian in full measure through His Son Jesus or in other words, through their faith in His Son.

Thus, the grace of the Father was manifested in time through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit.