Our Inheritance

Anybody ever inherited something that they didn’t want?

Maybe you inherited a hoarder’s treasure trove. Maybe you inherited a house with more debt than you can sell it for. Maybe you inherited a weird painting, that you feel you can’t get rid of because Nana gave it to you.

What is something you told a loved one that you wanted to inherit from them when they died?

For me, it was a set of Japanese China that my grandfather bought for my grandmother while he was in service overseas.

She picked a pattern and said when it arrived, boxes and boxes just kept coming it. He bought her every piece of the set and enough place settings for 12 people.

This morning we’re looking at what we will inherit when we say “Yes” to Jesus’ invitation to be adopted as sons and daughters of God.

Ephesians 1:3–6 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.”

The stipulation for God’s inheritance is that you must trust and follow Jesus.

“blessed us in Christ”, “chose us in Him”, “through Jesus Christ”, “in the Beloved (Jesus Christ)”…

Every will or inheritance has a stipulation. One man left his two sons an inheritance in the tens of millions. The only stipulation is that they could not grow a mustache. If either one ever grew facial hair, then they would forfeit their share to the other brother.

To be “in Christ” means we come on His terms through His provision, not our own. We live under Christ’s rule. We surrender to His will for our lives.

You cannot have the inheritance if you do not believe in Him. And you cannot enjoy the inheritance if you are not living obedient to Him.

Ephesians 1:7–10 “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.”

In Christ, we have inherited a mission to be lived out, not a title to be claimed.

Our redemption, our adoption, our blessing, are all things that we are given to carry out a mission that God has left for us.

The Lion King gives a contrast between a good king and a bad king. Mufasa is a good king who cares for his subjects and looks out for all that is in his domain. Scar is a bad king, nothing thrives in his domain. When he takes over the prideland, it becomes a desolate wasteland.

The difference that is contrasted all throughout the movie is Scar wants the title, the power. Simba, Mufasa’s son comes back because he has a responsibility as a son of the true king to take his place and take the responsibility of the kingdom, not the title of king.

This theme is reflected in so many movies over the ages, there are good kings that care for the people and bad kings that only want the power and prestige and benefits of being a ruler.

The same is true in the church. There are alot of people who claim the title - Christian. They believe in God, they go to church, and they tithe - maybe. And therefore the expect God to let them into heaven because they recited the secret prayer that entitled them to all these benefits.

When instead of claiming a title, God expected us to live out His mission.

“to unite all things in Him” God wants to reconcile all things to Himself.

We are left here to carry out His mission - The Great Commission. We’re here to proclaim the good news of the Gospel, that Jesus has died and that it has always been God’s plan to save us — to save YOU from sin.

He came to free you from sin so you could follow Him leading others to freedom from sin.

Ephesians 1:11–14 “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”

In Christ, we are given everything we need to carry out the mission God has left to us.

He gave us Himself. The Holy Spirit is no less God than the Father or Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit has the same essence and the same glory. And yet He is the most forgotten and underutilized member of the Godhead.

The things that we claim are works of the Holy Spirit, even if they are Him, are the lesser things that He wants to do in our lives.

Jesus bumps, excitement, etc…

Holiness, love, boldness, peace, patience, etc…

All these things we get in the Holy Spirit are but a taste of what it will be like when we are fully glorified in eternity.

For now, we have the Holy Sprit leading us and empowering us to share the Gospel with the lost who live around us.

The Holy Spirit, who lives in us, empowers us to live a holy life, keeping us from being distracted by things of this world. He encourages us when we are losing hope.

The Holy Spirit makes us aware of every spiritual blessing that He has blessed us with in the Heavenly places.

We are give the Holy Spirit to carry out the mission of God, not just to enjoy His presence.

Imagine all the ways that Jesus would’ve felt the presence of the Father and the Holy Spirit all throughout His time on earth.

At no point was Jesus sitting and enjoying the presence of God all for Himself. He was always living on mission. The presence of the Father and Holy Spirit empowered Him for the mission He was sent here to accomplish.

That mission was ultimately to reveal the truth of Who God is and pay the price to free us from the condemnation of sin.

Our mission is to tell others what Jesus has done, that they may be freed from sin to follow Him.

What are you doing with your inheritance of salvation? You just marveling at it, talking about it with yourself and others who already have it? Arguing about how you got it and the details of it?

Or are you using it? If you’ve surrendered your live to Christ. You have inherited a mission to be lived out.

Live like a subject in the Kingdom of God sent out to accomplish His will for His glory.