We all have some kind of inheritance. I know you are thinking right now, what inheritance, you do not know my parents or relatives. They do not have anything and if they did, they would not leave it to me. All this might be true, however, we all have an inheritance a spiritual inheritance which we will claim when we die. Now the question is, will it be one found in Heaven or Hell? To have an inheritance in hell you do not need to do anything. You see you are already bound for hell from the time you are born. The Bible tells us in Romans 3.23, “All have fallen short of the glory of God.” Meaning no one can do anything to reach God. In Romans 6.23 it is written, “For the wages of SIN is death…” there is a price we all must pay for our sinful lifestyle and the payment is our life (death). But great news, this verse did not end there, Paul continued, “…but the GIFT of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Think about it, ‘eternal life,’ with God, it is a GIFT, a FREE GIFT given by God to you and me, paid for by the sacrifice of His dear Son Jesus Christ. Romans 5.8 says, “But God commendeth (proved, showed, or demonstrated) His Love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners (still useless, hopeless, pieces of filth, just trash) Christ died for us” (my emphasis added).
So, where is God in your life? What parts does He control? The control of the Lord in your life is related to how you keep His commandments, to how obedient you are to His will. When God sees us does He see someone who He can trust, someone who is honorable, and upright? Or, does He see just the opposite? The great thing is God’s mercy will cover all we have done and will do. It does not mean we can keep doing whatever we want or desire. But, we must recognize who God is and what He has done so we may live free. Think on the words of Paul to the Romans, “What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death” (Romans 6.1-3, CSB)?[1] Paul reminds us as he was the church at Rome, our salvation was not fire insurance, it was not to be used to live a life full of sin thinking all the while God’s forgiveness will cover everything. We must understand as children of God we have been crucified with Christ (Romans 6.6; Galatians 2.20-21), raised new creatures (Romans 6.4, II Corinthians 5.17) and therefore, we must walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh (Romans 8.1-25, Galatians 5.13-26). What we think about, where we are going, and what we are doing all of these things reflect on us as well as our Heavenly Father. What do these things say about us, about who we are, how does it cause us to change the way we live our life so we will be more like Christ and less like the world. The Psalmist reminds us to turn to the Word of God. When we look at our lives and all that is going on in them, they too should cause us to turn to the Word of God. We should run to the Lord, to His truth, to His righteousness, to His love, to his mercy, and to His grace. However, because of our sinfulness we do not like the light very much and would rather be in the darkness (John 3.17-21). But when those times come, run to the Word of God for His Word is a “lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path” (Psalm 119.105). There are a lot of things that happen in our lives each and every day, some good and some bad. However, the problems of life are not the issue, how we handle them is. In verse 61, the Psalmist writes, “Though the cords of the wicked ensnare me, I do not forget your law” (Psalm 119.61, ESV).[2] When people trip you up, cause you to stumble, you cannot let this keep you from following God, or spending time in His Word. Even in the middle of the night you can get up and thank God for Who He is and His righteousness. We must never forget all God has done for us, and all He has not done to us. We must be friends to all those who follow Jesus Christ. Not just the ones we like. Those who “fear the Lord” and “Obey His commands.” These are the kind of people we should hang out with and if we are not then we are letting the world infect us. Application
Prayer Abba, Father, You are the One Who created the world and You are the One Who knew me before I was even born. You knew what I would be doing today, and how today would go. Lord I thank You for Your wisdom, Lord give me more wisdom so I may handle each situation with love and understanding as You would. Lord help me to see the opportunities to share the gospel with others, whether by word, or action. Lord may all the things I do today bring glory and honor and praise to Your wonderful name. Forgive me where I have failed You, where I have fallen short of what You have asked me to do. Lord, make today better than yesterday. In Your Son Jesus Christ Name, Amen. [1] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ro 6:1–3). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers. [2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ps 119:61). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
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