A Great Inheritance

Romans 8:12-17

So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

We’re living in a scary time, aren’t we? There are a lot of unknowns, a lot of confusion, and that is a breeding ground of fear. Every day we get new information, but it never seems to be enough. Every time that new information comes out, new questions come with it. For many of us, we anxiously wait until noon every day to see how many new cases we have in Virginia, and even more importantly: how many cases we have in Washington County. Despite the current circumstances, there have been plenty of reason for fear in other areas of the world. It’s only recently that this source has come close to home that fear has begun to permeate through us. And that’s understandable, fear is a result of anxiety and we don’t know what’s going on.

My grandma lives in an assisted living facility, and last week they had two cases in/around their facility. That is a great source of fear for me and my family. Many of us have causes for our fear, and that’s not unreasonable. But as Paul says, we “did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear.” We’ve been given the Spirit of adoption as sons and daughters of God. Despite our circumstances, and despite our fear, we have confidence in the face of fear because we have become children of God. And if we are children of God, then we are heirs of God. Paul’s message is clear to us, when we live a life in the service and suffering of Christ, we become heirs of Christ’s Kingdom. In our life, no matter what happens to us, we can receive this great inheritance through Christ.

Reflect

  1. How can you have confidence living by the Spirit of God despite the fears that we all hold?
  2. With confidence as an inheritor of God’s Kingdom, how can we change our behavior to reflect a life lived by the Spirit?

Pray

Heavenly Father, you know our fears and you know our anxieties. We ask that you give us confidence in you and in our place in your Kingdom. Thank you for the comfort and peace that you bring to us and we ask that you show us your power in this challenging time. Thank you for the mercy and grace that you extend to us by sharing with us an inheritance fit for a king. Amen.

Philip Wines, April 15, 2020
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