Your Inheritance - In Christ
What You Have Received1. When a person receives Christ, he receives everything that God has to offer - and that's a lot! It will take the rest of your life, and all eternity too, to find out how much you have received.
2. God led me to think about this one day. What have we received in Christ? Here is a partial list.
- Salvation Acts 16:31 and Acts 2:21
- Peace with God Romans 5:1
- Inheritance Colossians 1:12
- The Holy Spirit Acts 2:38
- Forgiveness of sins Psalm 103:3
- Anointing II Corinthians 1:21
- Membership in the Body of Christ Ephesians 4:25
- Fellowship with other believers Acts 2:42
- Power over sin Romans 6:6-18
- Power over the devil Colossians 2:15 and Mark 16:17-18
- Eternal Life I John 5:11 and Romans 6:23
- The Spirit of Truth John 14:16-17
- Comfort II Corinthians 1:3-5
- Ability to understand God's Word I John 2:27
- Joy Psalm 16:11 and John 15:11
- Cleansing I John 1:9
- The fruit of the Spirit Galatians 5:21-22 and Ephesians 4:9-10
- The gifts of the Spirit I Corinthians 12:1-14
- Love I Thessalonians 4:9 and II Timothy 1:7 and I John 4:16
- Direct access to God's throne of grace Eph. 3:12 and He. 10:19b
- An effective prayer life James 5:16 and Psalm 50:15
- An unveiled view of God, and of His Christ II Corinthians 3:16-18
- Hope Colossians 1:27 and Hebrews 6:19
- Assurance Isaiah 32:17
- Citizenship Ephesians 2:19
- Healing Psalm 103:3
- Deliverance Psalm 34:7 and Colossians 1:13
- God's Divine Nature II Peter 1:3-4
- All the promises of God (70,000+ of them) II Corinthians. 1:20
- Provision Philippians 4:19 and II Corinthians 9:8
- Freedom Galatians 5:1
- Liberty II Corinthians 3:17
- Justice Psalm 103:6
- Mercy Psalm 103:11
- Grace John 1:16
3. More could be added to the list. When I think about all of this, I am humbled. Christians really are children of the King!
4. The question is... "If I have all of this, how can I experience it?"
5. The answer is ... repent. Jesus said, "Repent and believe the gospel for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." But repentance is not just a one time thing. It is daily. What Jesus really said was, "Be repenting, and believe the gospel, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand - here, now!" Repentance always brings us closer to God.
6. The answer is also - by believing. Christians are believers. We believe - in Christ, and in His word. And our faith grows stronger with each passing day as we continually see God doing all things as He said He would.
7. The answer is also ..by being not just hearers, but also doers of God's word. (See Romans 2:13 and James 1:22 and Matthew 7:24-27) Jesus said that if we abide in Him, and His word abides in us, we can ask anything, and it will be done for us by our heavenly Father. John 15:7
8. Christians also experience all the good things God has given them by having fellowship with one another. The Spirit of God works through every member of the Body of Christ to encourage and build up every other member.
9. The answer is also by walking in the Spirit. Paul said, "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." The life of the Christian is life in the Spirit. We cannot live the Christian life any other way. It is the Spirit of God who gave us this life in the first place, and (I am convinced), it is by the Spirit of God that we must live it. To "walk in the Spirit" means to walk in communion with God. Walking in the Spirit is walking in love, for God is love. It is walking hand in hand with Jesus, seeking His will, and obeying His voice.
10. The answer is also by living a life of prayer. Walking in communion with God makes all the power of heaven available to us - to work through us - to reach others. Of course this is a life of prayer - for prayer is communing with God. (Prayer is not just talking with God, but also hearing from Him.) God talks to people who want to hear and obey. This partnership with God has purpose, and that is to bring other people to know Christ. God's power and love will be in you, and God's Son will be revealed to others through you.
11. Be thankful!
12. So how can you experience all that God has for you?
- Repent
- Believe
- Be a doer of the Word
- Fellowship with other Christians (especially those who are mature)
- Walk in the Spirit
- Pray.
- Be thankful
The rest of the lessons in this book are designed to help us follow God more closely, and enjoy our fellowship with Him more completely.