...wist
ye not that I must be about my Father's business? [Luke 2:49 KJB]
As a professed
bible believer, I believe the bible when it says that “we are the children of God.”
The
Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: [Romans
8:16 KJB]
I also believe my
bible when it says, “if children, then heirs…”.
And, when it further goes on to give information about heirs, I see that
it specifies two different statuses of heirs:
(1) heirs of God, and (2) joint-heirs with Christ.
And
if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be
that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. [Romans 8:17 KJB]
Just as the issue
of right division is critical in understanding and growing in the knowledge of
God, so too is the issue of heir vs. joint heir critical in understanding why we should grow in the knowledge of
God, as it determines our position in the heavenlies through all eternity; i.e.,
either ruling and reigning in seats of authority with Christ, or as a citizen in
the heavenlies.
Though the bible is
clear on both subjects, there are those who can’t see one or both of these issues
because it goes against what they’ve always been taught in the past (or, what a favorite bible teacher today teaches) and therefore has difficulty accepting right division and/or the difference between heir and joint-heir.
In
whom the god of this world hath blinded
the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel
of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. [2 Corinthians 4:4 KJB]
We should never be
afraid to have our perceptions challenged and changed if, in fact, the bible
teaches a perspective contrary to what we’ve been taught by man. Can we not trust God to exchange beggarly traditions
of man for the excellence of the glorious truth? Scripture exhorts us to consider, not reject(!),
God’s word over man’s...any man's. Since it was the
Lord Jesus Christ that gave Paul those words, to refuse them is to deny Christ. And, scripture also teaches…
If
we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: [2 Timothy 2:12 KJB]
Admittedly, there
are some things easier to understand than others, but just because we don’t
understand doesn’t mean that scripture is wrong.
In case you haven’t
read this paper, Heirs of God or joint-heirs with
Christ, it would
be profitable to do so, seriously giving consideration to the scriptures cited
in their context. Then, as a Berean, search the scriptures for yourself (regardless of what anyone else believes) to see whether they be
true. When we stand at the Judgment
Seat of Christ, we will stand alone; and an accounting will be made showing how
we (not our friends, family, favorite bible teacher or pastor) labored...or not...with God.
For we are labourers together with God:
…Every man's work shall be made manifest:
for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the
fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built
thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If
any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be
saved; yet so as by fire. [1 Cor 3:9-15 KJB]
As opposed to the believing
children of Israel who will rule and reign
with Christ in his earthly Kingdom, we, as adult
sons and daughters of God, are to be about [learning] our Father’s business
[Kingdom] for the heavenlies.
Brethren,
I count not myself to have apprehended:
but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are
before, I press toward the mark for the
prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us
therefore, as many as be perfect, be
thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even
this unto you. [Philippians
3:13-15 KJB]
At this present time, the earth is sin-cursed and the heavens are unclean. Therefore, I have no doubt our heavenly Father is
looking forward to that grand and Glorious Day when he will cease his longsuffering and is finally able to hang
up the proverbial shingle on the Family business that reads…
