We have seen that in their status after being saved the believers are children of God, sons of God, and partakers of the divine nature. In this message we shall consider the believers’ status as heirs of God.
Galatians 4:7 says, “You are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, an heir also through God.” Here an heir is one who is of full age according to the law (the Roman law is used by Paul for illustration) and who is qualified to inherit the father’s estate. The New Testament believers become heirs of God not through the law or through their fleshly father but through God, even the Triune God-the Father who sent forth the Son and the Spirit (Gal. 4:4, 6), the Son who accomplished redemption for sonship (v. 5), and the Spirit who carries out the sonship within us (v. 6).
The New Testament speaks of the believers as children of God, sons of God, and heirs of God. Being children of God is our initial, or primary, relationship with God. We may be children without the growth of a son, or we may be sons without the qualification of an heir. Therefore, we need to grow in order to become sons of God. Then we need further growth, growth to maturity, in order to be heirs of God. As heirs we shall inherit the divine inheritance.
Christ is the Heir of all things (Heb. 1:2), and the believers are destined to be joint heirs of Christ. Romans 8:17 says, “If children, heirs also; heirs of God and joint heirs of Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him that we may also be glorified with Him.” The thought in this verse progresses from children to heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs of Christ. However, we should not think that simply because we are children of God we are also joint heirs of Christ. Children cannot be legal heirs. In order to become legal heirs, children must grow into sons, and the sons must grow into heirs. When we reach the stage of growth of being joint heirs of Christ, we shall be glorified.
Apart from believing in Christ, there is no condition imposed for us to be the children of God. As long as the Spirit witnesses with our spirit (Rom. 8:16), we may have the assurance that we are children of God. However, for us to progress from children of God to joint heirs of Christ there is a condition, and this condition is that we suffer with Christ that we may be glorified with Him. Genuine growth in the divine life requires suffering. The more we suffer with Christ, the more we grow and the faster we are matured to be joint heirs of Christ.
Galatians 3:29 reveals that the believers are heirs according to the promise given by God to Abraham: “If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise.” Abraham’s seed is only one, Christ (Gal. 3:16). Hence, to be Abraham’s seed we must be Christ’s, a part of Christ. Because we are one with Christ, we are also Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise, inheriting God’s promised blessing, which is the all-inclusive Spirit as the ultimate consummation of the processed Triune God to be our portion. In God’s New Testament economy, the believers as God’s chosen people, being sons of God, are such heirs, not under law but in Christ. However, the Judaizers who remained under law and kept themselves apart from Christ were, like Ishmael (Gal. 4:23), Abraham’s descendants according to flesh, not, like Isaac (Gal. 4:28), his heirs according to promise. The believers in Christ are such heirs, inheriting the promised blessing.
Galatians 3 reveals that God intended to give the promise to Abraham according to His eternal purpose. Before this promise was accomplished, the law was given to serve as the custodian of God’s chosen people. Then, at the appointed time, Christ, the promised seed, came to fulfill God’s promise to Abraham. When Christ came, the fulfillment of God’s promised blessing also came. Now we are in Christ, the One who has fulfilled the promise, to inherit the fulfilled promise and to enjoy the blessing of the promise to Abraham. This blessing is the processed Triune God as the all-inclusive life-giving Spirit.
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