Michael
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Book of ROMANS
A Study of Chapter 8
Part 9
Romans 8:16-17
INHERITANCE
“It is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 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.” – Rom 8:16-17 RSV
Paul is addressing specifically those who are “in Christ”, who have committed to “walking according to” and are being “led by the Spirit”, no longer “living according to the flesh.” As with all of Scripture, we need to look at the verses – the promises and the warnings – in context.
Truthfully the promise of inheritance is to “him who overcomes” as we read in Revelation 21:7.
This is overcoming, or conquering – our complete surrender to Christ, and the ways & will of God. If this is True, then indeed we are His children and by right, His heir along with Christ Jesus the Firstborn, who made all this possible and paved the Way.
“if we are (God’s) children, then we are also heirs, heirs of God and joint-heirs with the Messiah — provided we are suffering with Him in order also to be glorified with Him.”
– Rom 8:17 CJB
What does it mean to be an “heir of God”, and a “fellow heir (or co-heir) with Christ”?
Do we even give it much thought? If our vision of eternity is living in heaven forever… the things we’ll be discussing here in our study may not make much sense. But the hope of the apostles, prophets & First Century disciples was not to go to the spirit realm; but for the Kingdom of God, ruled by the Messiah, to be established on the earth. And indeed it shall. Christ Jesus is returning for His inheritance. And He will have “co-heirs” that will share in His inheritance. Oh glory!
In the New Testament Scripture we find the words “inheritance” or “inherit” 35 times.
So, what is it that the children of God inherit? I believe we find a hint in Jesus’ teaching in the Gospel of Luke…
The Parable of the Ten Pounds
“As they heard these things, He proceeded to tell a parable, because He was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately.”
12 He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive a kingdom and then return. 13 Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten pounds, and said to them, ‘Trade with these till I come.’
14 But his citizens hated him and sent an embassy after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ 15 When he returned, having received the kingdom, he commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by trading. 16 The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your pound has made ten pounds more.’ 17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ 18 And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your pound has made five pounds.’ 19 And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’
20 Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your pound, which I kept laid away in a napkin; 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man; you take up what you did not lay down, and reap what you did not sow.’ 22 He said to him, ‘I will condemn you out of your own mouth, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then did you not put my money into the bank, and at my coming I should have collected it with interest?’ 24 And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the pound from him, and give it to him who has the ten pounds.’
25 (And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten pounds!’) 26 ‘I tell you, that to every one who has will more be given; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 27 But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them before me.’” - Luke 19:11-27 RSV
In Matthew’s Gospel, in the Parable of the Talents, the reward for those who were diligent with what the Lord had entrusted to them was -
“Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.” – Matt 25:21 & 23 NKJV
Those who had been faithful with what the Master had given them were given “authority over cities”. He made them “rulers over many things”, when He returned. Does not this sound like an inheritance?
But I want to look a little deeper first at the nobleman who went to “receive a kingdom”, this One who will have “co-heirs”; this same One, I believe, whom the Book of Revelation declares to be “King of kings and Lord of lords.”
“A nobleman went into a far country to receive a kingdom and then return.” – Luke 19:15
You see, I’m convinced the nobleman (lord, master in other translations) is Jesus.
We find this scene in a few places in the Scripture; both in prophecy and in actuality.
“And being assembled together with them, Jesus commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come (return) in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” - Acts 1:4-11 NKJV (NLT)
(Bear with me if I seem all over the place here. I believe the picture will become clearer shortly. )
~ continued below ~
A Study of Chapter 8
Part 9
Romans 8:16-17
INHERITANCE
“It is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 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.” – Rom 8:16-17 RSV
Paul is addressing specifically those who are “in Christ”, who have committed to “walking according to” and are being “led by the Spirit”, no longer “living according to the flesh.” As with all of Scripture, we need to look at the verses – the promises and the warnings – in context.
Truthfully the promise of inheritance is to “him who overcomes” as we read in Revelation 21:7.
This is overcoming, or conquering – our complete surrender to Christ, and the ways & will of God. If this is True, then indeed we are His children and by right, His heir along with Christ Jesus the Firstborn, who made all this possible and paved the Way.
“if we are (God’s) children, then we are also heirs, heirs of God and joint-heirs with the Messiah — provided we are suffering with Him in order also to be glorified with Him.”
– Rom 8:17 CJB
What does it mean to be an “heir of God”, and a “fellow heir (or co-heir) with Christ”?
Do we even give it much thought? If our vision of eternity is living in heaven forever… the things we’ll be discussing here in our study may not make much sense. But the hope of the apostles, prophets & First Century disciples was not to go to the spirit realm; but for the Kingdom of God, ruled by the Messiah, to be established on the earth. And indeed it shall. Christ Jesus is returning for His inheritance. And He will have “co-heirs” that will share in His inheritance. Oh glory!
In the New Testament Scripture we find the words “inheritance” or “inherit” 35 times.
So, what is it that the children of God inherit? I believe we find a hint in Jesus’ teaching in the Gospel of Luke…
The Parable of the Ten Pounds
“As they heard these things, He proceeded to tell a parable, because He was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately.”
12 He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive a kingdom and then return. 13 Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten pounds, and said to them, ‘Trade with these till I come.’
14 But his citizens hated him and sent an embassy after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ 15 When he returned, having received the kingdom, he commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by trading. 16 The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your pound has made ten pounds more.’ 17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ 18 And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your pound has made five pounds.’ 19 And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’
20 Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your pound, which I kept laid away in a napkin; 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man; you take up what you did not lay down, and reap what you did not sow.’ 22 He said to him, ‘I will condemn you out of your own mouth, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then did you not put my money into the bank, and at my coming I should have collected it with interest?’ 24 And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the pound from him, and give it to him who has the ten pounds.’
25 (And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten pounds!’) 26 ‘I tell you, that to every one who has will more be given; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 27 But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them before me.’” - Luke 19:11-27 RSV
In Matthew’s Gospel, in the Parable of the Talents, the reward for those who were diligent with what the Lord had entrusted to them was -
“Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.” – Matt 25:21 & 23 NKJV
Those who had been faithful with what the Master had given them were given “authority over cities”. He made them “rulers over many things”, when He returned. Does not this sound like an inheritance?
But I want to look a little deeper first at the nobleman who went to “receive a kingdom”, this One who will have “co-heirs”; this same One, I believe, whom the Book of Revelation declares to be “King of kings and Lord of lords.”
“A nobleman went into a far country to receive a kingdom and then return.” – Luke 19:15
You see, I’m convinced the nobleman (lord, master in other translations) is Jesus.
We find this scene in a few places in the Scripture; both in prophecy and in actuality.
“And being assembled together with them, Jesus commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come (return) in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” - Acts 1:4-11 NKJV (NLT)
(Bear with me if I seem all over the place here. I believe the picture will become clearer shortly. )
~ continued below ~