Your Inheritance
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. Romans 8:16 (NKJV)
In December 1936, with war looming, a royal scandal broke out on the front pages of British newspapers. It became known that the newly ascended King, Edward VIII, was having a well-kept secret affair with a married, soon-to-be-divorced American woman, Wallis Simpson. Edward intends to marry her, even though he knows that the Church and the constitution do not allow a monarch to marry a divorcee. With pressure mounting from all sides, including the British public, King Edward has to make a choice. On December 10th, he announces on the radio that he chooses his mistress, Wallis Simpson, above the crown. After ruling for less than a year, he becomes the first British monarch to abdicate the throne voluntarily. He is given the title Duke of Windsor and forfeits the rights and inheritance he had as King of Britain.
Children of Light
When Edward VIII’s father died, he had the right to become King. As king, he inherited everything his father owned. When we decide to follow Jesus Christ, we become children of God and receive His inheritance. We have the right to everything He owns.
Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12 (NIV)
As His children, we not only have the right to everything He owns and to all His promises, but to all that He is. To understand who He is, we need to know Him. To know Him, we need to spend time with Him. To pursue Him and not what glitters and glows in the dark. Not things that bring temporary satisfaction, but that which leads us into the truth of who He is. Romans 8:14 says that those led by the Spirit of God, the Spirit of truth, are His children.
Our inheritance - knowing the truth of who God is - will determine who we are. It will determine our behaviour. Our lifestyle. Our mindset. Our future. It will cause us to delight in Him and not in the things of this world. When we, like Edward VIII, abdicate our rights to our inheritance by looking elsewhere for fulfilment, we cannot receive everything that He has for us. We cannot receive His inheritance. The inheritance that will give us the rich life that He has for us. The rich life led by the Spirit of truth. A life that will glorify our Father. A life that will display the character of Jesus as we walk as children of light.
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. Ephesians 5:8 (NKJV)
Reflection:
Are you pursuing things that glitter, things that are causing you to forfeit the rich inheritance that God has for you?
Prayer:
Thank You, Lord, for Your rich inheritance. Help me to pursue You, to pursue what You have for me. Help me delight in You and not the things of this world. Show me how to display Your character as I walk in the light. In Jesus’ name, amen.
