The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Colossians 3:23-24a,
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward."
In his admonition to workers, Paul tells them to work "with all your heart" as if they were working for the Lord himself. He provides, in view as their reward for doing so, the observation that they will receive an inheritance from the Lord.
As we learn in the Scriptures, all who have embraced Jesus Christ in faith have an inheritance awaiting them - an inheritance from the Lord himself. I am reminded of what Jesus taught when speaking about the future event when he will separate believers from non-believers in the resurrection, "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.'" Matthew 25:31-34. Take your inheritance!
In Paul's farewell to the Ephesian elders he ended his encouragement to them, along with other comments, these words, "Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified." Acts 20:32. We will be given an inheritance!
Paul told these Ephesian believers their inheritance was secured by the deposit of the Holy Spirit God had given them, "When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory." Ephesians 1:13-14. Our inheritance is guaranteed! Paul's perspective on this inheritance was quite remarkable, "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people..." Ephesians 1:18. Imagine... "the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people"! Not something to view lightly!
In Paul's wonderful focus on the Lord in Ephesians 1, he makes the observation that is was God himself who has qualified us for this inheritance, "... giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." Colossians 1:12-14.
The writer of Hebrews tell us that Jesus Christ is the one who mediated this inheritance with the Father, "For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant." Hebrews 9:15. Jesus Christ has arranged that we share in this "glorious inheritance"!
Peter tells us this inheritance of ours will never fade, never age, will always be ours, kept in heaven for us, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice..." 1 Peter 1:3-6a. We are shielded by God's power while here, protecting us for our inheritance!
Paul points out that since we are God's children, he has made us heirs, Galatians 4:7. As such we are identified as co-heirs with his own Son, Jesus Christ, "Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." Romans 8:17.
If this does not get you excited, its time to take a pulse!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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