Daily Devotions – Heirs with Christ

Daily Devotions – Heirs with Christ

 

Click this link to hear an audio version of the below text narrated by SOTH member Jerry Rhinehart:

 

Romans 8:14-17

14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, 7 Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 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.

I am not a legal scholar. As a matter of fact, I am often surprised by how the law works, both in my life and in the courts. Many years ago, I was blessed to be present at the court proceedings where my brother adopted one of his sons, my nephew Eric. The strangest part of the whole thing was when the judge asked my brother if he fully intended to make Eric heir to his estate. I was utterly confused! That seemed like a personal question, and what did it matter! Yet, by the end of the short proceeding, the judge made it clear that Eric was now a full part of the family, entitled to all the rights and privileges of any naturally born son. It was beautiful; I cried like a baby and took slightly out of focus pictures of the whole thing. It is the same for us. We are heirs, “sons” in the legal sense of the word. Remember that, in Paul’s day, the first-born son would have inherited everything by default. That’s what we are, heirs by default; full inheritors, just like Jesus. How does this impact your understanding of who you are to God?