That being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:7
A well-to-do businessman in Saint John was murdered in his office. In the aftermath of his death, the man’s only son assumed control of his father’s business, and took ownership of a considerable portion of his father’s wealth. But within two years, the police had built a case against the son, and had him charged with the murder of his father. A jury found the son guilty, and he was sentenced to life in prison. All of the great inheritance that he had entered into became meaningless; the position and the money were of no value to him in the penitentiary. He might as well never have become the heir to his father’s fortune. You and I are also heirs of a great fortune, one that we will never lose. But like the young heir in our story, we can lose out on the appreciation of our inheritance.
Remember when the Children of Israel were about to go into the promised land to possess it. As they began that campaign, camped on the desert plains of Jericho, they wrapped up the Passover celebrations and began feasting on the old corn of the land (Joshua 5:11-12). They were able to enjoy the produce of the land of Canaan, even through the land itself was not yet in their possession. That produce must have been wonderful to them, flavoured as it was with the expectation of the fulfillment of God’s promises to them. God has given us great and precious promises, too, of a land far better than Canaan, and an inheritance far more glorious than the territory promised to Abraham and to his seed. Our salvation has brought us into the benefit of this inheritance. We are promised eternal life as the gift of God. Whether by the way of the Rapture or death, we shall enter Heaven’s portals where our Lord is preparing mansions for us. This glorious hope should fill our hearts with joyful expectation.
But not all Christians are living in joyful expectation. Like the young man in our story, something has happened that restricts our access to the enjoyment of our inheritance. The cares of this world, the involvement in the affairs of this world, and participation in the sins of this world will all damage or destroy the hope that should be making us joyful. We spend our time and energy in the company of the unredeemed, those who have no hope of eternal life. We allow the business of the world to distract us from our Father’s business. We warm ourselves at the world’s fires and vex our righteous souls with the filthy conversation of those around us. And all the while, we are heirs, without getting any benefit from the inheritance.
Just because we are not in Heaven yet does not mean we cannot enjoy the reality of our inheritance there. -Jim MacIntosh