Heirs of God

“‘Wherefore thou art no longer a bondsman, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.’ This follows logically… for a son is usually an heir of his father. In another place Paul expands on this doctrine: ‘And if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ.’

“How much is included in being the heirs of God! Then whatever is His will be ours. The earth will be ours when the whole creation is redeemed, for Christ said, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” But the whole creation means the whole physical universe; and so that shall be ours; perhaps it shall be our “Father’s house of many mansions.” It is all His, for He made it, and He preserves it. He has promised to give us a resurrected body with which we may have direct and vital connection with the glorified universe. But more is included in our heritage, much more. There is also the spiritual universe of truth, of grace, of joy, fellowship with the angels and archangels and the spirits of just men made perfect. The divine heirship also includes God Himself, the Triune God, who shall be ours in the fullest sense and degree. “Beloved,” exclaims the apostle John, “now are we the sons of God; and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”

Thus the Christian is not poor; he is an heir to illimitable possessions. So Paul says: “All things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come: all are yours; and ye are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.” We should not be ashamed of our name or our inheritance, since God is not ashamed to call us His children and make us heirs of His glory.

“Children of the heavenly King,
As ye journey, sweetly sing;
Sing your Saviour’s worthy praise,
Glorious in His works and ways.

“Ye are traveling home to God
In the way the fathers trod;
They are happy now, and ye
Soon their happiness shall see.

“Shout, ye little flock, and blest;
You on Jesus throne shall rest:
There your seat is now prepared;
There your kingdom and reward.”

From: Keyser, Leander. In The Apostles' Footsteps: Sermons on the Epistle Lessons for the Church Year. The Lutheran Literary Board: 1920. Lutheran Library edition forthcoming