0357. Children Are Heirs of God

Children Are Heirs of God

"And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ" (Rom_8:17).

Heirship is a sequence of sonship. Of course, we are heirs–heirs of God, for God is our Father. Then, we are joint-heirs with Jesus Christ, for He is our Elder Brother.

But who has even taken stock of his inheritance? All that God is and all that He possesses is our very own. Does not the Word read: "All things are yours; whether * * things present, or things to come; all are yours" (1Co_3:22)?

No wonder that our Lord longs to have us with Him, that we may behold His glory, for His glory is our glory, too. Oh, the fullness of the riches that our Father has in store for those who love Him!

The father told the elder son, "All that I have is thine." God tells us quite as much. Rich? Yes, with all the riches of God.

Do the "cattle on a thousand hills" belong to God?–we are His heirs. Does the Bible say of God, "The silver and gold are Mine"?–we are His heirs. Were all things made "by Him, and for Him"?–we are joint-heirs.

When but a little lad, we stopped at a door and heard a young man singing: "My Father is rich in houses and lands." Our boyish mind did not for one moment imagine that the singer was speaking of God. We knew that the youth lived in a beautiful home, and we thought he sang of his earthly father’s wealth.

As he sang on, we were filled, first, with a sense of disgust that he should "brag" of his father’s goods, then we were filled with amazement at the vastness of his father’s store. The young man sang on:

"My Father is rich in houses and lands,

He holdeth the wealth of the world in His hands!

Of rubies and diamonds, of silver and gold,

His coffers are full,–He has riches untold."

Then we said to ourselves: "Oh, I wish that his father was mine." But still the singer sang:

"I’m a child of the King, a child of the King."

We said rather curtly, "We know better, we have no king, we have a president, and his father is not even president." But, it was not until he began to sing the last line, "With Jesus my Saviour, I’m a child of the King," that we knew he sang of God. Then, as we walked away, we said: "Oh, we see, he is singing of God and Jesus, and our Father is just as rich as his."

Yes, our God is rich, and all His riches are ours. Therefore we are glad to suffer now, as soon we shall reign with Him.

"A tent or a cottage, why should I care?

They’re building a palace for me over there!

Tho’ exiled from home, yet still I may sing,

‘All glory to God, I’m a child of the King.’"

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR