SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/9/2017
10:06 PM
My Worship Time Focus:
PT-3 “Inheritance”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Colossians
1:12
Message of the
verse: “12 giving thanks to the
Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in
Light.”
I believe that in our last SD we said that we would
answer the question “when do we receive our inheritance?” John MacArthur writes “The present tense
participle hikanosanti (qualified)
indicates we have it now. (cf. Eph.1:11)
‘Also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His
purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will.’ We have already been transferred from the
domain of darkness into Christ’s kingdom (Col. 1:13) ‘For He rescued us from
the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.’ We are already fellow heirs with Christ (Rom.
8:16-17) ‘16 The Spirit Himself
testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children,
heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with
Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.’
The full possession of that inheritance, however, is yet future. Peter refers to it as ‘an inheritance which
is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for
you’ (1 Pet. 1:4). It will be ours
forever. Hebrews 9:15 depicts it as an
eternal inheritance.” “For this reason
He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place
for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first
covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.”
Now we want to talk a bit about the phrase “the saints in
light.” Sometimes we can get confused by
the word saint (hagios) refers to
those why have been separated from the world and set apart to God. The inheritance we have been discussing
belongs to those who truly are saints.
It does not belong to unbelievers as Paul speaks of in 1 Cor.
6:9-10. The word saint has gotten the
wrong interpretation in our world today and most of it comes from the Roman Catholic
Church as they vote on who it is that will become a saint, but God is the only
One who gets to vote on this issue and so all true born-again believers are
saints.
John MacArthur writes about “in light”: Light represents
two things biblically. Intellectually;
it represents truth (Ps. 119:130).
Morally, it represents purity (Eph. 5:8-14). In contrast to Israel’s earthly inheritance,
the saints’ inheritance is in the light—the spiritual realm of truth and purity
where God Himself dwells (1 Tim. 6:16).
In his defense before King Agrippa in Acts 26, Paul spoke of the Lord’s
commissioning him to preach to the Gentiles.
The Lord told Paul that He was sending him ‘to open their eyes so that
they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, in
order that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those
who have been sanctified by faith in Me’ (v. 18). Paul no doubt had that even in mind when he
wrote Colossians 1:12-14.”
I’m afraid that we have one
more SD to do on this subject of our inheritance, but one thing for sure is
that we all who know Christ as their Savior and Lord can be thankful for the
wonderful inheritance that we have in Christ.
1/9/2017 10:31 PM
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