Inheritance part 2
Here's the thing we need to understand--our inheritance isn't just BECAUSE of Jesus... our inheritance IS Jesus. Look at Ephesians 1:11, "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will." In whom. John 3:35 says, "The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand." To me this is the ultimate truth of the universe. But it doesn't mean anything for us until we believe and understand that we ARE that Son. That WE are the beloved Son in whom God is well pleased. They say the truth will set you free, and really, it already has. But it's not just the truth that sets you free. It's the truth you KNOW (and believe) that sets you free. Because while the truth is true no matter what, if you don't know you're free you're going to keep acting like you're not. It's the picture of us being in a jail cell and Jesus unlocking the door. Well, if we don't know the cell door is unlocked it's pretty hard to walk through it. If we don't know that the Father loves us and has given all things into our hand we're going to keep trying to get what we think we haven't got. We're going to keep trying to earn something that can't be earned. Something that is freely given and must be simply received and released. And that's the key, because we receive it BY releasing it. We prove (to ourselves) that we have it by giving it away. Because you can't give what you don't have, right? And you can only give what you do have. So if you step out in faith and love someone, that means (on some level) you believe that you are loved. If you're giving what you've got that means, on some level, that you know you've got it. If you're sharing your inheritance that means you've received your inheritance. And, again, it gets a little tricky when we're talking about Jesus dying so that we could get what our heavenly Father has for us. But you have to understand John 10:30, when Jesus said, "I and my Father are one." You have to understand that Jesus died so that we could have His life. He literally gave it for us and to us. And then He rose again so that we could experience His life as He lives it Himself in us, and through us, and as us. So that we might be able to live a life of love knowing and believing that we are loved. It starts with God. In the beginning... God. He is the Alpha. And the Omega. The first, and the last. And everything in between. We love because He first loved us. We love because He has given us His love. His Spirit. His only begotten Son. Himself. We love because the God who IS love dwells in us. He loves us, and has given all things into our hands. He wanted us to have it... so He gave it to us. So that we could give it away. So that we could share it. Because God doesn't just want you to have things just to have them. We are blessed... to be a blessing. Our inheritance is not to be hoarded. It is to be shared. To be given away. Because that's what love is: Love is giving. Giving everything we have and everything we are. Letting God fill us up and then filling ourselves up to overflowing with what we've already been filled with!