Inheritance part 4
Our inheritance--love--is a gift. Freely given. It's not something we are entitled to, and it's not something we have to (or can, even) earn. But here's the key: Look at 1 Timothy 6:12, "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses." Eternal life is the gift of God. He has given it to us. That happened. 2,000 years ago on an old rugged cross. Now we have it. It is availabe to us. Faith is not "I hope God will give me something." Faith is laying hold of what we've already been given. Faith is the substance of things not seen. Faith is knowing and believing that God's Word (which is Jesus, which is love) is true. Knowing and believing that we are who we are supposed be and we have what we're supposed to have. Listen, on the cross Jesus won the war to end all wars. That means there are no more wars left. The only fight left is the good fight of faith. Believing God's word instead of the lies of the world. Listening to that still, small voice instead of whatever the world is shouting at you. What you believe--either the report of the Lord, or the lies of the world--is what manifests in your life. If you think you don't have anything (which, basically, is what the world wants you to think. You're not good enough. You don't have enough. You need to be better. You need to do more) you'll always try to be someone you're not in order to get something you think you haven't got. But if you know who you are, and if you know what you have, that's when you can rest. That's when you can run TO God instead of running FROM Him. When you know that you are His beloved Son in whom He is well pleased you can stop worrying about God "getting" you. He already got you. 2,000 years ago on the cross. In the best way. By drawing you into Himself and planting Himself in you. An inheritance is passed down from Father to Son. Our heavenly Father has given us everything we could ever need. Because He gave us Himself. His Spirit. His love! And now, because we are loved (and because we know and believe the love of God), we can love. We can receive and release what we've been given, and in that way experience it. We can let what's already inside come out by knowing and believing that it's in there. We can experience and enjoy that gift because we are equipped and empowered to give it away. To share it. Our inheritance is not something to hoard up. Or to work for. It's not something we're entitled to. It's a gift given from a Father who loves His Son and has given all things into His hands. It is, quite frankly, the ability to live. Because to live is to love and to love is to live. It's a gift, and it has already been given. It simply needs to be received. We need to lay hold of it. By knowing and believing that we have it. There was a death. 2,000 years ago on the cross. And because of that death we have inherited life. God's judgment was not to kill His only begotten Son. God's judgment was to raise His Son (and us in Him) to life. Abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life! That's what we've been given. That's what we have. That's what we can do. Because that's our inheritance!