Aug 20
23
“And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ.” Romans 8:17
J.C.Philpot
This is the especial blessedness of being a child of God– that death, which puts a final extinguisher on all the hopes and happiness of all the unregenerate, gives him the fulfillment of all his hopes and the consummation of all his happiness; for it places him in possession of “an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fades not away, reserved in heaven for those who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.”
In this present earthly life, we have sometimes sips and tastes of sonship, feeble indeed and interrupted, so that it is with us as Mr. Deer speaks– “Though you here receive but little, scarce enough for the proof of your proper title;” yet are they so far pledges of an inheritance to come. But this life is only an introduction to a better. In this life we are but children, heirs indeed, but heirs in their minority; but in the life to come, if indeed we are what we profess to be, sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty, we shall be put into full possession of the eternal inheritance.
And what is this? Nothing less than God himself. “Heirs of God,” says the Apostle. For as the Lord said to Abraham, “I am your shield and exceeding great reward;” as he said to the Levites, “I am their inheritance,” so God himself is the inheritance of his people; yes, he himself in all his glorious perfections. All the love of God, the goodness of God, the holiness of God, all his happiness, bliss, and blessedness, all his might, majesty, and glory, as shining forth in the Person of his dear Son in all the blaze of one eternal, unclouded day–this is the saint’s inheritance. Let us not then be weary in well-doing; nor faint and tire in running the race set before us, with this prize in view; but press on by faith and prayer to win this eternal and glorious crown.
Tis but a taste!
(Charles Spurgeon)
“A pledge of our inheritance.” Ephesians 1:14
Oh! what enlightenment, what joys, what consolation, what delight of heart—is experienced by that man who has learned to feed on Jesus, and on Jesus alone.
Yet the realization which we have of Christ’s preciousness is, in this life, imperfect at the best. As an old writer says, “Tis but a taste!” We have but tasted “that the Lord is gracious,” but we do not yet know how good and gracious He is. We know somewhat of His sweetness, and this makes us long for more. We have enjoyed the first fruits—and they have set us hungering and thirsting for the fullness of the heavenly vintage. Here on earth, we are like Israel in the wilderness, who had but one cluster from Eshcol—there we shall be in the vineyard!
We are but beginners now in spiritual education; for although we have learned the first letters of the alphabet, we cannot read words yet, much less can we put sentences together. As one says, “He who has been in heaven but five minutes—knows more than all the theologians on earth combined!”
We have many ungratified spiritual desires at present—but soon every wish shall be satisfied; and all our powers shall find the sweetest employment in that eternal world of joy.
O Christian, within a very little time you shall be rid of all your trials and your troubles.
Your eyes which are now suffused with tears, shall weep no longer.
You shall gaze in ineffable rapture upon the splendor of Him who sits on His glorious throne.
Nay, more—you shall sit with Him upon His throne!
The triumph of His glory shall be shared by you! His crown, His joy, His paradise—these shall be yours!
You shall be co-heir with Him who is the heir of all things!
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—reserved in Heaven for you!” 1 Peter 1:3-4
All, all is ours!
(Winslow, “Daily Need Divinely Supplied” 1870)
“The Lord is my portion, says my soul;
therefore I will hope in Him.” Lament. 3:24
It is our great privilege, beloved, that we live in a
‘portionless’ world. When God parceled out the land
of Canaan among the tribes of Israel, He made an
exception in the tribe of Levi, to whom He said,
“You shall have no inheritance in the land, neither
shall you have any part among them;” assigning as
His reason, “I am your share and your inheritance.”
The gospel teaching of this is obvious and significant.
As the Lord’s true priesthood, this world is not our
portion, nor earth our rest. It may have required
some painful discipline, and no small measure of faith,
on the part of the devout Levite, as he gazed upon the
fertile meadows, the watered plains, and the vine clad
hills of the Promised Land, before he was made willing
to relinquish it all for Him who is invisible.
It needs no little teaching and discipline
of our God, and no little faith on our part,
before we are led to give up . . .
the world,
the creature,
self,
and all,
for Christ; satisfied to have the Lord alone as
our Portion, and heaven only as our inheritance.
“The Lord is my portion, says my soul.” His love
to us was so great, that when He could give no
greater proof of that love, He gave HIMSELF!
Nothing more could have expressed the yearnings
of His heart, nothing less could have satisfied the
desires of ours.
And oh, what a Portion is God!
All that He is, and all that He has is ours . . .
every attribute of His being is over us,
every perfection of His nature encircles us,
every pulse of His heart beats for us,
every glance of His eye smiles upon us.
We dwell in God, and God dwells in us.
It is not the world which is our portion, but
HE who made, upholds and governs the world.
It is not the creature who is our portion, but
the Lord of angels and the Creator of men.
Infinite portion!
Illimitable power!
Immeasurable grace!
Boundless love!
All satisfying good!
All, all is ours!
And what a Portion, O my soul, is Christ . . .
a divine Christ,
a redeeming Christ,
a full Christ,
a sympathizing Christ,
an ever present Christ,
an ever precious Christ,
an ever loving Christ!
“Lord, I bless You for the discipline that brought
me to realize what a divine, all satisfying Portion
I have in Yourself. You took from me an earthly
portion, only to enrich me with a Heavenly one.
You removed from me the human prop upon which
I too fondly and idolatrously leaned, that I might
learn what Christ was, as my soul’s all sufficient,
all satisfying, and everlasting Portion. I can now
admire the wisdom, and adore the love, that blasted
my gourds and emptied me from vessel to vessel;
that, rising superior to the broken staff, the drooping
flower, and the failing spring of creature good, I
might claim my portion as a true spiritual Levite
in Yourself alone.”
“They will ask the way to Zion and turn their faces toward it. They will come and bind themselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten.” Jeremiah 50:5
J.C.Philpot
Zion is the seat of all gospel blessings. In it is laid “the precious corner-stone” (Isaiah 28:16); in it is “placed salvation for Israel” (Isaiah 46:13); the Lamb of God stands upon it (Rev. 14:1); mercy, redemption, pardon, comfort, strength, deliverance, and glory come out of it. In turning the face then Zionwards, is implied the seeking of gospel blessings. The redeemed are therefore said “to seek the Lord their God,” who is only to be found in Zion, his dwelling-place, and where praise waits for him (Psalm 65:1). But they ask the way to Zion with their faces there in no light and trifling spirit, and in no presumption that they shall ever arrive there. They have to ask the way step by step, often doubting and fearing whether they be in the way. Having been so often deceived and deluded, they dare no more trust their own hearts; but have to beg of the Lord to show them every inch of the road. They can no longer blindly follow every presumptuous guide, but have to cry to the Lord himself to teach and lead and quicken them in the way.
And as they go, they weep. They mourn over their base backslidings, over the many evils they have committed, over the levity of mind which they have indulged, over the worldliness of spirit, the pride, presumption, hypocrisy, carnality, carelessness, and obstinacy of their heart. They go and weep with a broken heart and softened spirit; not resting in their tears as evidences, but seeking the Lord their God; seeking the secret manifestations of his mercy, the visitations of his favor, the “lifting up of the light of his countenance;” seeking after a revelation of the love of Jesus; to know him by a spiritual discovery of himself. Being thus minded, they seek not to establish their own righteousness; they seek not the applause of the world; they seek not the good opinion of professors; they seek not the smiles of saints; they seek not to make themselves Christians by their own exertions. But “they seek the Lord their God,” seek his face day and night, seek his favor, seek his mercy, seek his grace, seek his love, seek his glory, seek the sweet visitations of his presence and power, seek him wrestling with him until they find him to be their covenant God, who heals all their backslidings.
What is Heaven?
(Octavius Winslow)
Beloved, what is Heaven? What is the final glory of the saints? It is the best place, the richest inheritance provided by the Father for the people ransomed and redeemed by the precious blood of His dear Son! And when we enter there, we shall enter as children welcomed to a Father’s home! It will be the best that God can give us! He will bestow upon us, who deserved the least — the best in His power to bestow:
the best Savior,
the best robe,
the best banquet,
the best inheritance.
In Heaven, there will be . . .
nothing more to taint,
nothing more to sully,
nothing more to embitter,
nothing more to wound,
no serpent to beguile,
no Eve to ensnare,
no spoiler to destroy,
no sin to defile,
no adversity to sadden,
no misunderstanding to alienate,
no tongue to defame,
no suspicion to chill,
no tear,
no sickness,
no death,
no parting.
It will be the best part of the pure, radiant, glorified universe which God will assign to His redeemed people!
Let the prospect cheer, sanctify, and comfort you! It will not be long that you are to labor and battle here on earth. It is but a little while that you are to occupy your present sphere of conflict, of trial, and of sorrow. The time is coming — oh, how fast it speeds! Soon the Lord Jesus Christ will bring you home to Heaven!
“In My Father’s house are many rooms; I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me — that you also may be where I am!” John 14:2-3
Rich to all eternity!
(Charles Spurgeon)
No matter how great your wealth, if you have not Christ — you are miserably poor! “The rich man also died and was buried. In Hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him: Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire!” Luke 16:22-24
No matter how great your poverty, if you have Christ — you are rich to all eternity! “We have a priceless inheritance — an inheritance that is kept in Heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay!” 1 Peter 1:4
As though it had never been!
(Octavius Winslow)
Beloved, soon, O how soon! All that now loads the heart with care, and wrings it with sorrow — all that dims the eye with tears, and renders the day anxious and the night sleepless — will be as though it had never been!
Emerging from the entanglement, the dreariness, the solitude, the loneliness, and the temptations of the wilderness — you shall enter upon your everlasting rest, your unfading inheritance, where there is no sorrow, no sin, no sunset, no midnight darkness! But all is one perfect, cloudless, eternal day — for Jesus is the joy, the light, and the glory thereof!
“No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and His servants will serve Him. They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever!” Revelation 22:3-5