Today's Word

 

Are you expecting an inheritance at some time in the future? Those of us who are older are operating in the opposite direction, we are reviewing our worldly goods and chattels with a view to what our children might inherit!!! And of course, our government wins out every time with that wonderful invention called the Inheritance Tax! Taxing at the best of times is painful, but to have to pay tax on what you have earned with the sweat of your brow or someone else’s brow seems totally unfair. 

Whether we leave, or gain, an inheritance in this world, it will all ultimately be irrelevant and meaningless as we pass out of this life. So do we just give up and say with Ecclesiastes, Vanity of vanities, all is meaningless? 

Not so!! As we have learned during our life on earth, this is just a preparation for eternity. The inheritance that all Christians have obtained is an eternal inheritance, one that can never be taxed and one that we can never pass on to someone else. It is an individual inheritance that will never depreciate because it is our Saviour Himself. In Ephesians 1 verses 10 and 11 we read these words, “In Christ …. in whom also we have obtained an inheritance”. That will come ultimately to us when we pass into eternity, to be forever with the Lord. 

But God is gracious to us in that we can enjoy a taste of our spiritual inheritance whilst we are still alive, learning about and getting to know our Saviour and all the joy He brings into our lives. Sometimes we can truly feel that we have obtained ‘the firstfruits of our inheritance’ when we come close to our Saviour individually, or through our collective worship. We have spiritual riches at our disposal that are beyond our comprehension so let us go forth and take possession of them!!

Article written by Brian Preston, Elder @SFGH Church