O LORD, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
Psalm 16:5-6
You maintain my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance.
Who are you? Who does the world say you are? Who do you say you are?
How do you define who you are? What do you think of when you think of your position with God?
No Condemnation
Paul wrote to the Roman Christians in Romans 8 that those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior are not condemned because of their sins. The Holy Spirit has freed them from the power of sin and death.
Verses 1-13 tell us that for those who are in Christ Jesus, there is no condemnation. Instead, we enjoy freedom in the law of the Spirit of life.
Why? Because God sent His Son, Jesus, as an offering to pay for our sins. An offering paid with Jesus’ blood as He hung on the cross and endured the punishment you and I deserve for our sins. He was buried and rose on the third day.
No condemnation. John Piper thinks of it this way.
… all of God’s condemning wrath and all of His omnipotent (all-powerful) opposition against us in our sin has been entirely replaced by almighty mercy and omnipotent assistance. In Christ Jesus God is always for you. Always!”
John Piper
Who are you? If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, there is no condemnation! You walk in freedom on the path of life and peace!
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We are not condemned but free to receive life and peace because Jesus paid the price for our sins.
God’s Child
“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.”
Romans 8:14
The evidence that we are children of God is that we are led by the Holy Spirit. But first, we must become children of God.
“But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn–not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.”
John 1:12-13
Before we are led by the Spirit of God, we must receive Jesus. We must believe in His name. Names in the days of Jesus were important. They described the nature of the individual. In Romans 8, Paul refers to Jesus as “Christ Jesus.” “Christ” or christos means “anointed.” Vines Dictionary tells us that “anointed” refers to the priests who were anointed with holy oil, especially the High Priest. Jesus is our High Priest, our Messiah.
Jesus means “Jehovah is Salvation.” Believing in Christ Jesus’ name means that we cling to the anointed Messiah who is our High Priest, for He is Jehovah our salvation.
Who are you, Christ follower? You are a child of God.
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Recipient of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit guides us into all truth, telling us what He hears and what is to come. He glorifies Jesus.
“When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own but will tell you what He has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring Me glory by telling you whatever He receives from Me.”
John 16:13-14
Jesus is telling His disciples that they aren’t of the world. He’s preparing them for when He goes to the cross. They will suffer and be hated by the world because of Him. But Jesus will send the Holy Spirit to them. You can read about the Holy Spirit’s work beginning in John 15:26 and in John 16.
Who is the Holy Spirit? Our Helper. Truth Teller. Convictor of sin. Prayer Perfector. Revealer of the future. Jesus Pointer. Glorifier of Jesus. Whatever we need.
Who are you? The recipient of the Holy Spirit.
Can you see the Holy Spirit working in your life? Take a moment to thank Him.
Joint Heirs with Jesus
“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs – heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”
Romans 8:16-17
Paul has shown us that God has shown us our sins through the law. When we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, God exchanged our slavery to sin and gave us freedom in Christ. We’re turning from walking in the world to walking in the Spirit. We’re no longer slaves to the law of sin and death but adopted into the family of God.
We can come boldly before God and cry “Abba, Father!”
Who are you child of God?
God’s children are heirs of God! Joint heirs with Christ! We receive God’s inheritance with Jesus!
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Hebrews 1:2 tells us that Jesus is the heir of everything, the entire universe! And since we’re God’s adopted children, we share in the inheritance.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.”
1 Peter 1:3-4
Joint heirs with Jesus. Joint heirs in creation. Joint heirs in suffering. Join heirs in glory.
On our way to glory, there is suffering. The Bible tells us that Jesus endured the cross but for the joy that was set before Him.
Suffering comes in many flavors. But like Jesus, we must see the joy on the other side of that suffering—the glory that awaits. We will behold Jesus face-to-face in all His glory. AND we will be glorified together.
Today’s cancel culture is vicious, and you may have suffered because of it. Or you may be suffering sickness, financial loss, the loss of a loved one, disappointment, or something even greater.
But there’s joy on the other side of your suffering. There’s face-to-face with Jesus and basking in His glory.
Who are you, my friends?
You are:
- The Holy Spirit’s dwelling place.
- Children of God.
- Led by the Holy Spirit.
- Joint heirs with Jesus.
And much more!
May the Lord show you the path of life and peace. May He fill you with joy and pleasures forevermore.
For the full teaching, please watch this video.
Featured photo by Pexels.com
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