Heirs With Christ

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Scripture: Romans 8:12-17 (ESV)

12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Devotion:

            What do you think of when you hear the word heir? All of us are heirs of something. While we may not inherit millions from a parent or relative, we have received something. It may be your blue eyes, your curly hair (or, in my case, the lack of hair on most of my head.) In these verses, Paul explains to his Roman readers the great inheritance they have received from God through Jesus Christ. Paul wants us to understand what we have inherited and how to claim that eternal reward as our own.

            One important thing to note about our inheritance is that it is not for some future heavenly reward. Instead, it is focused on the here and now. Because of Christ’s death and resurrection, certain benefits are ours to claim today. To claim them, however, we must stop living for our fleshly pleasures and be transformed into adopted sons and daughters by the Holy Spirit. We are done with slavery to the flesh and are free sons and daughters of the Father.

            We are to be led by the Spirit of God. We must fulfill our duties to Christ, including, if necessary, suffering like His. Persecution is not something most of us are familiar with. Yet Paul states that entering into suffering like Christ’s is something we must all experience. We in the United States are facing an anti-Christian culture. More and more, what we assumed were our rights to practice our faith and worship are slowly being drained away. We can rejoice in this because this suffering proves that we are children of the living God. Adopted and loved by God now and forever. Let us pray:

Prayer:

            Lord God Almighty, we come to you as adopted children, praising you because you loved us enough to die on the cross for us. In that death, you have made us heirs with you here on earth and in heaven. Accept our worship and make us strong to face whatever suffering that may come our way as a result of our adoptive status. May we be proud yet gracious children of yours doing your will until you come again. Amen.

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