ICS Daily Devotions
We Have Received Our Inheritance
Luke 15:29-32 (NKJV) So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’ “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’”
In the parable of the prodigal son, the elder son who stayed home had everything given to him in advance without him having to utter a word for it. The father was fair towards both his sons and had no favouritism. In fact, the elder son got to continue enjoying everything the father had even though he had already received his portion of the inheritance, but he was still sulking and complaining over the goodness, graciousness and the love of the father towards his brother!
Ephesians 1:11,13-14 (NKJV) In him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,…In him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; In whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
Similarly, we have received all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places because God has chosen to bless us with them now. We have been sealed with the Holy Spirit to identify us as God’s children. These spiritual blessings—or positional truth—are given to us out of His grace, in spite of our flaws. He has chosen to see us as accepted in the Beloved, to adopt us as His children according to the good pleasure of His will.
The father pleaded with his son to enjoy the party by reassuring him that everything that he owned was his to enjoy. Likewise, we don’t need to wait till we are in heaven, but we can enjoy our position in Christ, or our inheritance, right now! Therefore, let’s be aware of behaving like the elder son by complaining about the party, being judgemental over others, but instead extend grace and join in the party over someone who has chosen to return to God. In order to do that, we must be secure in Christ, know our identity firstly as sons or daughters of God rather than servants of God. Otherwise, we will react negatively in every situation.
Sermon Series: Extending Grace
