Turn with me this morning to
the book of Hebrews. Hebrews chapter 1. In this letter to the Hebrews,
he's continually showing the superiority of Christ over all
those Old Testament priests, his superiority over all those
Old Testament sacrifices, those types of Christ, and even his
superiority over angels. If you look with me here in Hebrews
1, he says in verse 13, But to which of the angels said he at
any time, Sit on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy
footstool. He never said that to any of
the angels even. Are they not all ministering
spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of
salvation? Did you notice who these angels,
all these angels, are said to minister or to serve. He describes a people that he
calls the heirs of salvation. The heirs of salvation are you. Am I an heir of salvation?"
These same people are described elsewhere in Scripture as being
heirs of the promise, even heirs of the kingdom, and amazingly,
heirs of God. But if you stop and think about
it, how can there be heirs in the plural when another is described
as the heir of all things? Look back in that same chapter
in the second verse where he says, that God hath in these
last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed Heir
of all things." You see, before we can know if
we are an heir, an heir of salvation, We've got to find out something
about this One who is Himself called the Heir of all things. It says, "...whom He hath appointed
the Heir of all things." Now, how do we know that? How do we
know that He is just exactly what it says that He is? Well, we know it because this
is what God says. God says that He is the heir
of all things and that there are others who are heirs of salvation. And so, he begins with what God
always begins with, and what everything begins with. It begins
with God Himself. When you look in the book of
Genesis, it starts out, in the beginning, God. When you get to the Gospel of
John, it says, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
God. So we have to trace everything,
since this is about an internal inheritance, we have to trace
everything back to God Himself. And that's why He gets all the
glory. It begins with God Himself. Why is Christ described here
as the heir of all things? He says, because God hath appointed
Him. That means placed Him, or ordained
Him, or set Him. This is what God does, and He
does all things as He will. He is the heir because God has
appointed Him in this sense. And in this connection to salvation,
He has appointed Him heir of all things. He is, first of all,
Lord over all things. King over all things. Sovereign over all things. And so Christ is the only begotten
Son of God in the highest sense and in an incommunicable sense
of possessing equality with the Father in nature. He is over all things, sovereign
over all things. And by virtue of this His Sonship,
God has made Him, or established Him, appointed Him to be heir
of all that He possesses, that is of all the universe,
and constituted Him the sovereign Lord and Ruler over all things. He said to those disciples in
Matthew 28, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. He says in the Gospel of John,
"...all things that the Father hath are mine. Therefore said I, that he shall
take of mine, and shall show it to you." He's the heir. of all things. But not only that,
an heir is the successor to his father in all that he has. I do love to read when that description
is given concerning how Abraham sends his servant out to get
a bride for his son Isaac. And the servant says, in speaking
to that prospective bride, my master's wife has born a son
in his old age, and he hath given to him all that he has. We ought to learn, if God would
enable us, that everything that is good and right Every blessing
is in the Lord Jesus Christ. And this is the inheritance that
the man Christ Jesus, as the incarnate Son of God, this is
the inheritance that He is appointed to. He's called the firstborn. which has to do with his right,
his right to inheritance. But by the grace of God, he is
described also in this way, he is the firstborn among many brethren."
There's someone connected to Christ, the heir, the firstborn. And Israel, if you remember,
rejected Him in this very role. Our Lord describes that rejection
in a parable in Mark chapter 12. He said, but those husbandmen,
that is those in the vineyard, they said among themselves, this
is the heir, let us kill him and the inheritance shall be
ours. But that was simply a description
and a parable concerning the death of Christ. Because killed
He was, crucified He was, and the suffering and humiliated,
the slain God-man, He was the heir. They took him by wicked
hands, and they slew the heir of all things. But that slaying
was by the determinate counsel and foreordination of God. He did not simply die at the
hands of these wicked men who will be held accountable for
their deed, but He died according to the will and foreordained
purpose of God, especially as it is connected to these heirs,
this inheritance. Because death could not hold
him. He rose from that death and by
his death merited, earned the right to possess all things and
dispose of all things as he will. That very death. guaranteed,
assured, and showed in his resurrection from the dead, his right as the
sovereign disposer of all that God has to give. And he in his death, did justly
satisfy every claim that was against those He died for. He did satisfy fully the very
justice of God on their behalf for these that the Father had
chosen and given to Him in that covenant before the world began. They're the heirs. of salvation. And this involves His airship,
if you would call it that, which is, as I said, connected to these
people, because this is what God promised, both Him and them. He says, I will declare the decree. or the appointment. The Lord
hath said unto me, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten
thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee
the heathen for thine inheritance. And the uttermost parts of the
earth for thy possession." You see, God promised His Son as
this one who's the heir of all things, a people. A people amongst
Jew, and as these are described, heathen Gentiles also, this people
according to the election of God's grace, and they in Him
are the heirs of salvation." Listen to him in John 17. These words spake Jesus, and
lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is
come, glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee, as
Thou hast given Him power over all flesh." Heir of all things,
power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as
many as thou hast given Him, and this is life eternal, that
they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom
Thou hast sent." He's given the heir of all things
power that He might give eternal life to these that He has been
given by the Father, these heirs of salvation. And this means something that
is altogether against our nature of sin, and especially our pride. It means, that is, that we have
nothing, and we are nothing of ourselves, and cannot merit anything,
and neither will we get anything apart from and except from The
heir. If He's the heir of all things. Now you think about this. If
He's the heir of all things, you and I, and I'm talking about
spiritual, eternal blessings from God. We will not get anything
from God. We will not be the heirs of salvation
in any way except in Him who is the heir. Well, you mean to
tell me, preacher, that my moral living, that my giving, that
my refraining from this or that or the other, Do you mean to
tell me that my salvation is absolutely 100% the gift of God's
grace and only to be had in Christ and what He did? That's exactly
what I'm saying. Because if there's one thing
that I'm sure of, The only way that you can gain something by
inheritance is for it to be totally and completely a gift because
of another. Because of someone else. which means that we are in ourselves
nothing but spiritual beggars, and bankrupt sinners, and spiritual
paupers. And we proved it in our birth,
and we will prove it again in our death. You say, what do you
mean? that He has said to us, and this
is the absolute truth, for we brought nothing into this world,
and it is certain we can carry nothing out. If you want to think
about just what you're worth, your value is in yourself, Look
at what you had when you were born, and think about what you'll
have and take with you when you die." As a matter of fact, not only
is that the case, but we're described with words that show us that
we cannot gain anything in and of ourselves because there is
none good None righteous, none that understands, none that seeks
after God. Do you ever think about that?
None. Now Paul warns us about being
those who compare ourselves with ourselves. In other words, we
look at one another and we say, well, at least I'm better than
so-and-so, or at least I've not done what this one has done. Paul said, beware of that. I remember hearing a preacher
say one time, describing this very situation, he said, we're
like two fleas on the earth, talking about which one could
jump the highest toward heaven at best, if nothing. And we are described on our best
day as being altogether unprofitable. Man, at his best state is altogether
vanity. As a matter of fact, not only
that, but we're debtors with nothing to pay, and nothing that
the holy God will accept, nothing that can satisfy His offended
justice. We owe that debt that we cannot
pay. But you see, that's what the
gospel is about. of the crucified Christ tells
us that on that cross, Christ was paying a debt that He Himself
did not owe in His person. Well, who was He paying it for?
The heirs of salvation. The heirs of His eternal salvation. The people that the Father gave
to Him. If they are part of His inheritance,
which they are, He must stand as their substitute and pay it
in full if they are to live, if they are to be free from this
debt, in order to honor Him and glorify Him forever. They are
the heirs of grace. Christ is salvation, and in Him,
they're the heirs of salvation. They're the heirs of salvation
because of, and by virtue of their being in, the Savior. And this is the good news of
the gospel. There are some that God in His
free and sovereign grace made heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ
and calls them joint heirs. Joint heirs. And they are not
at any point appointed to receive any of this
inheritance by anything that they do. Not even, and especially
not even, their keeping the law. Paul says in Romans 4, For if
they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made voice, and
the promise made of none effect. Sometimes I wonder if anybody
else's Bible has that statement in it. He said, if they which
are of the law, those who seek to be recipients from God of
good things, if they are of the law, if they are heirs by that,
then faith is made void, and the promise is of none effect. Turn over to Romans chapter 8,
and listen to Paul. To me, this is something that
is so marvelous and so wonderful, it's beyond description. But listen in Romans chapter
8, as Paul says in verse 14, For as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. They are the sons of God. They are in a family relationship
with God. And that's what this is all about.
It's blessing based on relationship, not on accomplishment. He says, "...for you have not
received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have received
the spirit of adoption whereby we cry, Abba, Father." Not the
spirit that causes us to run to things that only make us more
afraid, like Mount Sinai. But he said, the spirit of adoption. whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself, or Himself,
beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God."
Now, I can't give you assurance, and you can't give me assurance.
There's one who can give assurance, and that's the Holy Spirit. Those
that are born of God, he says, they have the Spirit, they have
the witness within them. And that witness to the people
of God, that witness of the Holy Spirit who takes the things of
Christ and shows them to us, the witness is that we are the
children of God. I don't know about you, but oftentimes
I do my best to say otherwise. I look at what I am in myself,
I look at what I do, I look at what I say, I look at what I
think, I look at what I don't do, and I'm overwhelmed thinking
there's no way. But the Spirit of God takes the
people of God and fixes our mind and our hearts on the truth of
God's promises as they are in Christ, and says, Oh yes you
are. Oh yes you are. You know you
are. And you know that it never depended
on what you are in yourself or what you would do. It never depended
on that. It depended upon whether or not
He made you an heir of salvation in Christ. But look at verse
17, "...and if children." What a precious verse of Scripture,
"...and if children." then heirs." Now, I just ask you this, what
is the basis upon which we would ever receive an inheritance? What is the basis upon which
we can be called an heir of God? He said, if children, then heirs. He didn't say if this or that
or the other. We see that really naturally
all around us almost every day. Here is a man or a woman who
accumulates a lot. They have trifling, worthless,
evil children, but they still get it all. Why? Because they're heirs. And they're
heirs because they're children. And I don't know if you've ever
noticed it or not, but it doesn't matter if here's this parent
or whatever and they say, well, when I die I want this one to
get this and I want this charity to get that or that whatsoever. If a real fight comes down to
it, those children will most always get it. You say they don't
deserve it. It doesn't have anything to do
with deserving. You see, that's where grace really
hits at our center of sinful pride. There is no way that we
can deserve salvation. We have to be an heir of God,
and only God can make us an heir. He says, "...and if children,
then heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ." If so be that we
suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."
Heirs of God and joint heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ. Now,
he didn't say joint lords. He's not talking about that which
is in Christ. which cannot in any way be communicated
to any other, His being God Himself, neither His nature or anything
else about His essential being as God. But this inheritance,
these are made joint heirs with Jesus Christ. What he receives
as the heir of all things, as God in human flesh, what he receives
at God's hand by appointment, and what he accomplishes in his
work, they get being joint heirs with
him. You see, the gospel is not a
message telling you and I how to do something to please God
or for God in order to be blessed by God, but rather an announcement
and a proclamation that He has blessed all who are brought by
the Spirit of God to look to Christ, to believe on Christ
and to trust Him alone as all their righteousness, all their
salvation, All their hope and all their inheritance. Turn over to Galatians chapter
4. Galatians chapter 4 and verse
4. Paul again. But when the fullness
of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman,
made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law,
that we might receive the adoption of sons. Wouldn't matter what we were given. if we were
bound up and locked up and unable in any way to be free to enjoy
it. He had to redeem us. He says, "...and because you
are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your
hearts, crying, Abba, Father, wherefore thou art no more a
servant, but a son. And if a son, then an heir of
God through Christ." You see those last two words? Through
Christ. Through Christ. Because God,
in His grace, has placed us in this union with Christ, making
us a son in Christ, and redeeming us by His death on the cross. Now, I love what the psalmist
records. In Psalm 47, he said, He shall
choose our inheritance for us. The excellency of Jacob, whom
he loved. Now, Jacob was a scoundrel. And
the only way that Jacob could be an heir of salvation is by
the grace of God. Because of God's distinguishing
love toward him before the foundation of the world. So what he's saying
is this, God shall choose for His people to bless them in Christ
just as He chose Jacob and blessed him in Christ and gave him all
things. Paul said, being justified freely
by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, He redeemed
us from the curse of the law. He redeemed us to God. He redeemed
us to receive an inheritance. Paul says that being justified
by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of
eternal life. Because associated with this
inheritance, and these who are the heirs of salvation. Associated
with them is the heir himself and the death of the heir." Now
listen, Paul says in Hebrews 9, for this
cause, he is the mediator of the New Testament. I don't think
many people think about it in this life, but this is surely
the case. The gospel is essentially the
last will and testament of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so he
says, for this cause he's the mediator of the New Testament,
that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions
that were under the First Testament, they which are called might receive
the promise of eternal inheritance. Well, what do these heirs of
salvation inherit? If He is the heir of all things,
they become the heir of all things in Him. All things. That means a deliverance from
all things that are against us, a deliverance from all our sins,
All things that pertain to our standing and acceptance before
God. All the gift of righteousness
that is required of God is imputed to us. All spiritual blessings
are in Him. Turn over just a few pages to
Ephesians chapter 1. Look down at verse 11. In whom? That means being loved in Christ,
chosen in Christ, put in that covenant in Christ. viewed by
God in Christ, standing before His justice in Christ, in Christ when He died, in Christ
when He rose again, in Christ now that He is seated in the
heaviness, in whom also we have obtained
an inheritance. being predestinated according
to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel
of his own will." We have obtained in Christ an inheritance, an
eternal inheritance. So Peter writes in 1 Peter 3,
he says, "...blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten
us again unto a lively or living hope by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible." and undefiled, and that fadeth
not away, reserved in heaven for you." Now, I don't care what
kind of earthly inheritance you get, it will cease to be. If you don't squander it away,
if the government doesn't take it away, you will lose it when
you die. And this inheritance is described
as being undefiled. I mean, there is a just claim
to this inheritance. So much so that God says, it
is reserved in heaven for you. Now you think about this. If there is an inheritance that
is already reserved already said to have been obtained for you. How can the matter of salvation
still be a matter that's up in the air, dependent on what you
do? Whatever decision you make or
don't make. No, this is reserved in heaven
for the heirs of salvation. That means all things we need
in life, and all things we need in death, and all things we need
in every moment, all of it in Christ. So that Paul says, if
God before us, who can be against us? He that spared not His own
Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with
Him also freely give us? All things. So we ought to come
to the gospel. Not simply when the preacher
is talking about the heir or the heirs of salvation, but whenever
the gospel is preached, we ought to gather around the gospel just
like we would gather around the reading of a will. if there's anything in the will
for us. Maybe, possibly. There's going
to be a will read tomorrow morning at the courthouse. No need of
me going. I know there'll be nothing in
it for me. But could you ever help but wonder, could there
possibly be anything left to me? Well, those that are described
in this will They're described by terms such as sinners, the
ungodly, the unrighteous, the lost, the guilty. And so the natural man, left
to himself and thinking he's none of these things, says, this
is not the gospel for me. But when the Spirit of God Shows
us what we are. Shows us the sinners that we
are. Shows us that our righteousnesses
are as filthy rags. And gives us an ear to hear what
the Spirit says to the churches, to the heirs. We begin to think,
maybe He is talking to me. Maybe this is the gospel I need. Maybe this is the true gospel. And every one of theirs, these
that the Spirit of God brings and empties their pockets and
bows them low, they hear things like this. This is a faithful
saying. and worthy of all acceptation,
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." That's
me. In due time, He died for the
ungodly. That's me. The unrighteous. That's me. And He brings us to the heir Himself. the heir
of all things. And we find out that God has
made us in Him the heirs of salvation. He says, blessed are the poor,
the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed
are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Let me read you some verses in
closing. One in Revelation 21. And he said unto me, It is done,
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto
him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely,
and he that overcometh, shall inherit all things, and I will
be his God, and he shall be my son." Matthew chapter 19, "...and
every one that hath forsaken houses, and brethren, or sisters,
or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my
name's sake shall receive a hundredfold." and shall inherit everlasting
life." Matthew 25, talking about that last day. Then shall the king say unto
them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit
the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Hebrews 6, and we desire that
every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance
of hope unto the end, that you be not slothful, but followers
of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Galatians 3, and if you be Christ,
Then are you Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise."
Colossians 1, giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us
meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. And then Paul said this concerning
the Ephesians, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened,
that you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what
the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints." They
are Christ's inheritance. And He, and all things that are
in Him, are their inheritance. All the heirs of salvation, they look to the heir alone for
everything. On Christ the solid rock they
stand, and know that all other ground is sinking sand. I don't know if you noticed that
hymn that we sung, one of the hymns. But in that hymn, the
hymn writer, in talking about that blessed assurance, said,
air of salvation, purchase of God. This is my story. This is my song. Praising the
Savior all the day long. May the Lord help us to look
to Christ, to find all in Him, and finding all in Him, to rejoice,
not only in what we have in Him, but in the prospect. There's
glorious prospect, as well as present peace and blessing. for
the heirs of salvation. Let me just say one thing. What
do you have to do to inherit something? Nothing. And that's the hardest
thing for a sinner to do. And they will not do it. But
by the grace and power of God's Spirit, And when He enables them
to do it, they show themselves the heirs of salvation. Our Father,
this day we bow down before Your high and holy throne and give
You thanks and praise You for all that You've blessed us to
receive by Your grace through the heir of all things. We thank you that you made your
people in him to be the heirs of this eternal soul salvation. Bless your word, your promises,
the things concerning Christ to our hearts, and grant that
we might rest there as those rich in the riches of your grace. having been given all things
in Him. We thank you. Move our hearts
out of that gratitude to serve you and live to your glory, to
conduct ourselves in this world and in this life as those who
truly are the heirs of salvation. Help us, we pray, and receive
our thanks in Christ. Amen.