September 2016 - GraceAndWorks

There are two types of inheritance that I want to deal with in this blog. The first one is the inheritance we have or receive during our lifetime that involves money, property, special items, family heirlooms, etc.

So what happened to your inheritance? Did you waste it away? Spend it foolishly? Not receive any? People deal with inheritances in different ways. With cash, some will take that trip they have always wanted, buy the new car that was always dreamed about, purchased the ultimate home, or maybe it was put away so you would have that available when it comes time to retire. Whatever you did with it, it eventually will be gone. Special items or family heirlooms will probably be around longer, however, one day will come when someone won’t care about them and do away with them by giving them to someone, sell them or maybe just cast them away. Whatever happens, eventually they are gone. Thus an inheritance today is what modern language would say, “Here today–Gone tomorrow.”

The other inheritance I want to deal with is the inheritance God promises us. This is an inheritance that will last forever, IF, we don’t give it away. How do we give it away, you say? God expects us to obey His commands and do what He says. By not doing what God says, you in theory will give your inheritance away by not caring. How could that happen?

In Galatians 5:19-21, Paul pretty well lays out what not to do. If you do these things you will give/lose your inheritance according to Paul. These are listed as works of the flesh.

A) Adultery

B) Fornication

C) Uncleanness

D) Lewdness

E) Idolatry

F) Sorcery

G) Hatred

H) Contentions

I) Jealousies

J) Outbursts of Wrath

K) Selfish Ambitions

L) Dissensions

M) Heresies

N) Envy

O) Murders

P) Drunkenness

Q) Revelries

R) And the like!!

Verse 21 ends this with, “Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

We need to pay attention to what God says, expects and wants us to do. If not, we will give your inheritance away. Then What?? We’ll be left with nothing, just like real life. Let’s not put ourselves in a position that we would not receive the inheritance that God promises us!!

Getting from point A to Point B can happen in many different ways. Do you walk?  Do you roller skate or use a skate board? Maybe a surf board, jet ski, canoe or a motor boat. How about a bicycle, motorcycle, 18 wheeler, pickup or a car? Could it be a hand glider, helicopter small plane or a jet. Getting from point A to point B happens whenever something has a starting point and an ending point. Things that use a clock for instance–A work day, race, TV shows, cooking, and the list goes on. Life has a starting point and an ending point–Birth to Death.

Most of the things listed above don’t need directions, or very few. If we were take a trip, say, driving from California to Florida, we would not only need some type of transportation, but also would probably need directions. Yes, you could probably get there, somehow, without a map of some kind. But, if you want to get there in shortest amount of travel and time, you would have to have some kind of a plan. If I were doing this kind of trip without direction, I would end up on wrong roads and probably end up lost and be somewhere other than where I wanted to be. OR throw my hands in the air and quit and go back to where I started from. Is this beginning to sound like life?

All of this is especially true in our Christian lives. We all start at point A, Baptism, and end at point B, Heaven. However to get from point A to Point B we HAVE to have a plan, or a map, if you will. The map we have is the Bible. God says that we need to obey His commands and he will prepare for us a place (Heaven). He has provided us with His Living Word to give us the map and directions, that we need, to be successful in these Christian lives. We have to stay on the right roads. We have to stay on course. We have to remain steadfast and not get distracted. We must not throw our hands in the air and give up.

We MUST obey what God says and follow the directions, He has set before us, to gain the home He has promised.