[0:00] It is in Romans chapter 8, verse 17. Romans chapter 8, verse 17.
[0:13] And of children then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ. And of children then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ.
[0:33] In this chapter we find a host of Christian privileges enumerated. And many believers have found the words and the privileges and the promises contained in this chapter were a wellspring of comfort and of help to them in their spiritual through this life.
[1:07] In events before us, the Apostle brings forward one of the great benefits which we as believing Christians shall enjoy and which God is declaring for.
[1:37] And also privileges to which we will have a full title. Not because of what we are in our spirit, but because of what we are in Christ Jesus, our spirit.
[1:59] Here he thinks of heirs. Heirs of God. Now to be an heir, in earthly sense of the word, is to be one who shall succeed to any property or position when the owner of it dies.
[2:23] For example, the prince of Wales is heir to the throne. And then in the providence of God, his mother should die before him, he will succeed to all her possessions and all her property.
[2:45] Now the apostle here speaks of an inheritance to which every believer hopes to succeed.
[2:58] Property which he will possess unto all eternity. Now there is a great difference between an earthly heirship and a heavenly inheritance.
[3:16] Because an earthly heirship can only come to one person. Whereas the heavenly inheritance is for a multitude which no man can number from every land and from every tribe who shall gather in eternal wealth to receive the reward of their labor which they under God were able to perform during their life here or ever.
[3:55] Now in considering the subject before us two questions might be asked about it.
[4:06] First of all what is that that we hope to inherit? And secondly what right of title have we to it?
[4:22] What is it that we hope to inherit? We are to be heirs of an inheritance.
[4:37] What does this inheritance consist of? Now there is a great difference on earth in this world between one inheritance and another.
[4:51] One may be heir to a vast a ninja or empire another may be heir to a large house another may be an heir just to a small cottage in the country or to a small sum of money but here my friends we are heirs to something far greater something more wonderful than we can receive here on earth.
[5:32] Let us first remember whose heirs we are whose heirs are we? we are heirs of God the possessor of the heavens and the earth the one who owns all things that's for a bloody soul right if we are heirs of one who possesses all things then what we shall inherit will be great will be of immense value and there are many things which the Bible tells us that the believer will inherit as an heir of God but tonight I want to confine ourselves to just three things three very important things the first is we shall be heirs of a kingdom a kingdom fear not little sloth it is your father's great pleasure to give you the kingdom and the day will come when we will hear come ye blessed of the Lord inherit the kingdom prepared for you from before the foundations of the world now a kingdom is ruled by a king and a king wields a crown on special occasions so we have heirs of this kingdom will also will also wear a crown a crown of life which the Lord has prepared as a promise for them that love him a crown of endless life and also a king sits upon a throne and when we inherit his kingdom we shall also sit upon a throne to him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me on my throne for us for us heirs of God we shall inherit a kingdom we shall inherit a kingdom when we think of what we are my son and the prospect that lies before us does it not humble us and yet will not fill us with joy that the Lord hath chosen us and given to us this wonderful promise that we shall own a kingdom that we shall be crowned and that we shall sit upon a throne and that we shall inherit is a mansion in my father's house said Jesus there are many mansions now a mansion properly speaking is a resting place and a board a place to stay now generally we use this world this world only when speaking of large houses such as the rich and the noble steers these are mansions large houses now we as heirs of this heavenly mansion our presence living in this world and perhaps our dwelling place is a very humble place that we are living under a very lowly roof but let us not forget that our saviour
[10:26] Jesus Christ when he was on earth in fact when he was born he was born in a stable there was no room for him in the inn and oft times during his life he had no place where to lay his head but when my friends we enter the eternal world things will be changed we shall become heirs of a heavenly mansion for we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens heirs of God shall dwell in a mansion a house not made of hands a heavenly place a place of rest eternal rest in the presence of God and then the third thing is happiness this is something that we will inherit in a certain sense we are as believers are happy people happy after
[11:58] Israel who is like unto thee old people saved by the Lord but yet it is not the happiness that we will enjoy in heaven then will come the invitation enter thou into the joy of thy work joy means happiness they shall obtain joy and gladness and their possession will be complete happiness happiness it is a few of some that kings are always happy you have the saying he is as happy as a king but what of this experience is it not that he who wears the crown wears it very uneasily uneasy is the head that wears the crown but the happiness of the heavenly kingdom will be true happiness will be never ending happiness something that it is impossible for us to enjoy here on earth but something that we can look forward to with great expectation and great hope there shall be no sin nor sorrow to spoil our happiness
[13:44] God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow or cry neither shall there be any more pain for the form of things are passed away heirs of God of a kingdom of a mansion and of ever never ending happiness what a prospect lies before the people of God glorious trust nothing on earth can be compared to and it is for the heirs of God now we come to the second question what rights or title have we to this inheritance to this heirship we are told here if children then heirs we are heirs because we are the children of
[15:07] God now a man usually leaves his property and his possessions to his children and in the same way only to his children does God give the inheritance only to his children so let us mention in very few words three things which make us children of God three marks of a child of God and the first is this we are born or begotten of the father except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of
[16:10] God except he be born of water and of the spirit there is no kingdom except for those who have been born again of the spirit of God only the converted only those who know the Lord Jesus Christ in a saving way only those who have closed in with the offer of salvation only those unto whom Jesus Christ is precious they are the children of God they have been begotten of the father they have been born again so that is the first man born or begotten of God the father that is why we are heirs of this inheritance that is one mark whereby we may know that we are the children of
[17:25] God and the second mark is this that we respect the will of God our father and live in obedience to him whosoever is born of God keepeth his word is obedient to his will and seeks always to do his pleasure it is only to be expected just like an earthly child it is expected of that child to give obedience to his parents to respect the will of his parents how much more my friends we who are the children of God if we are to become the children of God we must respect the will of our father we must desire to give obedience to his commandments we must walk in his statutes so that is the second mark that we respect his will that we obey his law and the third mark is we love our father we love our father now the obedience that we render to
[18:57] God our father is an obedience prompted by love God is love love is of God if ye love me keep my commandments and having been born of God we will love him and do what he commands us to do and thereby we shall show that we are his children and as such we are heir of all things a joint heirs with Jesus Christ our savior no person who loves not God the father can be called a child of
[19:58] God can be an inheritor of the kingdom of the mansion and of the never ending happiness may we have not my friends these three months of death of love and of obedience we are not God's children and we have no right to the blessedness of the everlasting inheritance that is preparing for his children have we been born again are we endeavouring to live in obedience to the will and desire of God for us do we love the
[20:59] Lord our God with all our hearts and with all our soul and with all our strength and with all our life and we do we are his children we are the heirs of all those blessings which he has promised to us in his work we have it here as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sons of God but if not they are still strangers and foreigners aliens from the commonwealth of Israel strangers to the covenant of promise having no hope and without God in this world but friends if children we are heirs heirs of
[22:05] God and joint heirs with Christ may God make you and me by faith in his son and by the work of his Holy Spirit such loving such obedient children that we may claim our heirship and joint heirship with Jesus Christ to all those blessed promises and privileges which heirs given to us in his precious word to an inheritance divine he taught our hearts to rise his un corrupted un defiled unfading in the skies may the
[23:11] Lord himself grant that each one of us in eternity may possess this kingdom may live in this mansion may enjoy this never ended happiness because we are now the children of God and are seeking to walk in his ways and living in love to him when desiring to offer ourselves body and spirit to his service for the glory of his name and to the honor of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ if children then heirs heirs of God and joint heirs with
[24:14] Christ may be said of us all when our eternity comes God that we are all the children of God and that we shall all meet in that kingdom and live in that mansion and enjoy that everlasting happiness may the Lord so glad let us pray oh Lord God we come before thee as weak creatures insufficient of ourselves for we can't do anything our right but yet we look to thee for if we believe in thee and trust in thee and hope in thee thou hast promised us strength and guidance so that our lives may be conformed to thy will and purpose for us and that when we have fulfilled our course here on earth and come to the end of our race here we shall receive the reward which there was promised so help us to run the race that is set before us looking unto
[25:37] Jesus the author and finisher of our thing may ever set before us the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus dismiss us with thy blessing and guide us by thy holy spirit keep us in thy way and bless us abundantly in our outgoings and incomings we ask all things with the forgiveness of our sins in Jesus name and for his sake amen