Sermon #1236
Title: “Heirs of God”
Text: Romans 8:17
Reading: Romans 8:1-23
Subject: The Believer’s Inheritance with Christ
Date: Sunday Morning -- June 16, 1996
Tape # S-64
Introduction:
The title of my message today is “Heirs of God.” Our text will be Romans
8:17. "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs
with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him,
that we may be also glorified together."
Romans eight is, without question, one
of my favorite portions of Scripture. I think I can safely say that I could
preach from the thirty-nine verses of this chapter for a solid year and not
come close to expounding their depths. Every line is a text bursting with
meaning. It seems to be an inexhaustible mine overflowing with glorious gospel
truth. Every word seems to echo “Grace!” “Grace!” “Grace!” Everything directs
our thoughts to the grace of God and shows forth the glory of God. Starting at
verse one, Paul sets before us a golden ladder. Each step seems to ascend
higher and higher. From justification, he rises to regeneration. From
regeneration, he rises to sanctification. From sanctification, he rises to
glorification. In glorification, he declares God’s elect to be “heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus
Christ!”
To all who believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ there is the promise of an inheritance that is incorruptible, eternal,
undefiled, and “fadeth not away.”
What can this mean? What is it to be an heir of God?
I know this much -- This inheritance is the only inheritance
worth having. Any other inheritance is unsatisfying and disappointing. The
riches of this world, for which men labor so feverishly, are sure to bring with
them many cares. They can never cure an aching heart, ease a troubled
conscience, or relieve the burdens of a guilty soul. The riches of this world
cannot prevent sickness, bereavement, separations, and death. They cannot even
secure temporary happiness or domestic tranquillity. But there shall never be
any disappointment among the heirs of God in heaven.
The
inheritance spoken of in our text is the only inheritance that can be kept
forever. All others must be left at the hour of death, if they have not
vanished before. Howard Hughs carried no more with him to the grave than
Lazarus. But that is not the case with the heirs of God. Our inheritance in
Christ is eternal (Heb. 9:15).
The
inheritance I am talking about this morning is the only inheritance there is
which is within the reach of all who desire it. Most people in this world
will never be able to obtain great wealth or attain greatness, no matter how
hard they strive for them. But glory, honor, and eternal life are set before
you in the gospel, freely offered to all who will accept them on God’s terms. “Whosoever will” may be an “heir of God and joint-heir with Jesus
Christ!”
Do you understand what I have just
said? Glory, honor, and eternal life are set before you in the gospel, freely
offered to all who will accept them on God’s terms. “Whosoever will” may be an “heir
of God and joint-heir with Jesus Christ!” Some of you woke up this morning
under the wrath of God, condemned and perishing, “children of wrath even as other,” without God, without Christ, and
without hope. It may be that this very day God intends to do a mighty work of
grace for you and in you. It may be that, before you leave this house of
worship this morning, you will be “heirs
of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ.” What a glorious prospect! May
God be pleased to perform for you the mighty work of his grace necessary to
make you “heirs of God and joint heirs
with Jesus Christ.”
Proposition: All who are the children of God are “heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ.”
Divisions: I want you to hold your Bibles open at Romans 8:17. We
will look at this blessed verse, this word from our God, word by word. The text
speaks of four things:
1.
The Condition
2.
The Heirs
3.
The
Inheritance
4.
The Union
I. The first thing I see in the text is THE CONDITION, or ground of heirship.
Our text reads, “If children, then heirs.”
The emphasis, for now, must be placed on the word “if.” If we are the children
of God, then we are the heirs of God. But if we are not God’s children, then we
are not God’s heirs. And the fact is, shocking as it may be to many, we are not
all God’s children. This heirship does
not come as the result of...
·
Natural Creation
- The text does not read, If creatures,
then heirs.
·
Family Descent
- It is not written, If children of
Abraham, then heirs. Grace does not run in bloodlines. Grace is the free
gift of God.
John 1:12-13 "But
as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (13) Which were born, not of blood, nor
of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
Romans 9:7-13
"Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac
shall thy seed be called. (8) That
is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. (9) For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah shall
have a son. (10) And not only this; but when Rebecca also had
conceived by one, even by our father
Isaac; (11) (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or
evil, that the purpose of God according
to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) (12) It was said unto her, The elder
shall serve the younger. (13) As it
is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated."
·
Human Merit
- Paul does not say, If servants, then
heirs.
Galatians 4:30 "What saith the scripture? Cast out the
bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the
son of the freewoman."
· Religious
Ritual - The text does not
say, If circumcised or if baptized, then
heirs.
Multitudes
foolishly imagine that if they have their children sprinkled as babies, then
those children become heirs of God’s covenant. There are many who vainly
presume that since they have knelt at an altar, been baptized, observe the
ordinances of worship, and are members of a local church they are heirs of God.
Do not be so foolish.
Romans 4:9-12 "Cometh
this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. (10) How was it then reckoned? when he
was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in
uncircumcision. (11) And he received
the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he
might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised;
that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: (12) And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the
circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father
Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised."
The Holy
Spirit tells us plainly that the one condition of heirship with Christ is this
- “If children, then heirs.” Are you a child of God? I am not
asking...
...Are you religious?
...Are you moral?
...Are you a church member?
...Have you decided for Jesus?
I am asking - Are you
a child of God? Are you born again?
John 3:3-7 "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again,
he cannot see the kingdom of God.
(4) Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he
enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? (5) Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say
unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (6) That which
is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (7) Marvel not
that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again."
Perhaps you
are asking yourself, How can I know
whether or not I am a child of God? How can I know whether or not I am born
again, born from above? The Holy Spirit provides us with very clear answers
to those questions. There is no guess work to this thing. Here are five
characteristics of all who are children of God. If these things are
true of us, we are the children of God, born again by almighty grace, and heirs
of God. If these things are not true of us, then we are yet “children of wrath even as others.”
A. All who are born of God, all who are the children of God,
all who are saved by the grace of God, all who are “heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ,” believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
John 1:12 "But as many as received him, to them
gave he power to become the sons of God, even
to them that believe on his name:"
If you trust
the Lord Jesus Christ alone as your Savior and Lord, if you look to Christ
alone for acceptance with God, your faith in him is the fruit and evidence of
his work of grace in you.
Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things
hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
B. All who are the children of God are led by the Spirit of God.
We see that
in verse fourteen. - "For as many as are led by the Spirit of
God, they are the sons of God."
The Holy Spirit leads those who are Christ’s. There is a movement in their
hearts, lives, and affections which they feel, though they may not be able to
explain it, a movement which is always in the same direction.
1. The Holy Spirit always leads us away from ourselves to
Christ.
·
Away from our
sin to his blood.
·
Away from our
righteousness to his righteousness.
·
Away from
self-confidence to the confidence of faith in Christ.
·
Away from our
feelings to his Word.
·
Away from our
works to his work.
2.
The Holy Spirit leads us by providence, through the counsel of the Word, and by
the power of his grace.
·
In the Will of
God.
·
In Paths of
Righteousness.
·
To the Throne
of Grace.
Are you led of God? Is your life under
the rule of Christ, governed by his Spirit? Those who are born of God are led
by the Spirit.
God leads His dear children along.
Some through the waters, some through the flood,
Some through the fire, but all through the blood;
Some through great sorrow, but God gives a song,
In the night season and all the day long.
C.
For another thing, all who are born again by the power and grace of God the
Holy Spirit have the blessed liberty of
the sons of God.
Romans 8:1-4 "There is therefore now no
condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh,
but after the Spirit. (2) For the law
of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and
death. (3) For what the law could not
do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the
likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: (4) That the righteousness of the law
might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the
Spirit."
Romans 8:15 "For
ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received
the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."
We have been delivered from that
slavish fear of God which is caused by the guilt of sin and the terror of the
law. We have been redeemed from that guilt that caused Adam to “hide himself in
the trees of the garden” and made Cain “go out from the presence of the Lord.”
1.
We are no
longer afraid of God. Sinners though we are, we are not afraid of God’s
holiness, justice, and majesty.
2.
We see God
now, in the full glory of his holy Being, and have peace. We see him reconciled
through the blood of his own dear Son. We see all his glorious attributes
displayed and honored in the death of Christ as our Substitute.
3.
We now draw
near to God in prayer and speak to him with the confidence and peace of a child
to his father.
4.
We now serve
the Lord our God, not out of a sense of fear, but from a sense of love and
gratitude.
We have exchanged the spirit of
bondage for the Spirit of liberty. We have given up the spirit of fear for the
Spirit of love. We have put off the spirit of obligation and put on the Spirit
of gratitude. We have dropped the spirit of law and taken up the Spirit of
grace.
D.
Fourthly, all who are born of God,
all who are the children of God have the
witness of the Spirit that they are the children of God.
Romans 8:16 "The
Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of
God:"
2 Corinthians 1:22 "Who hath also sealed us, and given the
earnest of the Spirit in our hearts."
2 Corinthians 5:5 "Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame
thing is God, who also hath given
unto us the earnest of the Spirit."
Ephesians 1:13 "In
whom ye also trusted, after that ye
heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that
ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,"
Ephesians 4:30 "And
grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of
redemption."
1 John 5:10 "He
that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself."
The Holy Spirit sprinkles our hearts
with the blood of Christ and assures us that Christ is sufficient. He gives us
witness by the Word, assuring us that our sins have been put away, that peace
is restored, that heaven’s door is opened before us, and that hell’s pit is
forever shut. We have, by the witness of the Spirit, what the world can never
have...
·
A Good Hope
through Grace.
·
The Seal of
the Spirit.
· The Earnest of our Inheritance.
E.
Fifthly, the sons of God voluntarily take part in the sufferings of
Christ.
Read the last part of our text - “If so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”
All God’s children voluntarily take up
their cross and follow their Master. They “follow
the Lamb withersoever he goeth,” regardless of cost or consequence.
The condition of heirship is just this
- “If
children.” If we are the children of God, then we are the heirs of God.
II.
Next, I want you to see that the Holy Spirit identifies THE HEIRS.
I haven’t lost my marbles; and I’m not
repeating myself. Notice the words of the text. “If children, then heirs.”
The teaching is this: All who are the
children of God are the heirs of God, for the same reason, to the same extent,
and to the same fullness.
There are many who would have you to
believe that while all God’s children are his heirs, some will inherit a scanty
portion as naughty sons and daughters while others will have a large,
honorable, and happy portion as obedient children. Nothing could be further
from the truth. Our inheritance here is not conditioned upon our works, be they
good or bad, but upon our relationship to God. “If children, then heirs!” The issue is determined by that word if. If we are the Lord’s children, then
no doubt can exist regarding our heavenly inheritance.
There is no such thing as degrees of
reward in heaven. There are no slums in the heavenly Jerusalem. There are no
uncrowned princes in heaven. Whoever he was who invented the doctrine of
degrees of reward in heaven knew nothing about the doctrine of grace in the
gospel. The whole system smacks of the popish doctrines of indulgences and
purgatory! It is but another subtle system of works religion.
Not all of God’s children are
prophets, apostles, preachers, teachers, evangelists, or even well-instructed,
eminent saints. Not all are rich and influential in spiritual gifts and works.
They are not all strong and useful. But they are all heirs of God and equally
so! Let me given you seven reasons for my tenacious insistence
upon this matter.
A.
We are all
children of the same Father.
B.
We are all
loved with the same love, to the same degree. There are no degrees to our
Father’s love.
C.
We were all
blessed with the same blessings from eternity. Our Father will not take away
what he has already given us; and he has already given us all things (Eph.
1:3).
D.
We are all
accepted upon the same grounds, for the same reason, to the same degree (Eph.
1:6).
E.
We are all
equally related to the Elder Brother, the Firstborn Son, through whom the
inheritance comes.
F.
We have all
already obtained the inheritance in Christ representatively (Eph. 1:11; Heb.
6:20).
G. There is no room for works in the system of grace (Rom.
11:6).
III.
Now, take a moment to reflect upon THE
INHERITANCE itself.
We are here described as “heirs
of God.” Just think of the implications of that for a moment.
A. Our inheritance is divinely
great.
This is what the Scriptures declare. “He that overcometh shall inherit all
things” (Rev. 21:7). “All things are yours” (2 Cor. 3:21). If we are the children of God, then we
are...
1.
Heirs of God’s
Salvation (Heb. 1:14).
2.
Heirs of
Eternal Life (Tit. 3:7).
3.
Heirs of
Promise (Heb. 6:17).
4.
Heirs of the
Grace of Life (I Pet. 3:7).
5.
Heirs of
Righteousness (Heb. 11:7).
6.
Heirs of the
Kingdom (James 2:5).
B. If we are heirs of God, our
inheritance an inheritance of infinite proportion.
1.
To be heirs of
God is to be heirs of all that God possesses!
2.
To be heirs of
God is to be heirs of all that God is!
3.
To be heirs of
God is to be heirs of God himself!
4.
To be heirs of
God is to be heirs of all that Jesus Christ is as the God-man, our Mediator!
Our Savior has given to all his elect
all the glory that God the Father gave to him as the result of his perfect
obedience to God as our Representative.
John 17:5 "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self
with the glory which I had with thee before the world was."
John 17:22 "And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them;
that they may be one, even as we are one:"
IV.
The last thing spoken of in our text is THE
UNION that subsists between Christ and his people.
“If
children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ.”
This is grace indeed! God has pardoned us, received us into his house, adopted
us as his sons, made us all his heirs, and has made us to be joint-heirs with
his own dear Son!
As justification is union and
communion with Christ in his righteousness, sanctification is union and
communion with Christ in his holiness, and glorification shall be union and
communion with Christ in his Sonship!
A. Our inheritance with Christ is
an inheritance worthy of the Son of God!
What an inheritance that must be! It
is such an inheritance as the Father reserves for and gives to his well-beloved
Son in whom he is well-pleased.
B. Our worthiness to obtain this
glorious inheritance is our union with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Our only worthiness to approach God in
any way at any time is Christ. But I want you to get this -- In Christ we are
worthy to obtain this inheritance (Col. 1:12).
1.
Made worthy
because our Debt has been Fully Paid!
2.
Made Worthy
because we are Perfectly Righteous in Christ!
C. Our everlasting inheritance in
glory with Christ is a matter of absolute certainty.
1.
Our union with
him secures it. His title deed to glory is ours. The two are indivisible.
2.
He prayer for
us claimed it for us.
3.
He has gone
into heaven to prepare it for us and hold it in our name.
4.
He is coming
again to bring us into the blessed possession of it.
Application:
I
really do not know what to expect when we have obtained our inheritance (1 John
3:2). But I do know this...
1.
We shall be
raised and transformed into Christ’s likeness and enter into his glory.
2.
There will be
nothing in eternity to sadden our hearts or dampen our spirits (Rev. 21:3-4).
3.
“Then we shall
know, even as we are known.”
4.
We will soon
say an eternal “good-bye” to sin and attain perfect holiness!
5.
We shall enter
into perfect rest (Heb. 4:9).
6.
Yet, we will
serve the Lord perfectly (Rev. 7:15).
7.
We shall live
in perfect communion with one another.
8.
We shall be
totally satisfied (Ps. 17:15).
9. We shall see our Savior’s face! “They shall see his face!”
1 John 3:1-3
"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that
we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not,
because it knew him not. (2) Beloved,
now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we
know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as
he is. (3) And every man that hath
this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."
What
about you who are without Christ? You are heirs of God’s wrath! I bid you, for
your souls’ sakes to flee from the wrath of God into the arms of his dear Son.
If you can, if you will, you shall go home rejoicing in the blessed fact that
you are the children of God. “If
children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ.”