No Longer Slaves But Heirs
Can you imagine inheriting lots of wealth or property—or maybe just receiving something really valuable for free? In Galatians 4:7, the Apostle Paul writes, “So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.” According to Paul, children of God will receive a huge inheritance.
But this is no ordinary inheritance. Paul is talking about an inheritance far superior to what we usually think of as wealth.
God rescues us from our enslavement to the powers of this world, Paul says. And Jesus sets us free from sin, darkness, and death. In the Messiah, God adopts us into his family as his beloved children and heirs. And because of this, we inherit God’s unending life and receive honor, love, and a true home in a renewed creation.
What would change in your interactions and thoughts about fellow followers of Jesus if you were to see them as God’s children and beloved brothers and sisters—not your competition or opposition? Most people won’t receive huge inheritances of wealth or property, but God’s children will all receive—equally and without partiality—God’s endless love and eternal life.
Take a deep breath, pause, and consider your shared eternal inheritance with Jesus and others in the family of God.
The Mission of God
All of our lives are spent on something.
Most people spend their days focused on growing a family, building a career, or amassing possessions. While none of those things are necessarily wrong, they can become distractions from our ultimate goal in life.
In the book of Acts, we see Paul’s transformation in Christ. As a result of meeting Jesus and being changed by His grace, Paul spends the rest of his life preaching the good news of Jesus.
For Paul, God’s grace and salvation were so great that nothing on this earth could compare to doing His work.
Paul said that nothing in his life mattered as much as telling others about God’s grace. His goal in life was to finish his own race well by faithfully accomplishing as much of the mission of God as possible:
"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace."
Acts 20:24 NIV
The mission of ...