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.
Truth Changes Everything
Think about the best news you've ever received in your life. Maybe it was a doctor walking into a waiting room and saying, "The surgery went perfectly." Maybe it was a phone call that said, "You got the job." Maybe it was two lines on a pregnancy test you'd been praying for.
Good news changes everything.
But none of those moments, as incredible as they are, even come close to the truth delivered on the first Easter morning:
"He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay."
Matthew 28:6 (NIV)
Jesus had been crucified publicly, brutally, and officially. He was wrapped, sealed in a tomb. There was no question. Jesus was dead. It was true.
But when His followers Mary and Mary Magdalene arrived to grieve? The stone was rolled away. The tomb was empty. And an angel met them with the most stunning announcement in human history.
But the angel doesn’t just tell the women the truth. He invites them to look for themselves. To step inside. To experience the...