A Glorious Inheritance

The verses for my morning meditation are taken from Paul's letter to the Romans 5:1-11 NIV:

[1] "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, [2] through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. [3] Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; [4] perseverance, character; and character, hope. [5] And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

[6] You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. [7] Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. [8] But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

[9] Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! [10] For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! [11] Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."

There is so much to think about in these verses. Conversations about sufferings, grace, faith, salvation, redemption, justification, and the like. Each topic could be a book.

The first theme that comes to mind, as I let these verses resonate within me, is the difference a mindset and heart connection towards the Lord can make as we experience our life. I was thinking about a normal response to suffering, and how it doesn't usually lead to hope, but often times anger and bitterness.

The Greek word, here translated suffering, can also more accurately be translated as pressure, oppression, affliction, tribulation, distress, straits. The root of the word is a word which is used to describe the pressing of grapes. Paul speaks about glorying in these situations. I think a more common response in these situations is 'why me, Lord?'.

In a person, whose heart is fully connected to Christ, whose mind is set on Him and eternal life together with Him, trials and suffering can take on a completely different color. The heart connected to the Lord in intimate relationship, understands that the trials and struggles of life are opportunities to grow closer to the Lord, and see His love expressed and experienced. It doesn't mean the struggles will be easy, but that result will be good, and there will be a pouring forth of His love into their hearts. Not that these people become masochists, enjoying the suffering, but rather they allow the experience to drive them deeper into the Lord's embrace, and in that place experience great hope and love.

The second thought concerns verse 8, that the Lord died for me while I was still a sinner. This is true for us all, as God, with His eternal perspective, knows us all, understands all our sin, and yet chooses us as His sons and daughters. There is no earning of His love, no deeds we do that qualify us, no cleaning up our act to gain entrance, but rather His sovereign choice and accomplishment. He chooses and acts, and we receive, by way of faith and relationship. This never ceases to amaze me, this gift of God, this salvation that is freely given, this desire for relationship with me.

The equally amazing thing is that the gift of salvation doesn't end with the payment for our sins, but culminates in a life of blessing and intimacy. He doesn't just want to see us debt-free, but wants us to live as sons and daughters of the King! He calls us co-heirs with Christ (Rom 8:17), and as such we have the same glorious inheritance, except He doesn't have to die that we might receive this inheritance. Jesus already did die, and now He lives, and we can share this glorious inheritance with Him every day, here and eternally. As Paul writes in Romans 8:31-32: "What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? [32] He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all---how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?"

Amen and amen, we serve an awesome God. Let us embrace Him and go deeper in relationship, allowing our lives to be transformed and our hearts to be filled with His love.