The Christian’s Inheritance : Part 3

  • Nick Davis
  • Aug 4, 2009

    Christ and the Twofold Blessing
    So, how does the Christ fit in with the two-fold blessing of the inheritance promise made to Abraham – that of nations and generations, dominion and dynasty, geography and genealogy?
    Am I opposed to any form of inheritance in the here and now? Well, in spite of Christ’s words that we were to “invite those to supper who could not invite us back” (that we “might have rewards in heaven”), I am ALL FOR the displacement of darkness with light; ALL FOR healthy marriages, healthy churches and church multiplication. I am all for healing, deliverance….the KINGDOM COMING.
    The hermeneutical Christ-key for me, however, means that Christ Himself is my Reward, in spite of what may befall me here on earth.
    In the place where we are genuinely enjoying Christ for Christ’s sake - not for reward or blessing or help or miracles’ sake – I believe we live powerful lives, that change others while keeping them free.
    How else can any man walk away from success, from salary, from home, from the known, from applause? How else can we go to the third world, to the valley of decision, to war-torn nations?
    How else will batons be passed on without hooks? Or disciples released to surpass the discipler? How else could the elders be honored, or the weak not despised?
    The litmus test for what we are truly aiming at in the depths of our hearts comes when lesser things are taken away, position is lost, troubles come, prayers are not answered. Is Christ my sufficiency, or not? When lesser things take on idolatrous positions in our hearts, then when they are removed (God will do it), we feel useless, displaced, confused, suicidal.
    So, regarding NATIONS as one leg of our inheritance, we are called to go, by Christ Himself (not by men who tell us what Christ has called us to). And as we go, we find our Christ-inheritance. Like the Levites, who were assigned no land, so too for us God Himself is our Reward. When we are blessed with the things of the earth, we are “as those not engrossed by them” . When the time comes for us to choose, unlike Lot we will not “choose for ourselves”, but always for Christ. When deferring rewards enriches others, blesses others, saves others, we will defer our rewards, because we ultimately and primarily are citizens of another Kingdom, and we too are seeing the City with Foundations.
    Regarding GENERATIONS, what joy it is to see our children serving the Lord with zeal. Our biological and spiritual children, that is. Yet they belong to God, yet in Christ we can enjoy all saints as part of our Christ-inheritance in the here and now too!
    1 Cor 3:21-23 “So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.”
    When it comes time to ENDURE SUFFERING, Christ is with us, close to us, fellowshipping with us in it. He is enough. He is coming soon and His reward is with Him.
    “True have his promises been, not one has failed. I bear witness that never servant had such a master as I have; never brother such a kinsman as he has been to me; never spouse such a husband as Christ has been to my soul; never sinner a better Saviour; never mourner a better comforter than Christ hath been to my spirit. I want none beside him. In life he is my life, and in death he shall be the death of death; in poverty Christ is my riches; in sickness he makes my bed; in darkness he is my star, and in brightness he is my sun; he is the manna of the camp in the wilderness, and he shall be the new corn of the host when they come to Canaan. Jesus is to me all grace and no wrath, all truth and no falsehood: and of truth and grace he is full, infinitely full”. Charles Haddon Spurgeon.


    Closing
    Christ is in all, over all through all. I cannot be Christ-centred merely by claiming it to be true, nor teaching it as truth. My private passions reveals my true priorities and preference – for rewards seen and now, or for the secret Treasure, for the spiritual table of feasting, for “the food you know nothing of” .
    I believe this secret feasting, through sunshine and through trials, will be the hallmark of the next revival tsunami. That which moves powerfully yet invisibly within us, does massive damage when it reaches the shores of men.
    Many are saying, “here he is, there He is”, but as for us, let’s stay true to our True North. Let’s make Him our Reason and Reward - practicing the fellowship of the Spirit; taking the spy-cams out of the master bedroom of our love affair with God. He wants to take us deeper into Himself; higher up His holy Hill. In this place, we will care little for worldly things. As Christ takes us further into the mysteries of this hidden Kingdom, the Kingdom will come, but also “without observation”, unselfconsciously, accidently.
    Christ is our Inheritance – His realm is our Nation, His people our Generations.