Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
There’s something to being part of a family that can include certain privileges – benefits for simply being in the family. I read a story in Our Daily Bread, my go to devotional booklet, about a guy named John Jr. John and a friend took a tour of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier. During the tour, the guide accidently led them into a restricted area where they were stopped for the violation. It just so happened that John Jr. was John F. Kennedy Jr. the son of the president for whom the aircraft carrier the USS John F. Kennedy was named. That changed everything! You see, if a U.S. Navy ship is named after someone, it’s considered that person’s ship. Therefore, as the son of the person for whom the ship was named, John Jr. had inherited that same ownership – he had unique privileges.
Paul comforts us in knowing that all who believe in Jesus also have some unique privileges. Jesus is the Son of God. He is the rightful heir to the kingdom of heaven and all that entails. In baptism, God adopts believers in Christ as His sons and daughters (Romans 8:15). As God’s adopted sons and daughters, we become brothers and sisters of our Lord, Jesus Christ. But not only that, Paul writes that as “children of God … then (we are also) heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ …” (Romans 8:16-17) What a privilege!
However, we’re also called to use that privilege by living according to His will as we love Him and our neighbors in need. Especially those who haven’t yet become fellow heirs. Using our privilege can mean sacrificing ourselves by going against the will of the world we live in. As we do, the Spirit living within us enables us to say and do God’s will, even when others despise us. Nevertheless, one day, as heirs, we’ll be glorified because of our brother Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection. We’ll inherit eternal life with our Father in the kingdom of heaven.
Your Brother in Christ,
Pastor Jim