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Co-heirs with Christ

Co-heirs
with Christ

Since believers are co-heirs with Christ (Rom.8:17), we have been given the privilege of sharing Christ's inheritance.

I was recently watching a video of a Bible lesson by Les Feldick. At one point during his lesson, he read the scripture below in his typical slow and analytical way. As he read it, the scripture made an impression on me, and I felt the need to pause the video and just meditate on it some more. The result of that moment (and subsequent research) caused me to produce this article in the hopes that it will bless you as much as it did me.

Romans 8:17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

Note: A co-heir and joint-heir have the same meaning. In this article I'll use the term, co-heir.


What is an heir?

An heir is someone who receives an allotted possession by right of sonship. Under common law, an heir is an individual appointed by law to succeed to the estate of an ancestor who died. The term legal heir is commonly used to refer to a person who succeeds to property, either by will or law. The difference between an heir and a co-heir is that where an heir is the sole recipient, a co-heir means that each individual owns the whole. For example, if a businessman dies and leaves the entire company to his three sons, all three sons fall heir to the entire company. The company in this case is not divided into three parts.

What about Christian heirship

All Christians are co-heirs with Christ and will share Christ's inheritance because they have a spiritual heritage from God. The source of this heritage is God Himself. He is not only the source of our inheritance, but He Himself is our inheritance. We are heirs by virtue of being co-heirs with Christ, thus, everything that the Father gave to Christ is ours as co-heirs with Him. Because of this dependency, we cannot receive this inheritance apart from Christ. Our inheritance comes from our union with Christ and our right to this divine heritage stands or falls with Christ's right to the same inheritance. If Christ is truly an heir, so are we; and if he be not, neither are we. Our two interests are intertwined and made one. If we are called co-heirs with Christ, we legally and strictly have no inheritance apart from him. (See more details reg. this in the section below called: Becoming a Co-heir with Christ).

The Greek term translated "heirs", (Gk,klēronomeō), in Romans 8:17 refers to "a receiver of an inheritance, a beneficiary, those who receive their allotted possession by right of sonship." If we are God's children, we are receivers of God's inheritance. Thus, we are His beneficiaries (see Matthew 25:34; Galatians 3:29; Colossians 1:12; 3:24).

Heirs do not have to work to earn their inheritance. The inheritance we possess in Christ does not have any basis in works. It is not what we have done. Our inheritance does not have a basis in personal morality nor in any other action or activity that we do. The inheritance comes to us strictly by responding to the grace gospel and becoming regenerated by Christs living Spirit within us.

Where does this inheritance come from?

Just like any legal and physical inheritance, our spiritual inheritance or possession has to be created or be set in place beforehand. In simple terms, for believers to have an inheritance in Christ, someone had to be born and had to create the fortune by investment and become the heir. The inheritance Jesus purchased for us has been set aside or reserved for us for a future time. Believers are privileged to receive this spiritual inheritance from their heavenly Father as a result of their adoption into the family of God (Eph.1:5, Eph.3:14-15) through the cross work of Christ and our subsequent association with Him.

How to become a Co-heir with Christ

God has only "One Son" as the expression and Seed of His life and all believers in Jesus Christ are born of the Seed of that Son. This One "Seed, which is Christ" (Gal 3:16) in the believer makes each of them "co-heirs" of God "with Christ." 

The One "Son of God" first had to become the incarnated "Son of Man," and then after His death on the cross He, with His humanity, was raised and "declared to be the Son of God out of resurrection".

Rom.1:3-4 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; 4 And DECLARED TO BE THE SON OF GOD with power, according to the spirit of holiness, BY THE RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD:

Heb.1:4-6 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. 5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, THOU ART MY SON, THIS DAY HAVE I BEGOTTEN THEE? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? 6 And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith…

This declaration of God on resurrection day is the very moment God the Father said, "This day have I begotten thee" (Heb 1:5). God the Father "begot" Jesus out of death. It was the Spirit of God the Father that raised Jesus from the dead. Now, having said this, it is important therefore to keep in mind that created humans are not yet genuine "sons", and are not yet born of God's "Seed, which is Christ". The only means of entrance into the literal eternal family of God, as His genuine sons, is by being "regenerated" (Titus 3:5) by receiving the "Spirit of life in Christ Jesus".

At this point (at the act of salvation), the life of God the Father, in Christ, regenerates the believer's human spirit (Zech.12:1). Christ comes to indwell their human spirit (Col.1:27) and this makes believers of "one spirit" (1 Cor.6:17) with Christ. Thus, believers gain the literal eternal "life" of the resurrected Christ into their spirit as He is today.

1 John 4:13 "He that hath the Son hath life (Zoë, Christ's own "Spirit of life"); and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life" (1 John 5:12). Hereby know we that WE DWELL IN HIM (Christ), AND HE IN US, BECAUSE HE HATH GIVEN US OF HIS SPIRIT.

What does it mean to be an heir of God?

Christ's inheritance is the whole universe, ---all that is in existence! Hebrews 1:2 says that the Son has been "appointed heir of all things." Being a co-heir with Christ means that we, as God's adopted children, will share in the inheritance of Jesus. What belongs to Jesus will also belong to us. The New Testament portrays Jesus Christ as God's "firstborn" Son (Hebrews 1:6, Psalm 89:27); that is, Jesus holds the "birth right" and is the heir of all the Father has (Hebrews 1:2). God has given Christ all of creation as a gift because all was created for Him (Colossians 1:16; John 3:35). Since believers are co-heirs with Christ (Rom.8:17) , believers have been given the privilege of sharing Christ's inheritance. As adopted sons of God, Christians are treated as firstborn heirs (Hebrews 12:23). Our inheritance includes (but is not limited to) salvation (Hebrews 1:14), eternal life (1 Peter 1:4), His spiritual blessings (Eph.1:3-11) and grace (Gal.3:29). Heirship results in eternal security (1 Pet.1:4-5) confirmed by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who is the down payment for the inheritance (Eph.1:14). The Holy Spirit guarantees that we will receive eternal life in the age to come (2 Corinthians 1:22). In fact, "when you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance" (Ephesians 1:13-14).

Reading through the scriptures one will see many references to the inheritance believers have in Christ. Our inheritance is, in a word, heaven. It is the sum total of all God has promised us in salvation.

Conclusion

Read through this quote; 

To have anything to do with a great man is thought by some persons to be a distinguished mark of honour; to be set down in a will as co-heir with some great prince or noble would be considered indeed a very great thing; but what incredible honour is conferred on us as believers, to be co-heir with the King of kings, the Wonderful, the Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace! 

Even more, consider that this heavenly heritage is God's purpose and will for us (Ephesians 1:11) as we receive the promise of our inheritance by hearing the word of truth and believing in Christ (Ephesians 1:13).

Sources
My continued thanks goes out to these authors from whom I have learned so much and appreciate in love;  

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