266. Reward of Inheritance
Colossians 3:24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
Jesus Christ has earned the receiving of the inheritance. He has earned the promised inheritance by His innocent suffering and death and by His resurrection of the body, and He has freely granted that inheritance to us. The inheritance was first promised to Abraham and all descendants of that promise by faith. Believers are rewarded for the work done by Christ. The reward is eternal life in an eternal Paradise. This reward is for those who serve the Lord Christ. Serve Christ = believe in Christ. We do not earn this reward, but the reward is given to us, for Christ earned it on our behalf. We are rewarded for Christ’s behavior, not for our own behavior. This is Grace. If the reward of the inheritance depended on our life and behavior in any sense we could never be certain, but it is not. All blessings we receive are granted to faith by grace; these blessings are dependent upon Christ, and they are therefore guaranteed.
We have received the inheritance, and the inheritance will be realized upon the death of the believers. The inheritance is eternal in the heavens; it is kept there for us, guaranteed as a certainty. The guarantee is the Holy Spirit living within us. There is no way we could be more certain. This certainty underlies our daily lives with a strong foundation. This foundation supports our faith and life, gives strength to our decisions and actions, and defends us against evil enemies that would bring us down.
I can confidently say, “I am a child of the King, and all that is His is mine.” He is responsible for my protection and care. He will make sure that I will go on through all the difficulties of living unto the eternal goal. The eternal inheritance God guarantees is kept unfading in the heavens.