321. Inherit the Promises
Hebrews 6:12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
A part of the fantastic inheritance that Jesus Christ has earned for us and given to us is the many promises in the Bible. Most of those promises are based upon and dependent upon what Christ has done for us and then given to us. He even gives the faith to receive them. We only need to hear the promises with faith as often as possible.
We inherit through faith and patience. Faith we understand well enough. Faith comes along with the Gospel. It enters the ears or eyes, gives understanding to the brain, and then penetrates the heart by the working of the Holy Spirit, which is also a free gift by His grace. We believe, therefore we have the promises. We just fall back into struggling on our own so easily.
But we do need patience, because we do not see changes in behavior quickly enough. Nothing happens soon enough for our impatient souls. Patience is a part of the fruit of the Spirit; He develops patience over time, and we do not even see the growth in patience that is really there. We go to church to hear the Gospel; the Gospel gives the Spirit and the fruit that grows; patience can only grow and develop over a period of time. However, like everything else, we want patience now, as we are used to instant gratification. Meanwhile, while we wait for patience we have the faith that the Lord will do what He promised in His time. And God is always working at the right time. We only need faith to wait for it.
The admonition in this verse is: do not be lazy. Do not expect that the Lord will simply drop everything into your lap while you sit on the couch. Study the Bible, be in fellowship with godly people, spend time in prayer, and look at the faith and patience of other believers who seem to enjoy the promised blessings of God for Christ’s sake. Relax, and let the Spirit do the work; but do not be so lazy that you miss the work that the Spirit is doing. Relax, and let faith and patience come through the Holy Spirit working through the Gospel. You do not need to struggle to believe or be patient; but do not be lazy either. Pay attention to the Lord and let Him do the work. He promises to grant the faith and patience to inherit.