On the road to our eternal inheritance
Inheritance seeks heir: it is of immeasurable value and is incorruptible. Here is what applicants have to bring along and how they can benefit from it already now … Thoughts from a divine service by the Chief Apostle.
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Photo: NAC Australia
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Photo: NAC Australia
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Photo: NAC Australia
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Photo: NAC Australia
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Photo: NAC Australia
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Photo: NAC Australia
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Photo: NAC Australia
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Photo: NAC Australia
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Photo: NAC Australia
“We were reborn out of water and Spirit and have been given the wonderful promise that God will give us eternal life: a wonderful inheritance in heaven.” With this statement, the Chief Apostle launched into his sermon on 30 September 2018 in Brisbane (Australia).
What this inheritance is all about is explained in the Bible text the Chief Apostle used: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1: 3–5).
Our inheritance is waiting for us
“I am definitely not a dreamer,” Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider said, “but from time to time it is worth thinking about what it means to be delivered from evil, to have a resurrection body, to be perfect, to conform to God’s will, to be in total harmony with God and with one another, and to have received this special mission to help everyone obtain salvation in Jesus Christ. I tell you, the more I think about it the more enthusiastic I am about it. That’s our future!”
“This inheritance already exists,” he said. Jesus Christ was the first human being to be clothed with the resurrection body, to receive the inheritance from His Father, and to enter into eternal glory. “God has prepared a big inheritance for you. It is there just waiting for you.” Until then, the Lord will watch over it and protect it.
An incorruptible inheritance
The inheritance is incorruptible. “This inheritance is as great as on the day Jesus accepted it. It has not changed since. Time has no effect on it. It is everlasting like the bliss we will experience on entering the kingdom of God.”
The inheritance is also indestructible, the Chief Apostle said. Evil will not be able to destroy this new fellowship between God and mankind, because Christ was victorious on the cross. “The inheritance cannot be defiled by the imperfections of the servants or the members of the church of Christ. It cannot be defiled by our own sins and weaknesses.” Its value does not depend on our own merit, but is determined by God’s grace.
Finally, the inheritance will not fade away and never diminish in value. It will always be more precious than anything life on earth can offer us. It will always be greater than all the sufferings we have to go through. And sharing it with others will by no means diminish its value for us.
And the heirs?
“This inheritance is reserved for those who believe in Jesus Christ and follow Him,” the Chief Apostle said. But God does not only preserve His inheritance, He also watches over His heirs. “God will use His power to save those who believe.”
Those who believe are guided by the living hope in eternal life. That makes it possible to persevere in misfortune and adversity. It also comforts when we are shaken by the suffering of others. And it encourages us to proclaim salvation to others and help them to obtain it.
Conclusion: “All we have to do is be willing to believe and fight and tell God: ‘I want to believe. Strengthen my faith.’”
Article info
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Andreas Rother
17.10.2018
Australia,
Chief Apostle Helper,
Divine service
