The Scope of Our Inheritance

Let’s look at a verse that speaks about the extent of our inheritance in Christ. Romans 8:23 reads:

“He [God] who did not spare His own Son [Jesus], but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” (NASB)

When we receive Christ, God freely gives us all things. Apart from Him, we receive nothing. There is a strong emphasis in this verse on the scope of the inheritance and its absolute freedom. We cannot earn it. We receive it as a free gift that includes all things. We are heirs of the total inheritance—all that God the Father has, all that God the Son has—when we receive Christ.

In his first epistle to the Corinthians, Paul tried to show the believers how rich they were. He actually rebuked them a little because they were acting as though they were poor. They were being mean, petty, and envious toward one another. Paul said, in effect, “You people don’t realize what you’ve got.”

“So then let no one boast in men. For all things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God” (1 Corinthians 3:21–23 NASB)

What a breathtaking statement. Paul said, in effect, “All things belong to you. Stop acting petty and frivolous. Don’t get hung up on preachers, either. Stop being so small-minded. Everything is yours.” Remember, the gift of the inheritance is freely given to us; we cannot earn it. But it is important that we ask the Holy Spirit to enlarge our faith and understanding. The Holy Spirit is the administrator, and unless He speaks to us and guides us into the truth, these will just be words, not reality. The Holy Spirit makes the promises a reality.