Outline
B
"You are… a son; and if a son, an heir also through God"—Gal. 4:7:
１
The New Testament believer is no longer a slave to works under law but is a son in life under grace.
２
The New Testament believers become heirs of God not through the law nor through their fleshly father but through God, even the Triune God—the Father, who sent forth the Son and the Spirit (vv. 4, 6); the Son, who accomplished redemption for sonship (v. 5); and the Spirit, who carries out the sonship within us (v. 6).
C
"If you are of Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise"—3:29:
１
To be Abraham's seed we must be of Christ, be a part of Christ.
２
Because we are one with Christ, we are Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise, inheriting God's promised blessing, which is the all-inclusive Spirit as the ultimate consummation of the processed God, who is our portion.
３
Under the new testament, the believers as God's chosen people, being sons of full age, are such heirs, not under law but in Christ.
Ⅵ
Now we will consider the believers' status as heirs of God:
A
Christ is the Heir of all things (Heb. 1:2), and the believers are destined to be joint heirs with Christ.
B
After being saved, we are children of God, sons of God, partakers of the divine nature, and heirs of God.
C
When we reach the stage of growth of being joint heirs with Christ, we will be glorified.
D
"In order that having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life"—Titus 3:7:
１
Heirs in Titus 3:7 refers to not merely sons but heirs who are qualified to inherit the Father's estate—Rom. 4:14; 8:17; Gal. 3:29; 4:7.
２
Such heirs are born (John 1:12-13) of God's eternal life (3:16).
E
The believers have become heirs of God through regeneration in the resurrection of Christ—11:25:
１
When Christ was resurrected, we, His believers, were all included in Him; thus, we were resurrected with Him—Eph. 2:6.
２
In His resurrection He imparted the divine life into us and made us the same as He is in life and nature.
３
This is the basic factor of our regeneration to become heirs of God.
Morning Nourishment
Gal. 4:7 So then you are no longer a slave but a son; and if a son, an heir also through God.3:29 And if you are of Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise.
Galatians 3:29 reveals that the believers are heirs according to the promise given by God to Abraham…Abraham’s seed is only one, Christ (v. 16). Hence, to be Abraham’s seed we must be Christ’s, a part of Christ. Because we are one with Christ, we are also Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise, inheriting God’s promised blessing, which is the all-inclusive Spirit as the ultimate consummation of the processed Triune God to be our portion. In God’s New Testament economy, the believers as God’s chosen people, being sons of God, are such heirs, not under law but in Christ. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 1082)
Today’s Reading
Galatians 3 reveals that God intended to give the promise to Abraham according to His eternal purpose. Before this promise was accomplished, the law was given to serve as the custodian of God’s chosen people. Then, at the appointed time, Christ, the promised seed, came to fulfill God’s promise to Abraham…Now we are in Christ, the One who has fulfilled the promise, to inherit the fulfilled promise and to enjoy the blessing of the promise to Abraham. This blessing is the processed Triune God as the all-inclusive life-giving Spirit.The believers have become heirs of God through regeneration in the resurrection of Christ [1 Pet. 1:3]…Regeneration, like redemption and justification, is an aspect of God’s full salvation. Redemption and justification solve our problem with God and reconcile us to God. Regeneration enlivens us with God’s life and brings us into a relationship of life, an organic union, with God. Hence, regeneration issues and results in a living hope. Such regeneration takes place through the resurrection of Christ from among the dead. When Christ was resurrected, we, His believers, were all included in Him. Thus, we were resurrected with Him (Eph. 2:6). In His resurrection He imparted the divine life into us and made us the same as He is in life and nature. This is the basic factor of our regeneration to become heirs of God.
To be regenerated is to receive another life, the divine life, in addition to the human life…Because of God’s choosing, the Spirit’s sanctifying, and Christ’s redeeming (1 Pet. 1:2), God begets us, regenerates us. As a result, we have a second birth. Through regeneration God the Father imparts the divine life into us. Therefore, the first birth was the birth of our human life, and the second birth, the birth of the divine life. Once a person has been born on earth, he has the right to enjoy an earthly inheritance. In the same principle, once a person has been born again by God with His Spirit, that one is born unto a living hope, and this living hope is the inheritance (v. 4) of all the spiritual and heavenly blessings related to eternal life. Daily we need to take possession of this inheritance and enjoy it.
Through regeneration in the resurrection of Christ we have become heirs to inherit the Triune God as our inheritance with the Holy Spirit as the pledge. The “Holy Spirit of the promise” is the “pledge of our inheritance, unto the redemption of the acquired possession” (Eph. 1:13b-14). God is our inheritance. We shall inherit all that God is and has…The Greek word for pledge in verse 14 also means foretaste, guarantee, a partial payment in advance. God gives His Holy Spirit to us not only as a guarantee of our inheritance, securing our heritage, but also as a foretaste of what we shall inherit of God. In ancient times the Greek word for pledge was used in the purchase of land. The seller gave the buyer a sample of the soil from the land being purchased. Hence, according to ancient Greek usage, a pledge was also a sample. As a pledge, the Holy Spirit is the sample of what we shall inherit of the Triune God. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 1083, 1085-1086)
Further Reading: The Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 101