An Inheritance Beyond This World. Tabernacle Experiences, Part 6
Right after we were married and had moved into our new home in Washington State,
my wife and I met a family of five from California who my wife had known as a
child.
Now, newly-weds generally don't "fit in" very well with established families,
especially ones that have an armada of children, but this was no ordinary
family. The moment they set eyes on us, they developed a special affinity for
both of us and they adopted us (unofficially and undocumented) as their own. The
mother told us to call her "mom", and no real mother could have treated us more
special. We were invited to special events, were visited by our unblood siblings
for trick-or-treating, and we even went out broccoli hunting together (Better
that deer hunting, don't you think?) Our stay in Walla Walla was made
exceptional by these friends, and we felt special to have been adopted into
their family.
Just a few years ago, I was adopted into yet another family: God's family! Once
God took up residence in my heart, I automatically became part of His family.
How could it be that God Almighty loved me so much? I was nothing but a
despicable sinner, a lowlife, unfit to be loved! Yet He forgave my past mistakes
and frivolous activities. He turned my life away from the criminal pathway it
was proceeding down. He made me an heir to His kingdom. He invited me to call
Him "Daddy"!
It's hard to believe that God would do that for us, isn't it? But it's recorded
in the Bible: "Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through
Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter
into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.
Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of
the Cross, we're a free people - free of penalties and punishments chalked up by
all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought
of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on
the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ,
a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in
him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth." (Eph 1:5-10 The
Message)
Can you imagine addressing the King of Kings and Lord of Lords as "daddy"? And
that is exactly how He wants us to call Him: "You can tell for sure that you are
now fully adopted as his own children because God sent the Spirit of his Son
into our lives crying out, 'Papa! Father!' Doesn't that privilege of intimate
conversation with God make it plain that you are not a slave, but a child? And
if you are a child, you're also an heir, with complete access to the
inheritance." (Gal 4:6-7 The Message)
God's Spirit who lives in us not only guarantees that we have been adopted as
God's sons and daughters, but also assures us of our destiny: we are destined
for the Kingdom: "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word
of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him
with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our
inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession-to the praise
of his glory." (Eph 1:13-14 NIV); and "(He) put his Spirit in our hearts as a
deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." (2 Cor 1:22 NIV)
So many of us feel rejected on our planet of ours. We can't seem to measure up
to the demands and expectations of others. An unwed daughter is avoided because
her unplanned pregnancy is not welcomed by the family. A nephew is ignored
because he is unable to visit his mom while she was in the hospital on another
continent. A grandson is shunned because he has made some bad choices in life
and it is feared that his actions will put a bad name on the family. And the
list could go on and on. Finger pointing, accusations and suspicions fly
indeterminately, closing doors right in front of people's faces. Is it any
wonder that loneliness and despair are on the rise?
The good news is that our God is not a God who measures people according to
their performance. God loves all of His children. He doesn't reject any of them,
even the most hardened criminal. The sad part is that his children are the ones
who have the tendency to reject Him! God hungers for an intimidate relationship
with all of His children. He doesn't condemn. He paid the price on the cross so
that we can indeed be free from condemnation, so that we can experience ultimate
freedom. God wants us to come to Him, to call Him "Daddy". He is excited about
showing us His kingdom, our inheritance.
All of this was made possible 2000 years ago, when Jesus took our blame and
nailed it on the cross. He died so that we could truly live. He rose up,
promising a life of victory, if only we would let Him fill our inner void. Our
heavenly Daddy cares for each one of us. He can't wait for us to spend time with
Him!
Will you take the time to really get to know Him?
"With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those
who enter into Christ's being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a
continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of
life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing
you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death. God
went for the jugular when he sent his own Son. He didn't deal with the problem
as something remote and unimportant. In his Son, Jesus, he personally took on
the human condition, entered the disordered mess of struggling humanity in order
to set it right once and for all." (Rom 8:1-3 The Message)
Can you imagine? You are God's own sons and daughters! Isn't this exciting? It
has certainly made a difference in my life!
Rob Chaffart