LAW OF HEAVENLY INHERITANCE
By J. O. C.
The Sure Foundation of the Eternal Heritage—“They Are the Sons of God”—The Heirs Have Received God’s Life
ACCORDING to the laws of nations, it is considered legitimate for any one, without the remotest blood-relationship, to be made a property beneficiary through the expressed will of a would-be benefactor. This has been done, at times, to the disadvantage of those in whose veins flowed the life-blood of the donor, and may have been because of a characteristic notional regard for the favored one, formed, perhaps, by some clandestine association. The provision by which such unjust distributions become possible reveals one of the weaknesses of human enactments. Then, too, human testamentary documents are not operative while the testator lives, and so in some cases are never fully carried out, because the intended beneficiary dies before the one whose heir he was to be. Perhaps, also, after documentary provision has been made for the disposition of an accumulated fortune, reverses come in and dissipate the entire estate, thus nullifying the claim of inheritance. Upon the first conjecture an heir presumptive never becomes a beneficiary, and on the second count he inherits nothing but bitter disappointment. Were the promise of an eternal inheritance founded on no surer basis, one might well question the utility of renouncing the promises of worldly advancement for a problematical inheritance beyond earthly scenes and labors. But this is not so; for He who provides heritage for His favored ones, does not arrange for them to wait on His decease for their anticipated benefit. Neither does He intend to hand over to their independent control the vast interests of His created possessions. On the other hand, His will provides that every heir to His infinite assets shall enjoy them in His glorious presence and under His most sagacious direction. There is a possible undervalued thought in the account of man’s creation, where the expression occurs, “In the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.” Gen. 1: 27. Referring to this, the Saviour said that the two were made “one flesh.” The prophet Malachi tells why this was so. He says, “Did not He make one?” That is to say, did not God make male and female one? The prophet then adds: “And wherefore one? That He might seek a godly seed” (margin, “Heb., a seed of God”). Mal. 2: 15. To this end Jehovah’s life was breathed into the “one” (Gen. 2: 7), that his offspring might be the “seed of God,” and so dwell forever in His presence. This life loan was conditional, to be continued only so long as the endowed mind adhered to Heaven’s ways. To disobey the divine injunction would bring death, that is, the forfeiture of God’s life which had been so graciously imparted. Gen. 2: 17. THE HIGHEST NEXT TO GOD WAS GIVEN
The life of God having been lost to the “one” by breach of condition, his offspring could not then be counted as the “seed of God,” to whom alone belonged the eternal inheritance. As only a divine “seed” could inherit heavenly treasures, a second “Seed of God” must be provided in the flesh, if indeed descendants of the fallen Adam were to be rescued and redeemed. This superadded “Seed” must be of and from God, to insure His offspring an entrance to the joys of a holy inheritance. Therefore the highest Being in the universe, under God, the only-begotten Son of Omnipotence, was brought manward in the “likeness of sinful flesh” (Rom. 8: 3), that He might, as the second Adam, become a life-giving genius to all who would receive Him. 1 Cor. 15: 45; John 3: 16. Pursuant to this result, He came and tasted death for every man (Heb. 2: 9), and thus prepared a way for the reception of that life which had been forfeited by the progenitor of the race. Had not the Lord of boundless resources provided thus a “Seed” for Himself, the entire lineage of Adam would have been as Sodom and Gomorrah, totally destroyed, and without hope. Rom. 9: 29. But to receive Christ as the holy Seed, one becomes a “temple of God,” in which the indwelling of God’s life atmosphere transforms the earthly being into a child of God, and an heir elect of His infinite possessions. “THEY ARE THE SONS OF GOD”
This is clearly traced out by the apostle in his most wonderful letter to the Roman brethren. Thus he says, “As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” Rom. 8: 14. This transforming Spirit by which earthly souls are led into heavenly sonship, is regarded as identical with “divine life,” as is revealed in verse 10. By substituting the word “life” for the other, one recognizes in verse 16 that the reception of the Spirit is the restoration of the original life lost by our first parents, which witnesses with ours that we are the seed, or children, of God. But the apostle carries his chain of reasoning forward to a most happy conclusion as follows: “If children, then heirs,” yes, “heirs of God” indeed; and because we have been made partakers of the divine “Seed of God,” we are made “joint heirs,” that is, equal heirs with Him. Thus the law of heavenly inheritance recognizes as heirs only those who have received God’s life through the spiritual pedigree of the Lord Jesus, who, as the Seed of God, has been made to sinful men wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. 1 Cor. 1: 30. But the provision to this end is so ample that every one desiring to receive the prize, may readily avail himself of it. The invitation is to all in these words: “Come unto Me, all that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matt. 11: 28. These are good words; so “let him that heareth say, Come. . . . And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Rev. 22: 17. J. O. C.