elimChristianFellowship

Let me share with you an experience I had with the Lord that changed my life in such a way that I’ll never, never be the same again. One day, in my prayer closet, I sensed the Lord drawing me and guiding me to discover my inheritance as His son. Up to this point in my Christian walk of faith, I had left the inheritance unattended to, unstudied, undiscovered. I had wrongly believed that to walk in my inheritance would be arrogant and self-centered - I mean after all, I didn’t deserve any inheritance and I was trying to be humble! I didn’t understand how important and how valuable the inheritance was, nor did I understand that an inheritance is given to sons, it isn’t earned by servants or slaves.

The challenge the Lord put before me that day was that since His Son went through such great suffering on the Cross, endured such tremendous physical, emotional and spiritual hardship, even unto physical and spiritual death, should I not then take a purposeful journey to discover the great inheritance that the Father intended that I receive from such a costly sacrifice?!?

Rom 8:32 “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” NASU

Let’s say I were to give my all at my full-time job each week�take a little money and put it away in a savings account, get a part-time job that demanded great amounts of blood, sweat and tears�put all of that money in the same account, make great personal sacrifices to do without pleasures in my own life, all done in order to save enough to purchase for my wife a very special gift that would take a great investment of my life of over a period of say, 20 years, to express the depth of my love for her. Now, let’s say upon presenting this very expensive, but very practical and useful gift�if she were to promptly say a courteous thanks and then put it away in a box and never, ever open it and never use it for the purpose I sacrificed so greatly for her to possess it�what would that do to me? I would be devastated!!! I would be crushed and brokenhearted!!!

Now imagine a loving Father, taking the very thing that He treasures most, His very own Son, and placing the evil, wicked, despicable, sinful meditations, attitudes and deeds of the world upon Him and this Father righteously bringing His wrath and judgment upon His own Son to the point of great and excruciating suffering by the Son that the world has yet to see since.

Isa 53:5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed. NASU

Such suffering by the Son that would include: (1) being repeatedly beaten with fists, (2) having the Son’s beard ripped out, (3) being mocked and spit on, (4) being hatefully rejected by His fellow countrymen, (5) being scourged nearly to death as sharp bone fragments on the whip ripped the flesh open, (6) having a crown of thorns painfully pierce His temple and brow, (7) having large nails driven through the wrist and feet onto a cross, (8) being unjustly identified with lawbreakers though entirely innocent, and (9) suffering crucifixion unto death. Imagine this Father looking upon His Son as the Son endures such great hostility and how it troubles and pains the loving Father to observe it all. Has a Father ever experienced such sorrow over a Son?

How great a cost has been paid that we might have fellowship with the Lord, love for our neighbor, and authority over all powers of darkness! O, how expensive the price that was paid that would enable a righteous and loving Father to graciously release an inheritance to undeserving sons and daughters! The gift offered to you and to me has been purchased at such great sacrifice. Consider how deep the longing of the Father for you to (1) have the inheritance, (2) discover your inheritance, and (3) walk in your inheritance, to have spent so much for us to possess it.

The words of this modern-day hymn entitled, How Deep the Father’s Love for Us written by Stewart Townend express so tenderly, yet so truthfully and accurately how great the Father’s love is toward you. May you come to know how great the Father’s love is for you!

How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no pow’r, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

Friend, an inheritance awaits you in the kingdom of God but before you can see or discover the inheritance given to sons and daughters of the heavenly Father�you must be born again.

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” NASU

If you’ve never been born again, in other words, you’ve never turned away from the pleasures of sin to surrender the reigns of your life to Jesus Christ and trusted that His sacrifice on the Cross was a demonstration of His love to forgive you of all your sins�you can be born again, today. It’s a simple decision away. Life can be different..you can have a real, personal relationship with God�it’s what you were created for�and it’s just a simple, sincere prayer of faith away� will you pray this prayer?

Lord, I agree with You that because of my sins I am separated from You. Father, forgive me for all of my sins. With Your help, I choose to forsake for the rest of my life my sinful, selfish ways. Father, I believe that Jesus Christ, Your Son, suffered and died on the Cross, receiving the wrath and judgment that was due to me because of my sins. I believe that Jesus is risen from the dead, conquering death and the grave for me. Jesus, I ask You to come into my heart and live forever as the Lord of my life. Thank You, Father, I receive Your forgiveness for my sins, and the gift of eternal life, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

If the lyrics from Stuart Townend’s song minister to you and you would like to download the song for purchase, click on the following link and type How Deep the Father’s Love for Us in the search box (make sure you select song in the pulldown menu)…the song will come up at the bottom of the screen performed by various artists. Individual songs cost 88 cents from the Walmart website.

http://downloads.walmart.com/swap/