439 - Sons and Servants Cannot Inherit Together#
(JP Text Group - shalom compilation)
Dear family, peace in the Lord, welcome to your arrival. Today is Sunday, and we will share God's word together.
Today's topic is: Sons and Servants Cannot Inherit Together.
Let's read Genesis 21:9-13 together:
9 At that time, Sarah saw the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham laughing. 10 So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this maidservant and her son! For the son of this maidservant shall not be heir with my son Isaac.” 11 And the matter was very displeasing in Abraham’s sight because of his son. 12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your maidservant. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called. 13 Yet I will also make a nation of the son of the maidservant, because he is your seed.”
Let us pray first.
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you. Thank you for starting our new week of life. As this new week begins, we are willing to first receive your word. Your word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. We draw strength from your word and live with your power! This is a wonderful week. Please lead me to know you more and experience you more. Through today’s word, grant me what I need at this moment. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen.
In life, it is inevitable to have some long-time friends leave due to differing viewpoints. It is indeed sad, but ultimately it is because the viewpoints are no longer the same, unable to share in the blessings that follow, unable to move forward together. In the spiritual realm, this is actually a matter of law and grace.
Often, some people tell me: because they understand the truth, friends from years of faith have turned against me. No matter how I explain, they do not want to associate with me anymore. I tell them: let them be, because grace and law cannot coexist under one roof. Ultimately, they will part ways unless both accept.
This article mentions the son and the servant. Isaac is the son, while Ishmael is the servant. Their identities are different, and their outcomes are different. Although their father is Abraham, the final outcomes are completely different. Just as we all believe in the Lord and trust in Jesus, many people still believe in a confused manner. Therefore, there will always be such people saying: we have already believed in the Lord, why does God not bless me? God blesses those around me but does not bless me... Perhaps we should consider whether our faith is correct. Many people do not realize they are beloved children of God; clearly, they are sons but live like servants. Some people are clearly servants but act like sons.
Ecclesiastes 10:5-7:
5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, as an error proceeding from the ruler: 6 folly is set in great dignity, while the rich sit in a lowly place. 7 I have seen servants on horses, while princes walk on the ground like servants.
We see this evil; Ecclesiastes points out that there are many things under the sun that are abnormal and wrong, and it also points out the essence of many phenomena under the sun.
Look at this: there is an evil that seems to arise from the error of those in power. Where is it abnormal? Folly is set in great dignity. How does a fool come to be in a high position? Clearly lacking ability, yet in a high position, indicates something is wrong.
The rich sit in a lowly place. Here, the rich do not refer to those with money, but to those with abundant life inside who sit in a lowly place, unappreciated and underutilized, seemingly abandoned by the world. Looking back, is this not an evil? We also see such things around us, where those without ability sit in high positions, while those with true ability are squeezed out with nowhere to go. This is an evil under the sun.
Verse 7 says: I have seen servants on horses, while princes walk on the ground like servants.
Can a servant not ride a horse? What is primarily being indicated here? According to normal order, a prince rides a horse while a servant walks on the ground. But now everything is reversed; the servant rides a horse, indicating that these people should not have received these things, yet they have. The prince, who is of noble identity, does not know he is a prince and lives like a servant walking on the ground. Everything seems to be turned upside down, which has a significant relationship with what is discussed in this article.
First, let’s look at Hagar. Where did Hagar come from? What does Hagar symbolize? Let’s first look at these two verses, where Hagar first appears in the Bible.
Genesis 12:10: Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land.
Verse 16: Pharaoh treated Abram well for her sake; he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, female donkeys, and maidservants given to him.
Originally, there was a problem at that time. Abraham lived in Canaan, but due to a famine, he went to Egypt. The promised land was in Canaan, but now there was a famine in the promised land. Perhaps at that time, Abraham's faith was not that strong; he did not yet know how to rely on God in everything. When faced with difficulties, he chose to solve problems with human methods and went to Egypt. Unexpectedly, after arriving in Egypt, something happened: his wife was so beautiful that he feared the unbelieving foreigners might kill him for her sake, so he deceived others by saying his wife was his sister. The king of Egypt took a liking to his wife.
Once, Pharaoh saw Abraham playing with his wife, indicating there were intimate actions, and Pharaoh said: She is clearly your wife; why do you say she is your sister? Many people almost had relations with your wife! Pharaoh saw this, indicating he still had a fear of God. After this was revealed, Pharaoh treated Abraham well because of this woman, giving him many sheep, oxen, camels, and maidservants. Although it does not mention that the maidservant was Hagar, it can be inferred later that Abraham never went to Egypt again.
Genesis 16:1-2:
1 Now Sarai, Abram's wife, bore him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar. 2 So Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai.
Now, combining these verses, we can see that Abraham returned to Canaan, but there was a problem: his wife could not bear children. His wife saw that her young maidservant Hagar was an Egyptian. Where did this Egyptian come from? It cannot be that Abraham went to Egypt again to buy a maidservant. So it is likely that Pharaoh gave her to him because of Abraham's wife Sarai.
Now there was no way out. Seeing that her body was already old, she used her own method. This indicates that at this time, Sarah's understanding of God was not very deep, even overly one-sided. Seeing that her body was failing, but God's promise had not yet been fulfilled, they waited and waited, seemingly unable to wait any longer. So Sarah thought of a human method, allowing Abraham to go in to the maidservant Hagar to have a child to be named after her. This was a common practice at that time, but it was a human effort.
So brothers and sisters, through these events, we can see that when there is doubt about God's promise, people often resort to human methods, which is called law. God gave him a son, which is God's grace. If he had believed in God's promise and held on, it would have been fine. But human thoughts came in, and it is impossible to inherit God's blessings simultaneously. You must either use God's methods or human methods. Through these events, remember that at all times, you must believe in God's promises.
First, let’s look at what God's promise to him was in Genesis 15:1-4:
1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” 2 But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!” 4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.”
Did you see that? This is what happened in Genesis 15. God had already promised Abraham in chapter 15 not to feel that he had no offspring, not to feel that his house would be given to a relative's child. It is not like that; only what is born from your own body shall be your heir. Immediately following, in Genesis 16, his wife told him to go in to the maidservant.
We should have this understanding: chapter 15 is before chapter 16. God first gave the promise to Abraham, and not long after, he became weak. His wife might have been quite strong at that time, persuading Abraham with human methods and rationality. Why? Because Abraham was already quite old, so he might have had some doubts. This presents two options: one is whether to continue believing in God's grace, and the other is to solve it with human methods. When Abraham was eighty-six years old, Hagar's son Ishmael was born. The moment this child was born, Hagar felt her status in the household had changed.
Previously, I just shared about the servant riding a horse. What does that mean? She was originally a servant, not realizing her identity. She felt that having a son changed her status, increasingly looking down on her mistress Sarah. This goes back to what was previously shared: can a servant not ride a horse? Yes, but if she has a servant's mentality, once she rides a horse, she will forget herself and become arrogant. That is the problem!
Many people do not believe in the Lord, but once they have money and power, they become arrogant, thinking they can do whatever they want, even bully God's people. They do not realize there is a Creator in the world who does not allow them to bully God's children so recklessly! Just like Hagar, she completely failed to realize she should not belittle her mistress Sarah. Perhaps because she had a son, she felt she had merit and made things difficult for Sarah, possibly disrespecting her in words and looking down on her in some matters.
Brothers and sisters, this is the law. How can such two people live under the same roof? In the Bible, Sarah symbolizes grace, while Hagar symbolizes the law. Grace is centered on God, while the law is centered on self, judging everything by actions and results.
Now Hagar is clearly like this: I have merit, I have fruit, I have a son, so I have a voice! She wants to replace Sarah through her actions! When grace and law appear in the same place, there will inevitably be constant conflict. So if you have accepted grace, while some are under the law and cling to the law, always trying to earn God's blessings through their own actions, their viewpoints cannot align. If you argue with them, the argument will be endless. My advice to you is: do not argue with them; that is wisdom!
Galatians 4:22-26:
22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons: one by a bondwoman, the other by a free woman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the free woman through promise. 24 Which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar. 25 For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.
This passage clearly explains that according to the law, Abraham had two sons: Ishmael and Isaac. Ishmael was born of the bondwoman. The Bible always refers to her as the bondwoman. Even though she bore a son, she is still a bondwoman. Just like people in the world, if they do not believe in Jesus, no matter how great their achievements or merits, they are still sinners. This identity does not change because of great achievements. This is born of the flesh, so Hagar belongs to the law, which is born of the flesh.
Sarah, on the other hand, is recognized by God. It is not that Sarah's actions are necessarily better than Hagar's, but because she is the one promised by God, born according to promise. Sarah bore Isaac without any merit of her own; she was already old, and everything had decayed at ninety years old. Therefore, the birth of her son was entirely God's grace, and Sarah was very clear about this.
What does this indicate? Our ability to become children of God and be pleasing to God is not due to our merits or achievements, but rather God's grace. We receive blessings from God based on promises. Therefore, those who understand they are sons will not become arrogant. Only when a servant rides a horse and feels they have achieved something will they look down on others.
So Paul says: These are symbolic. The two women represent two covenants. Hagar belongs to the covenant of the law, whether it is the Mount Sinai of Arabia or the present Jerusalem, both belong to the law, because they live according to the law and want to please God through their actions. Think about it, what can you boast about in your life?
Do you say you have done many things for the Lord, preached the gospel a lot, served God for many years...? If you boast about these things, you belong under Mount Sinai. You are clearly a son, yet you keep boasting about what the servant has done. This is a characteristic of being born into bondage.
But the Jerusalem above, where is that? The heavenly Jerusalem. What we can boast about must not be on earth. If you boast based on earthly things, that belongs to the realm of servants. The Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother, referring to the fact that God's promises and blessings come down from above. Amen. Does this mean that once we become children of God, we do not need to do anything, and we do not need good behavior? Of course not. There is a significant difference between the two. A servant boasts about good behavior, wanting others to recognize him, wanting the Father to recognize him. A son knows he is a son and will do what pleases the Father, bearing good fruit. But no matter how great his achievements are, he will not boast about them, just like a prince riding a horse does not boast about riding a horse.
However, a servant is different. Previously, he had never ridden a horse, but now he finally has the achievement of riding a horse. He will say: Look, I can ride a horse! In fact, for a prince, riding a horse is not worth boasting about; it is merely a gift and blessing from the Father. Amen. Brothers and sisters, can you distinguish this? If you recognize in your heart that you are a son, you will do what pleases the Father. But no matter how great your achievements are, you will not boast about them. What you boast about is how much your Father loves you.
Now what is the problem? The law and grace are under the same roof, causing endless disputes. So Hagar and her son may look down on Sarah, wanting to resolve these disputes with only one solution: one must leave. Either the one under the law leaves, or the one under grace leaves; otherwise, the conflict will never cease. From Abraham's perspective, both women now have sons, both are his children, both are pleasing to him, making it difficult to choose. But now, because the conflict has become irreconcilable, Sarah has clearly had enough, especially after Isaac was weaned. This is a clear dividing line.
In ancient times, the infant mortality rate was very high, so children had to be raised until weaning, when they could eat regular food, indicating that the child could survive. This was a matter worth celebrating. When Isaac was weaned, which was around the age of three to five, Abraham prepared a great feast according to the customs of the land to celebrate his son's weaning, indicating he could live on. Sarah saw the Egyptian Hagar laughing at the son born to Abraham. At this time, Ishmael was about seventeen to twenty years old. It was clear that in terms of rivalry, Isaac was not a match for the two of them, as Isaac was so small.
Now Sarah saw Ishmael laughing at her son, more accurately, mocking Isaac. She could no longer endure it, believing: my son can now live; why should I tolerate you again? Another issue was her insecurity; she feared that her son had not yet grown up, and the inheritance would already be given to Ishmael. So she could not endure it any longer. She believed that the son and the servant could not inherit together.
Verse 10: So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this maidservant and her son! For the son of this maidservant shall not inherit with my son Isaac.”
After weaning, it indicates that this child will surely live in the future; inheriting the estate is a matter of course. But now that those two mock Isaac, there will surely be constant disputes over the inheritance. To eliminate future troubles, Sarah said: cast these two out; he cannot inherit with my son Isaac. We wonder: is there no other way? Must grace and law be irreconcilable? Cannot they love each other? The answer is indeed no.
Galatians 4:28-31:
28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. 29 But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now. 30 Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman.” 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.
Paul clearly tells us here: we are children of promise, just like Isaac. Isaac was born of God's promise, and inheriting the estate is a matter of course, not based on good behavior, but on identity.
Verse 29 says: But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, this refers to whom? Hagar and Ishmael belong to the flesh, born according to human methods and efforts. In life, we often say we rely on God, but in many matters, most Christians solve problems according to the flesh. Let me give you an example: for instance, Abraham and his nephew Lot had a dispute because their herdsmen were numerous and the grass was scarce. Abraham said: we should not argue; to solve this problem, let’s separate! You choose a place!
How did Lot choose? Lot lifted his eyes and saw the plain of Sodom, which was very beautiful, suitable for living and raising sheep, so he chose Sodom according to his own way. This is a decision made according to the flesh and human perspective.
I often tell everyone: when encountering problems in life, pray to God first, and also read the Bible more to see what the principles in the Bible are. When encountering problems, solve them according to God's methods! However, most believers do not read the Bible and do not know what God's methods are. So when they encounter problems, they instinctively solve them according to past human experiences, achievements, and end up blaming God when things go wrong, attributing their failures to God not blessing them. In fact, their methods are wrong, and their choices are wrong!
Just like Lot, who chose Sodom and ended up with nothing. He should not blame God because whether he went to Sodom or not, his outcome was already determined. Why did he choose that place?
Brothers and sisters, the characteristic of the law is self-centeredness, always thinking about one's own gains and losses. Ishmael is like this, and the Pharisees recorded in the New Testament are like this, as are unbelievers, all under the law. They think: will I gain more benefits? How can those under grace get along with such people? They are always calculating you, wanting to take more of your things, wanting to turn yours into theirs. How can you be friends with such people? If you offend them even a little, they will entangle you endlessly.
Those under grace receive blessings from God. Because they receive freely, they are willing to give. This is grace. A son of God has a broad heart; he does not think about how to calculate others but how to help and build others up. Isn’t that right, brothers and sisters?
Look at Isaac; he is the son of promise, representing obedience. Later we see that he indeed differs from the world. For example, he reopened the wells that his father had dug. When he finished digging a well, others came to seize it. Isaac did not fight with them; he chose to compromise and yield. In our view, does believing in the Lord mean being so meek? It is not a matter of meekness. Isaac felt that God's blessings were too abundant. What use is it to seize this? I am not short of money, so I will just give you that blessing. In his heart, there was no resentment. As a result, those who seized his well ultimately saw God's continuous blessings upon him and became afraid. This is a person under grace!
David also did not contend for power with Saul. Brothers and sisters, David had at least three opportunities to kill King Saul immediately, but he did not act. Why? He knew that this power was given to him by God, not something to be seized by his efforts. What is seized cannot last long. Therefore, David did not kill Saul and commanded his men: you shall not take his life. He may die, or grow old and die, or die in battle; it is up to the Lord. You shall not kill him, for he is the Lord's anointed! How did David view himself and others? He respected others' lives. Brothers and sisters, this is the mindset of grace. Amen.
Isn't Jesus recorded in the New Testament the same? He had no evil in His heart, always thinking about how to give life to others, how to bless others, how to lead people into abundance. However, the Pharisees at that time thought Jesus came to compete with them for sheep, and the Roman rulers thought Jesus came to compete with them for the kingdom. What does this indicate? Those under the law have too narrow a heart, always measuring a gentleman's heart with a villain's mind. Why? Because the two are not on the same level, so they cannot understand you. Even if you are good to them, they will think you have ulterior motives, wanting to take something from them. They do not realize that your help is because of God's love, that you give to them because of God's love. In fact, the two are completely different.
This is also why Sarah believed that Ishmael could not be with her son Isaac. Because at such a young age, they began to mock her son, how could they possibly get along in harmony in the future? Those under the law will use all methods to seize, while the other will give. It seems that those under grace are weak and fail, but from a spiritual perspective, all blessings come down from the Father. Only this Father has true authority. If you believe in God, you should believe that God will continually bless you, and you will not use human methods to seize.
When Sarah could no longer endure Hagar, she told Abraham to cast them out. This also indicates that they truly could not live in harmony together and could not inherit together. At that time, Sarah felt that if these two children shared the inheritance, it might lead to a life-and-death struggle. Later, it was indeed proven that these two sons and their descendants have been in conflict ever since, and it continues to this day. From a spiritual perspective, this is the mindset of Hagar and her son: I must seize back what is not mine! From a spiritual position, Isaac knows he is a son, so he knows that his father will surely give him the inheritance. Hagar, being a maidservant, also has a son who is a servant, so they will try every means to change their current unequal status and seize.
Now I want to ask you: in God's eyes, are you a servant or a son? If you feel you are a servant, you will not be satisfied with what God has given you. You will use every means, human efforts, and methods to seize from others, or you will want to rely on your achievements on earth to earn the Father's favor and gain the recognition of the world.
But if you are a son, knowing that your identity will not change, knowing that our Heavenly Father loves you, whether you do something or not, you are loved by this Father. Once you understand this, you will not care about the world's evaluation of you. No matter how wrongly others evaluate you, you are still the beloved son of the Father. If he does not understand this, when someone says something unpleasant or gives him a wrong comment, he cannot endure it: why do others say that about me? I cannot stand it; I must argue and debate with him!
In fact, it is really unnecessary. That indicates you are not sufficiently certain of your true identity. You should turn back and return to the Father, seriously reflecting on your identity as a son, beloved by God. You will not care what others say. Amen.
As for the inheritance, it is the same. Understanding the Father's love for you, you are willing to do what pleases the Father. You will not engage in evil things or things that seek fame and profit because you do not need to gain the world's recognition or the Father's favor through strife. He is already pleased with you. Amen. God also wants to give you more inheritance. If you do not have a broad heart, if God gives you, will that not be a bad thing?
Brothers and sisters, God wants to give these blessings to all His children. Unfortunately, many children do not want to receive grace from God, and most people strive and seize through their own efforts. In people's hearts, there are two laws constantly battling: one is the law of the flesh, and the other is the law of the Spirit.
Romans 7:18-19:
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.
What does this mean? The two laws within us are battling like this. When faced with problems, it is easy to submit to the law of the flesh and do what we do not want to do because the law of the flesh thinks of immediate benefits, thinking of one's own gains and losses. It is difficult for a person to overcome this unless they rely on Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
Romans 6:15-17:
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.
Paul is clearly telling us here that there are always these two laws in people's hearts, meaning the law of the law and the law of the Spirit coexist in our hearts. You have to make a choice; you cannot let these two laws appear simultaneously. That would be equivalent to Abraham forcing Ishmael and Isaac to live under the same roof, leading to constant conflict. Every time you encounter a problem, you think: if I do not do this, the benefits will be less, and others will gain more. On the other hand, one voice tells you: you are God's beloved son; you can give, and God will give you more.
The voice of the law says: if you do not think of yourself, how can you gain more? This kind of thinking will constantly battle within you. After a long time of struggle, it is easy to believe in the fleshly approach. Paul tells us: what does this mean? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?
The reason people sin is that they submit to the law of the law, yielding to the flesh. Brothers and sisters, how to live out God's word and inherit the inheritance from God is to inherit, meaning God has already prepared it. Can we receive it? Many believers cannot receive it, not because God does not give it to them, but because they submit to the law of the flesh and try to seize it by themselves, so they cannot receive God's blessings.
Paul tells us: do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey?
This does not mean that if we submit to sin, we will not be saved and become sinful again. That is not the meaning. It means you are already saved and are already a child of God. But if you insist on submitting to the flesh and living as a slave, you will become a slave to sin. Clearly, you are a son, yet you walk on the ground like a servant. Can you blame God?
God has already told you that you are a son who can ride a horse, yet you say: no, I am a servant! Our Lord has already told you: I have given you the word; read the Bible more. If you act according to the words of the Bible, you will surely achieve something and enjoy abundance! You say: no, I do not have time to read the Bible; I have many things to do; there are a lot of things at home; how can I have time to gather or listen to the word? I have no time!
There are always very reasonable excuses. This is presenting yourself as a slave, not believing that God's word will surely bring you breakthroughs. What is the result? Becoming a slave to sin, leading to death. How many people can arrange their seven days fully, yet they have no time for God? They can use seven days to work, but they have no time to do God's work. They can spend seven days scrolling through their phones, watching all kinds of gossip news, yet they have no thought to read the Bible or listen to the word.
Many people tell me: I really do not feel like listening to the word; I feel uncomfortable when I listen to it. Instead, I can accept scrolling through various short videos. What is the reason? Or being a slave to sin, leading to death, means that these fruits are all fruits of death. This will only waste your life and time, ultimately leaving you with nothing. This is the choice of many people.
Many people also know that this is wrong, but they seem unable to break free. They need to make a choice: can you cast out this maidservant and her son? Just leave one, and you will not have to watch them fight every day. So God told Abraham: in this matter, you must listen to your wife Sarah. You do not need to worry; I will take care of the maidservant's son because he is also your seed!
What does this mean? In this matter, God believes that what Sarah did was correct. Abraham truly could not make up his mind. Do we also find it hard to make up our minds? Saying: if life only consists of reading the Bible, listening to the word, and focusing on God's words, what is the meaning of living? Isn’t life no longer exciting?
You have it exactly backward. If you put God's words and God's matters first, and use this time to serve others, to listen to the word and read the Bible, your life will become more fulfilling. Your life will have meaning and hope. Look at those around you who scroll through short videos, watching gossip; they become increasingly empty. They become slaves to sin, ultimately not knowing the meaning of their existence. Do you really want to become like that?
Can you make up your mind: to change your life habits, to cast out the maidservant and her son, leaving only Isaac, believing in God's promises, and no longer focusing on anything unrelated to God's promises? Clean out all the messy things! In the past, you focused on all kinds of information, but now you need to clean up what does not belong to grace, what does not belong to God's promised land. Clean out those things that cause sorrow and anxiety, and only focus on the words that come from God. Your everything will become better and better!
Or being obedient slaves, leading to righteousness.
What does this mean? By obeying God's words, your situation will improve and improve. Amen. Thank God, because although you were once slaves to sin, how you lived in the past is now in the past. Can you now choose to obey God's words and live? Then you can inherit the inheritance from God. If a person focuses every day on gossip news, who is fighting with whom, which two pastors are fighting again, or who has scandals in their church... always focusing on these things, can they have faith? If you always focus on these, what can you inherit? What you hold in your heart is: this is how believing in God is, this is how believers are, this is how it is under grace... you cannot inherit God's inheritance.
But if you focus on Jesus, always focusing on the grace brought by what Jesus accomplished on the cross, He will allow you to inherit the inheritance from God, such as joy, peace, blessings, and so on. Amen. It depends on how we choose. Are you willing to cast out that maidservant and her son in your heart and live like Jesus?
Galatians 3:26-29:
26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Now Paul has already told us the conclusion: through faith in Christ Jesus, we are all children of God. Without exception, you cannot say, I believe in Jesus today, but I still feel like a servant. No, we are all sons. Some sons live like sons, while some sons live like servants. This cannot be blamed on God; it is due to one's insufficient understanding or misunderstanding of God.
For example, some people say: the Heavenly Father does not love me; this God is unwilling to bless me! These are all servant mindsets. You should completely remove this thought. It is not that God does not love you; God surely loves you. It is not that God is unwilling to bless you; God is certainly willing to bless you. Do not have other thoughts. Amen.
If you have not received, you should think: Lord, how should I adjust myself? As long as the adjustment is correct, you will surely receive it. It is just like tuning a radio. When you turn it on and there is no sound, you need to adjust it left and right. As long as the frequency is right, you can receive the sound from there. Similarly, if the frequency is wrong, it does not mean there is no sound coming from there; the problem lies with the receiver. So what should you do? Adjust yourself, adjust your thoughts, adjust your actions. Just keep adjusting to align with God, and then the sound will come! The blessings will come! You will inherit!
You who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. In God's eyes, when you believe in Jesus, you are clothed in the righteousness of Christ. God sees us as the same as Jesus. Just as He loves Jesus, He loves us. Just as He blesses Jesus, He is willing to bless us. However, many people have biases against the promises, biases against servants. What is the bias of the servant? It is the belief that if I do not do anything, God will not bless me. I must rely on doing something; if I do well, God will bless me more. It is not like that.
What is the other extreme? The extreme belief that since I am already a son, I do not need to do anything. God will surely bless me. I will just sit here and wait for blessings to fall from heaven. As a result, I receive nothing. Both extremes are incorrect.
First, you must correctly believe that we are sons, and then do what sons should do. Believe that God has already blessed me, so I am willing to do things, to do what pleases God, and then I can inherit this blessing. Amen. God has already prepared blessings for you. You just need to take them back to receive them!
Just like manna, God has already prepared it all around the camp. Go out and pick it up, and you will inherit this blessing. Whether you fry it, roast it, or fry it, it is all fine. But if you believe that manna is already prepared, yet you just stay in your tent waiting, you will still receive nothing!
Many people have problems here. Believe that in Christ, God sees you as a beloved son. You are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. Amen. God is willing to give this blessing to you, but you must let the law in your heart leave, only keeping God's promises. Clean out all the messy thoughts in your mind, all the messy information, leaving only the words of God's promises. If you live according to these promises, you will surely inherit abundant blessings from God! Thank the Lord, try doing this and see.
Once again, I emphasize: even if you do not do anything, God will still bless you; you are still God's beloved son. But I would rather we live out the likeness of Christ. Your life will change, leading to a greater understanding of God, experiencing more of God's blessings, and you will also become a help to others. Hallelujah!
Let us pray together.
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you. Thank you for blessing us with such words. We are sons. Through Jesus, we have all become children of God. You love us just as you love Jesus.
As the new week begins, you will bless the work of my hands. So I will live with a son’s heart, willing to experience you according to God's word. Please help me to have such wisdom in my life, not to be self-centered, but to live centered on Jesus, relying on you in everything!
Please lead me to know you more. I am a person who inherits God's inheritance. What you give me, no one can take away. I also believe I am a channel of this blessing. You have blessed me, and I will also become a blessing to those around me. Thank you, Lord. May our Heavenly Father receive glory; all glory belongs to you. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen.