Heirs of The Promise

[Sue J Love]

“..God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 6:17-20 NASB1995)

Who are the heirs of the promise that God made of salvation from sin and of eternal life with God, according to the Scriptures taught in their appropriate context? They are the same as those who have taken refuge in the Lord. They are all who, by God-gifted and God-persuaded faith in the Lord Jesus have died with Christ to sin and who have been raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness, in the power of God (see Romans 6:1-23).

“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts.. Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?.. resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.” (Romans 6:12,16,22)

For Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

For, the grace of God, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to say NO to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for Jesus’ return. For Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (See Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 2:8-10)

“So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” (Romans 8:12-14 NASB1995)

And do you notice a common theme here? Live to God and to his righteousness, no longer in sin, but in walks of obedience to his commands, and you have salvation from sin and eternal life with God. But live to self, to please self, and not God, in walks of disobedience to God and to his commandments, in practice, and the end result is death, i.e. you will not have salvation from sin nor eternal life with God. So you won’t be heirs of the promise God made to those who choose to serve him with their lives.

And this has nothing to do with “works salvation” or trying to earn your way into heaven, for not one of us can be saved from our sins and have eternal life with God apart from God persuading us and gifting us with the faith to believe in him. But this faith is not of human flesh, but it is of God, and biblically defined it must lead to us dying with Christ to sin and following him in walks of obedience to his commands, and no longer living for the sinful pleasures of the flesh, or else we will not be heirs of the promise.

For all of God’s promises have conditions. There are “if” statements all throughout the New Testament writings indicating that something is required, and if we do what is required then we get the promised result. But if we do not do what is required, we will not get the promised result. So, we are not heirs of the promise based on lip service only, and neither were the Israelites of old. Many of them died in the wilderness and did not get to enter into God’s eternal rest because of their disobedience, their unbelief.

[Matt 7:13-14,21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 10:27-30; Ac 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17; 1 Jn 3:4-10]

For Our Nation

An Original Work / September 11, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.

Heirs of The Promise
An Original Work / May 18, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love