How Can We Help?
Christ’s Joint-Heirship: Rewards in Heaven
Can you please comment on this article. I have highlighted several concerning parts in blue. I believe that Romans 8:17 is teaching that joint-heirship is a gift that all people in the body of Christ receive. We will all have different positions in the heavenly places but as joint heirs.
Romans 8:17: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. In Romans 8:17, the conditional statement that Christ is revealing to the Apostle Paul is that joint-heirship with Christ, which is available for all sons of God our Father has introduced here in Romans 8:17. This is the hall mark criteria which establishes the measured criteria for the reward of joint-heirship together with Christ Jesus during His reign in the heavenly places. This is God’s Will for His sons, e.g. believer saints, that we all come to the perfect maturity through suffering for Christ’s sake, which builds and grows inside our inner man the genuine attitude to follow Gods’ curriculum of sonship education for the purpose of joint-heir reward in the heavenly places in Christ. The timing of this reward takes place after the appearing of Christ in the Rapture.
God has promised a joint heirship rewards which is preserved for His Sons who follow His curriculum and mature as unto perfect believer saints into the Father’s prescribed Son ship relationship. This is learned via a curriculum as set forth by God the Father for His sons of God, which is offered as a learning tool to all believers. However, believers must earnestly desire the Father’s will in learning this curriculum which God established. Since this criteria in Romans 8:17 is a conditional statement, it behooves us all the more to genuine attitude change towards Gods’ orientation to this topic.
Today we are to be equipped in the Father’s business on earth as a practice in our sanctification in order to prove to the Father that we are worthy to be trusted in His business inside the heavenly places.
How do we then begin this journey to become assured of our joint-heir position / privilege in which we operate under the headship of Christ, yet operate together with Him as He has purposed for His sons and daughters? To start, first must have the proper and genuine orientation and attitude towards God’s purpose for you. This starts with an initial salvation attitude that came about from a genuine fear and trembling in which you received Christ [see II Corinthians 7:15] for salvation. This is exactly the very same genuine orientation we must continue in. This was our initial motivation to be saved from the death and penalty of sin; this now is that same motivation to continue in our sanctification life on earth.
II Corinthians 7:15: And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him. In Philippians 2:12, saved saints don’t need to work out their salvation again. Philippians 2:12 pertains to the believers’ sanctification, which is to be done with fear and trembling, in order to please God. This stems from the fact that the Philippians were believer saints already [See Philippians 1:1].Philippians 2:12: Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation [sanctification in scope, not salvation] with fear and trembling.
I agree with your thoughts. The verse states first “if children, then heirs; heirs of god, and joint-heirs with Christ…”. If there is any condition implied in the verse, it applies to what is said after the pronouncement of our inheritance.
I understand the importance of our “son ship position” but like many who see an important doctrine in one passage, they end up building a chain of verses and look at verses from that view point rather than its natural context. Then they make up a vocabulary that goes along with their teaching so that unless you are familiar with their teachings you would not understand their comments on verses like this.