ROM 8:16-17 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
When a timid old lady approached the first desk she saw in an insurance office in Minneapolis, she was asked what she wanted. With trembling hand, she took from her well-worn purse an old policy and explained regretfully that she was unable to meet the current premium. She explained that it was hard for her to get work and what little she did get was hardly enough to clothe and feed her and keep a roof over her head.
After a quick investigation, the clerk recognized that the policy was very valuable. He warned the old lady that she was making an unwise move to stop payment. Did not her husband have anything to say? It was his policy made out to her benefit, he explained. “My husband? Oh, he has been dead for three years,” she remarked sadly.
Immediately the company officials went into action. They soon discovered that she was indeed telling the truth. What she didn’t understand was that the policy was her husband’s and that she was the beneficiary at his death. They were thus obligated to refund the overpaid premiums plus the full amount for which the husband had insured his life in her favor. The money was sufficient to keep her in comfort the rest of her life.
Like that widow, we, the church, are God’s heirs. The church should not be seen as a poor thing in desperate need of the assets of the world. The church is not the beggar. The Church is the giver!! That is why the Apostle Paul could say about us “..having nothing, I possess all things.” He has made us His heir so we can do what He did. God even says the wealth of the nations will be given to His people so that they may establish His covenant.
The Church of Jesus Christ is here on earth to do His work…. Only the Church can do what must be done. Government projects can help people with food and jobs, but they cannot change a heart. The government may be able to help obtain a house, but not the love, acceptance, and forgiveness needed to make a home. Only the love and grace of Jesus Christ can do that. Only Christ can turn hatred into love, bitterness into forgiveness and reconciliation.
An economy can provide badly needed jobs. Education can teach useful knowledge about many things. Psychological techniques can aid in self-understanding….. but nothing can change the human heart EXCEPT the love and grace of Jesus Christ. There is power in the message of Jesus Christ- the gospel…the good news. It can defeat sin. It can free the heart from shame, and it can heal wounds. It can reconcile enemies, and heal broken hearts. The grace and mercy of Jesus Christ can change the world one heart at a time.
And the only institution on the earth that has been given this message that transforms hearts is the Church. What an honor to be a part of His heirs. Awesome!