Receiving Your Inheritance
Reverend J. Loren Russell
Scripture
“And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” — Galatians 3:29 (NKJV)
When we read the Old Testament, it is easy to think of God’s promises as belonging exclusively to Israel. We marvel at His faithfulness in delivering His people from Egypt, providing for them in the wilderness, defending them against their enemies, and bringing them into the Promised Land. Yet the New Testament reveals an extraordinary truth: through faith in Jesus Christ, believers have become heirs of those covenant promises.
The Apostle Paul declares that everyone who belongs to Christ is “Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” This means that God’s covenant faithfulness did not end with the Old Testament—it finds its fullest expression in Jesus Christ. While some promises were uniquely given to the nation of Israel, the character of God revealed through those promises remains unchanged. His love, His presence, His peace, His provision, His protection, His mercy, and His unfailing faithfulness belong to every child of God.
The promises of Isaiah 43 remind us that we are redeemed, called by name, and never alone. The promise of Joshua assures us that God will never leave us nor forsake us. The words spoken to David remind us that God’s steadfast love endures forever. The hope proclaimed by Jeremiah tells us that God has plans to give His people a future and hope. These promises are not dusty relics of an ancient covenant; they are living testimonies of the God who is “the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
This inheritance is not earned by our performance but received through God’s grace. It was purchased at an immeasurable price—the sacrificial death and victorious resurrection of Jesus Christ. At the cross, the promises of God were secured for all who believe. As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 1:20, “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen.” Every promise that finds its fulfillment in Christ is available to strengthen, encourage, and sustain His people today.
Too many believers live like spiritual paupers while possessing the riches of God’s covenant. Fear replaces faith. Worry overshadows peace. Doubt silences confidence. Yet our heavenly Father invites us to live as sons and daughters who know what has been freely given to them. His promises become the anchor for our faith, the comfort in our trials, and the assurance of our eternal hope.
For those of us who celebrate as citizens in America’s semiquincentennial anniversary, I encourage you to choose to live like an heir instead of an outsider of the covenant. Open God’s Word and embrace His promises with confidence. Reject the lie that you are forgotten, defeated, or alone. Through Jesus Christ, you have been welcomed into God’s family and given an inheritance that cannot be stolen, diminished, or exhausted.
Receive that inheritance with gratitude, walk in it with confidence, and celebrate it with joy. The God who made the promises is faithful to fulfill them, and every day is an opportunity to rejoice in the riches that are already yours in Christ.
Be Blessed!
Rev. J. Loren Russell is an associate minister at Goodwill Baptist Church and is the clergy officiant of the Evangelical Church of God, all in the Bronx, President/CEO of The JLR Company for Church Financial & Strategic Consulting (718-328-8096), and hosts “Matters of Faith – The Radio Show” on Monday nights from 8:00 – 10:00 PM on Facebook Live. Be sure to Friend “Matters of Faith” on YouTube and email us at mattersoffaith.mof@gmail.com. Order your copy of Matters of Faith: The eBook at www.smashwords.com/books/view/993177.
