SPECIAL TOPIC: BELIEVERS' INHERITANCE

SPECIAL TOPIC: BELIEVERS' INHERITANCE (from 1 Peter 1)

In the OT every tribe except Levi received a land inheritance (cf. Joshua 14-22). The Levites, as the tribe of priests, temple servants, and local teachers, were seen as having YHWH Himself as their inheritance (cf. Ps. 16:5; 73:23-26; 119:57; 142:5; Lam. 3:24). NT writers often took the rights and privileges of the Levites and applied them to all believers. This was their way of asserting that the followers of Jesus were the true people of God and that now all believers were called to serve as priests to God (cf. 1 Pet. 2:5,9; Rev. 1:6), as the OT asserts of all Israel (cf. Exod. 19:4-6). The NT emphasis is not on the individual as a priest with certain privileges, but on the truth that all believers are priests, which demands a corporate servant attitude (cf. 1 Cor. 12:7). The NT people of God have been given the OT task of world evangelization (cf. Gen. 12:3; Exod. 19:5b; Matt. 28:18-20; Luke 24:46-47; Acts 1:8; see SPECIAL TOPIC: YHWH'S ETERNAL REDEMPTIVE PLAN).

This is the concept of Jesus as owner of creation because He was the Father’s agent of creation (cf. John 1:3,10; 1 Cor. 8:6; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2-3). We are co-heirs because He is the heir (cf. Rom. 8:17; Gal. 4:7; Col. 3:24). The Scriptures talk about believers inheriting (cf. Acts 20:32; 26:18; Eph. 1:4; Col. 1:12; 3:24) many things because of their family relationship with Jesus who is heir of all things (cf. Heb. 1:2). Therefore, they are coheirs (cf. Rom. 8:17; Gal. 4:7) of

1. the kingdom (cf. Matt. 25:34, 1 Cor. 6:9-10; 15:50; Eph. 5:5)

2. eternal life (cf. Matt. 19:29; Heb. 9:15)

3. God’s promises (cf. Heb. 6:12)

4. God’s protection of His promises (cf. 1 Pet. 1:4-5)