Sunday, August 22, 2021

To inherit and to enter the kingdom of God

Jesus said one must be born again to enter the kingdom of God, John 3.3-5.  Jesus said to the sheep, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world," Matthew 25:34  

The words "enter" and "inherit" do not mean the same thing, but they seem to speak to the same thing in these two references: those who inherit the kingdom will enter the kingdom.  

Does "inherit" always simply refer to those who will enter the kingdom, or does it speak of reward in some usages?     All believers are heirs, if entrance is understood as inheritance.  But could there be heirs of a more restricted kind based on performance in this life?

When Paul gives a vice list, he speaks of those who will not inherit the kingdom, being those who commit immorality.  I believe he is speaking of unsaved people who are identified by what is often characteristic of them, and he is telling believers not to do such things: "9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God." 1 Corinthians 6:9-10  Since believers can do these things, I think some will say that this inheritance is about rewards, but I think that here, Paul is speaking of the unsaved by what characterizes them, and we who are saved should not do these things.  The unsaved, the unrighteous, will not inherit the kingdom, and we who are saved, the righteous, should not do these things, because these things belong to our old man/ self-identity and are unbecoming of a child of God.  

But Scripture does seem to make a distinction about inheritance that seems to go beyond entrance into the kingdom to co-ruling with Christ: "... if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together."  Romans 8:17   This may be the case where not all inheritance will be equal, unless all believers in some sense suffer with Christ.  All believers are children and therefore heirs, which means they will inherit the kingdom.  But it may be that the inheritance is not equal as far as status or recognition in the kingdom, based on faithfulness in this life.  There are Scriptures that indicate reward or recognition in the life to come.  Inheritance among children is not always equal, and performance can be a basis for different distributions of inheritance.  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' Matthew 25:23   This is a parable, however, and it is at least making the point that one is accountable for what God has dispensed, and there is divine recognition and some sort of reward for being faithful with what God has dispensed.

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