"to His saints God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." Colossians 1:27
Every father and mother desire to give their children inheritance. Physical wealth ranks as the most desirable inheritance that parents could give to their children. We marvel at those who were born with silver spoons and gold water taps. However, we know there are intangible inheritances that are far more precious than gold and assets. Healthy genes, wisdom, personal values, honor, authority and even citizenship are such. The richest individuals in the world; both Bill Gates and Warren Buffet couldn't agree more and donated most of their wealth to charities. Bill Gates in an interview with The Sun said, "I knew I didn't think it was a good idea to give the money to my kids." He said in another interview that he would pay for education and health issues, but his children are expected to find careers and support themselves while making a contribution to society. Bill Gates is leaving his children an inheritance worth more than money. They're learning the value of hard work and what wealth can do to enrich the world. It's like leaving with your children the Golden Goose, not just the eggs.
The true and incorruptible inheritance is the image and legacy of fathers. Hence, those who were fathers could start building an inheritance for their children by living a life of legacy and wisdom. The Bush family in the United States produced two presidents and the Lee family produced two outstanding prime ministers in Singapore. It is undeniable that intangible inheritances as mentioned are more important than tangible assets. Having said that, not all of us come from refined or comparable family backgrounds. Some families have been trapped in cycles of poverty and mediocrity for generations; such are not only poor in spirit but in material assets as well. How do such families transcend their level of debasement? In Christ, there is good news: God has given us a far better inheritance than our earthly fathers through His Son, Jesus Christ. Every child of God can now be equipped with the capabilities of God to create wealth and to achieve their highest dreams.
Our Father in heaven has given an inheritance to His children far more precious than anything in the universe; that is His own DNA. In the above verse, "the riches of the glory" refers to the inheritance of believers. This inheritance is in fact "Christ in you, the hope of glory" which means the attributes of God. In other words, God is giving us as an inheritance not only the status as a son of God but the nature of God as well. Just imagine, from now on whatever Jesus could do, you could do likewise (John 14:12). This is far more glorious and exciting than plain silver and gold. The nature of God includes His power and authority, His wisdom and character. With these attributes, life's possibilities become limitless.
How then do we obtain the inheritance of Christ's attributes? Colossians 3:1-2 said, "Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth." The "things above" represents the attributes of Christ, the "things below" represents fleshly pleasures. The phrase "set your mind" means being intentional in manifesting Christ's qualities in our actions and rejecting the pleasures of darkness. In the face of every challenges, we seek to be bolder and more confident than before. Keep imagining the Christ within you speaking out in truth and confidence. Always try to see things from Christ's perspective and allow His wisdom to surface in your thoughts. Do not put off thoughts that seemed foreign or impossible to you. Do not entertain impure thoughts and pleasures of the flesh. This is the mindset of God and it takes a lot of getting used to. You will soon find yourself opening the "Red Sea" like Moses, prospering with perseverance like Joseph of Egypt and doing things that you've never thought possible.
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