Hebrews 1:14
Heirs of Salvation
Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? (Hebrews 1:14)
We now come to the heirs of salvation. What wonders we have seen in this chapter. First, the Omnipotent God introduces Himself. We see His Being in His Son, the brightest of his glory, and the express image of his person. Christ is both the Heir of all things, the Creator of all things, and it is by the word of His power that He upholds all things. Then we gleaned the ministry of salvation, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. We then traveled on to the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the name given above every name. We saw Him on the throne of righteousness for He fulfilled all righteousness. We witnessed so much in this chapter: His anointing with the oil of gladness, far above the heavens, and above his fellows; and the foundation of all things in the Lord of glory, Jesus Christ; the foundation of the world, the heavens above, that He also made the stars. Each one of these stars having its own glory, as now the heirs of salvation we have our glory in His presence. What wonders to behold. The Lord left us the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. (John 16:7)
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. (John 16:13)
We have been blessed, as the sons of God, with the ministry of the Spirit of God to guide us into all truth. This is not approximate truth, or part truth, but all truth. He, the Spirit of God, has set man apart, we are not interested in man’s truth for man has shown himself not capable of ministering truth except it be given by the Holy Spirit of God. When the Lord called me out of darkness into His marvelous light, He gave me spiritual taste-buds — How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! (Psalm 119:103) The Spirit of God allows us to taste the things that come from the world, and from the Church; if it tastes bitter we should cast it off, if it has the sweet taste of truth then we should make it part of ourselves. Remember, as the sons of God, we have been given this gift by the Lord Jesus Christ of the Spirit of God to each one who has been born again. The word of God can only be a struggle when the Spirit of God is not the teacher. We should remember some fundamentals — always compare Scripture with Scripture. Do not rely on outside material to lead you into all truth. I always say, ‘my Bible says,’ some find this amusing, but to me, along with the Lord Jesus Christ, it is the anchor of my Christianity, and my soul. I hang my faith on this sure nail, nailed in a sure place. This frees me from man’s tradition and formality. I am free to embrace and immerse myself in the Word of God, guided solely by the Spirit of Christ. According to verse 14, we also have ministering spirits sent forth with the sole purpose to minister unto us. Though they are unseen at times, one feels their presence. What reassurance we have in the Word of God that we are not alone. God has seen fit to send all that we need to know Him in the most intimate way, as a child in the embrace of a Father.
If God has given all these things for us, let us take them in sincerity as the joint heirs of Christ. We need to listen to the angelic voices, for after all, the law was ordained by them; so we too should understand their purpose and place with the joint heirs of Jesus Christ. This verse speaks also of heirship. Here are a few verses for us to muse upon.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. (Romans 8:14-17)
Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (Galatians 4:7)
So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. (Galatians 3:9)
That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: (Ephesians 3:6)
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:28, 29)
But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; (Ephesians 2:13, 14, 15)
According to these verses, the Word of God leads us to our heirship in Jesus Christ. These promises of God go all the way back to faithful Abraham. When God made His promises to Abraham He included us, the sons of God. It is the nation of Israel that is the multitude, as the sands of the sea; but for us in Christ, the body of Christ, we are as the stars of the sky. In this two-fold promise that God made to Abraham, both the nation of Israel is embraced, and her future glory with her King of kings, and Lord of lords. But for us, in the Church age, we are not an earthly people, but we are a heavenly people. All our blessings and our inheritance is in Christ above, and not of this earth. It is by the grace of God by faith from, and by Jesus Christ that He has placed us as heirs of God in heavenly places. He was given to make of twain one new man in Himself by making peace by the blood of His cross. And we, as the heirs of God in Christ Jesus, are the seed of faithful Abraham.
That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. (Genesis 22:17, 18)
Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. (Acts 26:17,18)
God has appointed His Son heir of all things, both of earth and in heaven; and we find our place with Him. He has brought us to God the Father, and we are joint heirs with Jesus Christ. What a position that we may cry, Abba Father. We have been made, in Christ, a kingdom of kings, and priests to our God. Whereby, we can offer up spiritual sacrifices which is the fruit of our lips, both in worship and in prayer to our God. Years ago, there was a man sitting by a fire in Angola, all alone to the world, but known of God and in His presence. He had served God for many years, tracking through Angola that he loved. He had before him bread and wine, and in his solitude he would remember the sacrificial death of his Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. No ceremony, no pomp, just a humble servant with his God. He offered up spiritual sacrifice to his God which was the fruit of his lips, and the faith of his heart. His name was T. Ernest Wilson, a man greatly beloved of the Lord, and a joint heir with Jesus Christ. He was, and is, one of the innumerable stars of the sky, one of the innumerable saints of God; but as the sons of God, we are like the stars of the sky, each one having his own glory and name in this grand inheritance in Jesus Christ. The knowledge of God that we share with each other is part of the unsearchable riches of His inheritance. The world has a saying, ‘you can’t take it with you’; this applies to a world without Christ. But for the Christian these are the things that are part of his inheritance: the knowledge of the Word of God, the ministry of the Spirit of God, the love of God in his heart, the unsearchable riches of Christ, and all that he has gleaned in his service for the Almighty God — all these things and much more we take with us to glory in the presence of Christ. No matter how little my service, no matter the depth of love, all will be revealed when the child has gone home, and is face to face with the Lord Jesus Christ as joint heir with the Lord of glory.
I am looking forward to Chapter 2 of the Book of Hebrews. The first word in verse 1 of Chapter 2 is ‘therefore.’ This is God’s way of jump starting our heart. Join with me as we travel the road of His grace and in the path of His love. See you in the next megabyte, and may God bless you. Amen.
© Copyright 2015, Michael Haigh
Article may be used, but not for gain. Freely ye have received, freely give.
All Scripture references are from the Authorized King James Bible. (KJV)