Heirs of the Promise

Heirs of the promise. “You are the descendants of the prophets and the heirs of the promise that God made to our ancestors when he said to Abraham, 'Through your descendant all people on earth will be blessed.' “ Acts 3:25.

 Promises, promises was a hit song by Dion Warwick, many moons ago, and it’s also what advertising, people and society offers to us, in abundance.  One of the dictionary definitions is: an express assurance on which expectation is to be based.  For example, a hair care product that builds up an expectation in us of achieving a thick, lustrous mane. Sometimes it happens, but usually the results are inferior to the expectation, if they happen at all. We hear the word so often that most people are immune to it, and don’t even hold any hope, or expectation.  God has made assurances to us as believers.  These are not mere substance-less “air” promises, but covenant truths which we, as “heirs“, can feel confident in.  An heir, in legal terms is, a person who inherits or has a right of inheritance in the property of another following the latter's death. While an earthly will may be contested, God’s covenant is “heir” tight. 

 Let’s take a look at the earliest covenant, between God and Abram.  In that time, when people swore an oath or made a promise to each other, an animal was sacrificed, cut in two pieces, and the involved parties would walk through the carcass, shaking hands at the end to seal the deal.  As you recall from your OT knowledge, God had promised Abram that he would have descendants as numerous as the stars, and ground that now belonged to his enemies. Abe was a 90+ year old guy, with no kids, so his human mind could not envision how this could happen, to him it was impossible, but he still believed.  To prove the validity of this far-fetched promise, God ordered Abram to collect and prepare the animals, and then God did the rest. “After the sun went down and darkness fell, Abram saw a smoking firepot and a flaming torch pass between the halves of the carcasses. So the LORD made a covenant with Abram that day…” Genesis 15:17.   

God himself went between the sacrificial animals, thus forging the irrevocable covenant promise. This act was the foundation, and centuries later God entered into a new covenant with all believers, through the sacrificial death of his own precious son.  If the one with Abram is still valid, you can rest assured the one written in blood is too.  Are you an heir of the promise, looking forward to the day when you will receive your rightful inheritance?  Or, do you have doubts, and find yourself looking for loopholes in the agreement. When you feel doubt creep in, remember old Abe.  “And Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD counted him as righteous because of his faith.” Genesis 15:6.  Believe and receive, doubt and do without.