A son, then an heir through God.

Galatians 3:23-4:7 (NASB)

²³ But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. ²⁴ Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. ²⁵ But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. ²⁶ For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷ For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. ²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.

Sonship in Christ

4 Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything, ² but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father. ³ So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world. ⁴ But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, ⁵ so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. ⁶ Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” ⁷ Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise… Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.  What rights, benefits, privileges, along with responsibilities do we have as God’s children, heirs of God?  In Romans 8:16-17, Paul writes:  The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ…  We then share all that is Christ’s. 

In the beginning when God created man He said:  "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."(Genesis 1:26)    Man was created to have dominion or authority over all the earth. That dominion and authority was lost when Adam and Eve sinned. Now though through Christ it has been restored. Jesus says: And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.(Matthew 28:18) As His joint heirs we too share in that authority, in and through Him. He has restored us to the place of dominion and authority over all the earth. The account of peter’s confession of Christ in Matthew 16:15-19  reveals an important truth about the authority we have and the responsibility that comes with it.

 He *said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷ And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. ¹⁸ I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

It is not upon Peter that Jesus says He will build His church, but rather it is on the revelation that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Lord and Savior.  As heirs then, Jesus says we receive the keys to the kingdom of heaven. He says the gates of Hell will not stand against His church built upon the foundation of the revelation of Christ. We need to take very seriously the responsibility that comes with the authority of having those keys. “whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

What is it that we bind and loose into our lives and the lives of others? Proverbs 18:21 says: Death and life are in the power of the tongue… We need to take great care in what we say. With great authority comes great responsibility. James 3:5-10 says:   

   So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! ⁶ And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. ⁷ For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. ⁸ But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. ⁹ With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; ¹⁰ from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing.

“Whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” Our words have great power. We need to speak blessings into the lives of people, loosing abundance, health and prosperity. We need not to bind people, but the spirits of darkness, evil, hatred, violence, greed, immorality etc.

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit thank You that I have become Your child and Your heir. That as a joint heir with Christ I have been restored to the place of dominion and authority on earth. Empower me by the Spirit to walk in the fullness of that position. But also may I never take for granted the tremendous responsibility that comes with the privilege of being you heir, of having the keys to Your kingdom.  I pray also as the psalmist says: “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.” May my words be Your words and in and through my life may, Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, the only one through whom this is possible.  Amen.