The BeatitudesSample

Inheritance

Written By: Pastor Bill Schott

“Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?”—James 2:5 (NKJV)

God made His choice. He has written it in the stars and declared it from Heaven, so frankly there is nothing we can do about it. The matter has been settled and God, in His infinite wisdom and holiest of counsel, has finalized the decision. He has a glorious kingdom that can only be described in terms of gold, precious jewels, and crystal streams . . . and He has chosen to share it.

Now if that’s not enough to stop all the presses and demand full coverage on the 24-hour-a-day news channels, there’s still more. And what’s so surprising now is not that God desires to share this kingdom, but it’s with whom He’s chosen to share it that’s so mind blowing. So without further ado, may I present to you the ones so chosen for this incalculable and infinitely great reward! And it is . . . the poor of this world.

That’s not a typo folks. It’s real. It’s the poor of this world who inherit the kingdom of Heaven in all of its splendor and majesty. So the thing I want to ask now is how are we to understand who the poor of this world are?

Our first hint is given in James 2:5, where we’re told that they are the “rich in faith.” So then the poor of this world are the redeemed who have been saved by faith alone. The same idea is conveyed in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, where He speaks of “the poor in spirit” as those who will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. Here Jesus is referring to those who readily acknowledge their spiritual bankruptcy apart from Him.

So the poor referred to in our passage are not lacking money; they’re lacking spiritual pride and self-reliance. They are humble towards God. They are the poor of this world, and boy do they have an inheritance coming.

So let’s ask ourselves, “Am I living in humility towards God? Am I wholly dependent on Jesus? Am I being filled with Christ’s love for me? Do I love Him?” If you have answered “no” to these questions, then now would be a good time to get on your knees and pray. If you can say “yes” to these questions, then you are amongst those who are referred to as “the poor of this world,” and it has been decreed that your inheritance is a kingdom.

DIG: Study Ephesians 1:15–21 to see what it says about the Christian’s inheritance.

DISCOVER: Read Revelation 21–22:5 to get a glimpse of the Kingdom of Heaven and its beauty.

DISPLAY: Show the world the joy that comes with anticipating such a great inheritance. They may want to inherit it, too!