The Gospel - The Means of Grace XVI

Inheriting God's Promise

"Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath." (Heb. 6: 17)

Those who are elect and called are they who have become the "children" or "people" of God, as was shown in a previous posting. And, says Paul, "if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ." (Rom. 8: 17)

What is this "inheritance"? What does it involve? What things has God promised to his children and to his heirs? Are they temporal things or eternal things? A temporal salvation or an eternal one? Sometimes a biblical writer will focus on one item of the inheritance, but at other times will affirm that to be an "heir of God" means that the heir is an "heir of all things." Yes, Jesus is the one true supreme "heir," or "the heir of all things," but so are all the saved and called, for they are "joint-heirs" with Christ. This is why Paul could say to Christians - "all things are yours." (I Cor. 3: 22)

The Means or Conditions

"That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises." (Heb. 6: 12)

"Inheriting the promises" involves being saved, whether it is past, present, or future salvation. Some of these things promised by God are received in initial salvation, in conversion, some are received during the Christian life, and some are to be received in the resurrection to eternal glory and life. Further, what God has promised, in his covenant, to the "heirs of promise," concerns their deliverance from their condemned state to their glorious immortal state. For Hardshells to read Hebrews and the apostolic epistles concerning inheriting the promises and make them to deal strictly with a "time salvation" is a wholly untenable theory.

"And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance." (Heb. 9: 15)

Notice how the writer of Hebrews makes it clear that he is talking about eternal salvation for he speaks of "the promise of eternal inheritance" and of "redemption" from "transgressions."

What are the means or conditions for obtaining the promise of heirship, of the promise of "eternal inheritance"? The writer says - "though faith and patience (perseverence) inherit the promises." But, Hardshells deny that faith and perseverance are conditions for obtaining eternal inheritance, affirming that many heathens who are without faith in God and in Christ, are nevertheless to become recipients of the eternal inheritance. Also, those who receive eternal inheritance are identified as being "those that are called," and we have already seen how Paul affirms that this "calling" is "by the gospel." (II Thess. 2: 14)

Hardshells, in holding to unconditional election, have rejected all propositions that put conditions with salvation. Yet, the old Baptists, like John Bunyan, did not speak of salvation as being strictly unconditional, but also conditional. The old Baptists of primitive times spoke of salvation as being both unconditional and conditional, unconditional in one sense and conditional in another sense. The Hardshells, however, affirm that eternal salvation is conditional in no sense, not conditioned upon faith and perseverance. But, the writer of Hebrews was no Hardshell for he plainly affirms that becoming heirs of God's promises is conditioned upon one having faith, faith in God and in Jesus as Lord and Savior, and persevering in that faith to the end.

"That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith...For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise." (Gal. 3: 14, 18)

In a previous posting we looked at how the salvation experience is described as involving one "receiving" the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of Christ, and this verse also speaks of such a receiving of the Spirit in connection with the promises of the eternal covenant. And, how does he say that the Spirit is "received"? Is it not "through faith"?

"In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." (Eph. 1: 11-14)

Hardshells love the part of this passage that deals with "predestination" and "election." But, they do not like that part that connects faith with salvation, or connects gospel preaching with being a means in the work of salvation. Who, according to the apostle, did God predestinate and purpose to ultimately be saved, or who should be "to the praise of his glory"? Is it not they who have "trusted in Christ"? Yet, Hardshells say that this purpose of God to make a people who become a matter of praise to God and his glory is not limited to believers in Jesus, affirming that many who do not believe in Jesus are saved people, and who will also be "to the praise of his glory."

Further, what does Paul say happened "after" they had believed and trusted in Christ? He says they were "sealed with that holy Spirit of promise." Why is this "sealing" not that which God purposed and predestinated, as the Hardshells will want to affirm? Why is this "sealing" not regeneration or conversion? Paul mentions this "sealing" in his other epistles.

"Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts." (II Cor. 1: 22)

Is he not alluding to regeneration and conversion? Is not the "giving" of the "earnest of the Spirit in our hearts" not the salvation experience? Does he not include in this same experience the work of God in "sealing"?

In the Ephesian epistle, Paul mention the same "sealing" again in chapter four, saying:

"And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." (4: 30)

Here the "sealing" is connected with "redemption." It is also, like calling and enlightenment, "once for all time," an effectual work that endures and that does not fail. One is "sealed UNTO the day of redemption."

The word "sealed" is from the Greek word "sphragizō" and means to seal or mark a thing, for the purpose of owning and authenticating it. It is a way of saying of something - "it belongs to me." When a person, in primitive times, "sealed" a letter, he put his stamp or mark upon it. This seal was often done on wax placed on the folded document. In the process of "sealing" the document an "impression" is made in the wax. Thus, when people are saved, after believing, they are "sealed," owned by God, impressed by God, which impression is in the nature, in the heart and mind. Certainly this "sealing" does not occur later than regeneration. Can we imagine a man regenerated who was not yet "sealed"? Not yet owned by God? Not yet impressed upon by God?

"That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power." (Eph. 3: 6, 7)

This verse absolutely destroys the Hardshell no means theory of salvation! How does one become a "fellowheir"? How does one become a "partaker of his promise in Christ"? Paul says it is "by the gospel"! Hardshellism uprooted! Hardshellism, the chaff which the wind of scripture blows away!

Notice also that this being made a partaker of Christ by the gospel is "by the working of his power."