When you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, His enemy becomes your enemy. Your enemy wants to destroy you, destroy your testimony, steal your inheritance and take others down with you.

Your inheritance has both future and present components. The future components are reserved for you in Heaven. This is how Peter describes your future inheritance- I Peter 1:

³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

⁴ To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

⁵ Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Your inheritance is incorruptible: i.e. it cannot be perverted, dissolved or decayed

Your inheritance is undefiled; i.e. cannot be made dirty

Your inheritance fades not away; i e. cannot become dim, lose freshness, strength or health

Your inheritance is reserved for you in Heaven; i.e. set apart particularly for you and kept by special arrangement for you

In this series we will examine the present components of your inheritance, which your enemy seeks to steal.  The next present component we will examine is ‘abundant living with all the fruit of the Spirit’

Abundant living

Jesus Christ contrasts your enemy’s plan with His plan. John 10:

⁷ Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

⁸ All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.

⁹ I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

¹⁰ The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Imagine! Jesus Christ’s purpose in coming to earth as a man and limiting Himself to a human body was specifically so you could have an abundant life! Just ponder that awhile.

Is the life you are living worthy of the price He paid for your salvation?

When you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are sealed with the Holy Spirit, Who is the earnest of your inheritance- Ephesians 1:

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

⁴ According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

⁵ Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

⁶ To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

⁷ In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

⁸ Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

⁹ Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

¹⁰ That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

¹¹ 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:

¹² That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

¹³ 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,

¹⁴ Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Earnest = serious in intention or purpose

Abundant living with all the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

²³ Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

²⁴ And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Love-Jeremiah 31:

³ The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

What does it mean to you to know that Jesus Christ so loves you?

How can you share His love to those around you?

Joy-Nehemiah 8:

¹⁰ Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

How can you use the joy of the Lord for strength?

Peace-Luke 2:

¹⁰ And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

¹² And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

¹⁴ Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Ephesians 2:14

¹³ But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

¹⁴ For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

How does the birth of Jesus Christ signify peace between God and mankind?

Longsuffering-Colossians 1:

¹⁰ That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

¹¹ Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

How does strength from Jesus Christ help you wait for His timing and His resolutions?

Gentleness-Paul reminds you of Jesus Christ’s gentleness in 2 Corinthians 10:

 ¹ Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:

Can you give a Bible story about Jesus showing gentleness?

Can you think of a time Jesus was gentle with you?

Goodness-2 Corinthians 9:

⁸ And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

What does it mean to you to be equipped sufficiently for good work?

Faith-Hebrews 11:

¹ Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Meekness-Peter tells you how to use meekness in 1 Peter 3:

¹⁵ But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

meekness is strength under control

Temperance-2 Peter 1:6

⁵ And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

⁶ And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

⁷ And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

⁸ For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Claiming your present components of your inheritance

1) Stay in His Word

2) Pray continually – talk to Jesus Christ all day

3) Fellowship with other believers

4) Participate in corporate worship of Jesus Christ regularly

Questions for Reflection

1) What does the unconditional love of Jesus Christ for you matter to you?

2) How can you use the strength from the joy of the LORD to overcome your enemy’s attempts to steal your inheritance?

3) How can you use His peace to overcome your enemy’s attempts to steal your inheritance?

4) How can you use His strength for longsuffering to overcome your enemy’s attempts to steal your inheritance?

5) When was Jesus Christ gentle with you?

6) How can you use faith to overcome your enemy’s attempts to steal your inheritance?

7) How can you claim your inheritance of the fruit of the Spirit?

Hebrews 12:

¹ Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God

Dearly Beloved,

Run with your eyes on Jesus alone!

Run in faith that Jesus loves you, has uniquely designed and created only one you, has a good  plan for your life, runs with you and will accomplish His purposes for you and through  you!

Run in His strength alone!

Run with your eyes on the prize!

Run with the desire to finish strong!

Run with the desire to finish with your lamp burning!

Run with the expectation of being in His physical presence when you cross your finish line!

Run to His glory alone!

Run and keep on running!

Coach Patti