In human terms, whatever the will says must be done when the person dies. But while the person who wrote the will is still alive, it is his or her prerogative to amend it if he or she sees fit. Therefore, though the paper will tell you what you are promised to receive at the death of the writer of the will, as long as that person is still alive you are not completely guaranteed that inheritance. You would not want to do something that might cause your inheritance to be erased from the will.
In many ways, the inheritance that we have in Christ works like a human will. The Bible does not teach that we can do whatever we want after we are converted. Sin does not become any less serious, and unbelief is unforgivable.
God wants the people who will receive His inheritance to lead holy lives. So, in His grace, Jesus grants us a great blessing in His resurrection that He works in us to do His will. He sends to us His Holy Spirit to sanctify us through the word of His grace. In sanctification we are set apart from the sin and unbelief of the world and are given hearts that seek to be holy and hearts that actually do things that are holy before the Lord. All this keeps us in the true faith unto life everlasting.
There is one other thing that is important to do if you would like to receive an inheritance from someone; you must outlive that person. But how can we outlive our eternal Lord? Amazingly, we already have! Christ has already lived that life which earns this inheritance, and died to give us this inheritance. And He rose from the dead to sanctify us so that, though we may die, yet we may live forever with the bottomless inheritance of eternal life in heaven. |
