My Lot of Inheritance

My Lot of Inheritance

The people of Israel were supposed to conquer the land and divide it among the tribes by casting lots. Everyone was to receive his inheritance within the boundaries of his own tribe. No one was allowed to move the borders or take away someone else’s inheritance. However, in order to take possession of their inheritance they had to fight for it—they had to conquer the enemies in the land.

Our body can be compared to the land. We read, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.” Rom. 6:12. These lusts can be compared to the enemies in the land; they have to be overcome if the body is to be presented in the ministry of righteousness. By presenting our body in the ministry of righteousness, we have our fruit unto sanctification. Then we gather treasures in heaven; we build with gold and precious stones, and we will receive a reward. That becomes our inheritance. Those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God; and if we are children, then we are also heirs, and joint heirs with Christ.

The church is the body of Christ and we are members one of another. The ministry, which we have as members of the body, can be called our inheritance. In the beginning this inheritance must be tilled and cultivated, because it lies buried in the ground. There are enemies that must be overcome—lusts that must be crucified—before we can become servants in the church. For example, if I have the gift to be a shepherd, this gift cannot be fully developed as long as I am anxious for the things of this world or otherwise seek the honor of men and the pride of life. People have their gifts buried in houses, cars, fancy clothes, businesses, sports, etc., or in laziness, discouragement, pride, ambition, vanity, etc. However, if I want to get something out of my life, I can only do it by serving with the gift I have. That is my allotted inheritance, but it is overgrown with all the above-mentioned things, and it has to be dug up. This digging process begins once I have given myself to Christ. In the beginning no one knows what my gift is, or what my inheritance looks like, but as I am being redeemed from earthly things, the inheritance becomes visible. As sin is overcome, my body can be a sacrifice for the will of God; my gift comes to the surface.

I cannot choose my gift or my inheritance myself, but God sets in the church some for this and some for that. The tribes of Israel could not choose their inheritance either. They received it by casting lots, and the result was according to God’s will. They could only become great within their inheritance, never by overstepping it. This is how it is with us too. The intention is that all of us should have an inheritance—a ministry in the church. Many come to the meetings without an inheritance. They are living off the inheritance of others. They listen and watch how the others serve and work and succeed in varying degrees in their ministry. These people then criticize, judge, and envy those who are working on their lot of inheritance, and they seem to know so well how it all ought to be done without being examples themselves.

They walk around like that not because they do not have an inheritance, but because they have not dug it up. No receives his inheritance without fighting for it. If they had taken up the battle against the lusts and the sin that dwells in them, they would not have had to wander around. Instead of criticizing and envying, they could have been examples by the work they did on their own lot of inheritance.

No one can become great in another person’s ministry or by going beyond the boundaries of his inheritance. If someone does that, the result will be as with Israel. When someone there robbed his brother of his inheritance, he had to give it back and also return everything he had harvested during the years he possessed it. 2 Kings 8:1-6.

A person can also become great by helping others to their inheritance. Ruth’s redeemer thought that he would prejudice his own inheritance. Ruth 4:5-6. Many people think like that, but that is not the case. They will become truly great by helping others to their inheritance.

When a piece of land lies fallow, weeds grow up, and the weeds produce seeds that are spread far and wide by the wind. If there is a piece of cultivated land next to it, the fallow land is very harmful to the cultivated lot. If the owner is ambitious and vain, he might rejoice in seeing the lot next to his lying fallow, because then his own lot will appear nicer by comparison. But if he is wise, he will rejoice when his neighbor works on his land, and he will gladly help him.

This is also typical of someone who does not work on his own lot of inheritance, who does not serve in the church. He is harmful to those who serve and who work on their inheritance. When the lot is not tilled, weeds grow up, and the one who does not serve and sacrifice himself, sins.

This also applies if someone else is honored—I am not put down because of that; or if someone else is reproached—I am not better because of that! Only envy speaks like that. God has made it so that when one person is honored, the others rejoice. And when one suffers, the others suffer with him. He has ordained it so that it is best for everyone that the whole land is cultivated and that everyone receives his allotted inheritance and his ministry.

However, every depraved and ungodly person was to be cut off from Israel. Therefore we thank the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. Col. 1:12.