Jesus: The Believer’s Inheritance

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  It is fascinating to observe when people talk about inheritance, ones mind would immediately cater properties, wills, houses, jewelries, and other material things. All of which are centered on material temporal things.   In 1 Peter 1:4 , although The Apostle Peter used the term “inheritance” once in his letter, Apostle Paul on the other hand, mentioned this term in his letters several times. ( Eph_1:14 , Eph_1:18 , Eph_5:5 , Col_3:24 ,) But what is so significant about this particular emphasis of Peter? After all, he made a brief description of the inheritance (verse 4-5) a believer will obtain now that he is part of God’s family.   The term “inheritance” is not something new among Jewish ears. Going back to the OT, when God divided the promised land among the 12 tribes of Israel, every tribe received a portion of the land as their inheritance, except for the tribe of Levi…”the priestly tribe”. They were the only tribe that didn’t get one. God’s reason for doing so is i...

How human is Jesus? Can we really be like Him?

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Jesus was fully human. Scripture shows the full and true humanity of Jesus. First, he was made flesh and lived among men (John 1:14). Second, he demonstrated human emotions (Matthew 8:10; 26:38; John 11:33-35; 12:27; Hebrews 5:7). Third, he demonstrated human body experiences such as being born (Luke 2:7); physical growth (Luke 2:40, 52); hunger (Matthew 4:1); thirst (John 19:28); exhaustion (John 4:6); physical weakness (Matthew 4:11; Luke 23:26). Moreover, Jesus lived a Spirit-filled life (Matthew 4:1; Luke 4:1).

Although we as Christians have a promise from Scripture that we will be like Him in the future (1 John 3:2-3), it is possible that we can be like Him even in our present state. The fact that the author of Hebrews exhorted his readers to persevere in the face of persecution by looking unto Jesus as the author and finisher of faith (Hebrews 12:2-3) indicates that it is possible to be like him. In addition, the apostle John asserts that those who claim to live in him must live as Jesus did (1 John 2:5, 6). It is indeed possible for Christians to live like Jesus; that is, if we are filled and under the control of the Holy Spirit, as Christ was (Ephesians 5:18-20; Colossians 3:15-17; Hebrews 9:14; 1 Peter 3:18).

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Jesus: The Believer’s Inheritance

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  It is fascinating to observe when people talk about inheritance, ones mind would immediately cater properties, wills, houses, jewelries, and other material things. All of which are centered on material temporal things.   In 1 Peter 1:4 , although The Apostle Peter used the term “inheritance” once in his letter, Apostle Paul on the other hand, mentioned this term in his letters several times. ( Eph_1:14 , Eph_1:18 , Eph_5:5 , Col_3:24 ,) But what is so significant about this particular emphasis of Peter? After all, he made a brief description of the inheritance (verse 4-5) a believer will obtain now that he is part of God’s family.   The term “inheritance” is not something new among Jewish ears. Going back to the OT, when God divided the promised land among the 12 tribes of Israel, every tribe received a portion of the land as their inheritance, except for the tribe of Levi…”the priestly tribe”. They were the only tribe that didn’t get one. God’s reason for doing so is i...
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