JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH – CAN YOU HAVE SALVATION WITHOUT ANY INHERITANCE?

 Introduction 

The bible is clear that people who are unrighteous will not have any inheritance in the kingdom of God. So the question is simple, does not having an inheritance mean you can still be in heaven but with no rewards at all. 

 Ephesians 5:5-6 (ESV) 

 5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 

 1 Corinthians 6:9 (ESV)  

 9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 

The answer is NO. If you have no inheritance, then you are not going to be in heaven.

I am going to look at how unrighteousness will cause us not to inherit eternal life and then I will explain how justification by faith works for those struggling with sin in their lives.

 1.) All sons of God are heirs 

Being saved means you are born again. Being born again means you are now a son of God. Being a son of God means you are an heir. Being an heir means you inherit the kingdom.

 Galatians 4:6-7 (ESV)  

 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. 

 2.) The first Inheritance in the kingdom is eternal life.

The challenge comes when we think of God’s inheritance in terms of material things like cars, houses and money, which are not spiritual things. Eternal life is the main inheritance to be received in God’s kingdom.

 Matthew 19:29 (ESV) 

 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. 

  3.) If you don’t inherit the kingdom you go to hell 

There are only two options. It’s either you inherit the kingdom or you go to eternal fire. In Mathew 25 where Jesus shows how he will judge the nations at his second coming. He will divide the people into sheep and goats.

 Matthew 25:31-32 (ESV)(

 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 

The sheep will inherit the kingdom because of what they did for Christ.

 Matthew 25:34-35 (ESV) 

  34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom  prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 

The goats, who don’t inherit the kingdom, go to the lake of fire.

Matthew 25:41-46 (ESV)

  41 “Then he will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 

  44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment,  but the righteous into eternal life.”  

As you can see, the unrighteous go to hell, and the righteous will enter into eternal life, which is how you inherit the kingdom. There is no third option.

4.) Eternal Life will be received as a reward in the Next Age.

Eternal life will be given as a crown, or reward, inheritance in the next age. If you have no reward then you have no eternal life, because eternal life is one of the rewards.

Luke 18:29-30 (ESV)

  29 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who will not receive many times more in this time, and  in the age to come eternal life.”  

James 1:12 (ESV)

 12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive  the crown of life,  which God has promised to those who love him. 

Revelation 2:10 (ESV)

 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and  I will give you the crown of life.  

Romans 2:6-7 (ESV)

 6 He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;  

So as you can see, eternal life is a reward given to those who love God, who have been faithful until death and who have exercised patience in well-doing.

These scriptures from Jesus, Paul and James are clear. However, there is a scripture in John that says we have eternal life. If we already have eternal life, how is it that Jesus is saying he will give it as a reward to those who are faithful until death?

The eternal life that is in you at this time is not yours, it’s Christs. 

Colossians 3:2-4 (ESV)

 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 

The Father has eternal life in himself, and he granted the Son to have eternal life in himself also.

John 5:25-26 (ESV)

  25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 

Since the Son has eternal life, any person who has the Son in him, can be said to have eternal life, 

1 John 5:11-12 (ESV)

 11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 

When Christ returns he shall then give those who obey him, eternal life as a reward, as a crown, as an inheritance. They shall have their own eternal life just as Christ has his own eternal life and the Father has his own eternal life.

However, if we don’t remain in the Son we will not receive that eternal life. We remain in him by remaining in his word. By obeying him as Lord.

John 3:36 (ESV)

 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. 

Matthew 7:21 (ESV)

  21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 

John 15:6 (ESV)

 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 

JUSTIFIED BY FAITH

After reading all this, it can become pretty daunting. Will I ever be good enough? How do I remain righteous? The bible says that God justifies the ungodly through their faith. Meaning he declares them righteous by their faith.

RIGHTEOUSNESS IS RECEIVED THROUGH FORGIVENESS OF SINS

Jesus explains how this justification works. He gives a parable of two people who go into the temple to pray. One is justified by God, the other one is not.

The man who was justified is the one who admitted that he was a sinner, and asked God’s mercy and forgiveness. This is called confession of sins. The other man was focused on his good works, and saw himself as a righteous man, so he was not justified.

Luke 18:9-14 (ESV)

 9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 

 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” 

This is an example of justification by faith. The tax collector did not have any good works to present before God. However he believed in God’s mercy, God’s grace and God’s forgiveness. He believed in God’s ability to save him. So he confessed his error before God and asked God to forgive him. So, even though he had committed sins, God forgave him, and in forgiveness he received righteousness.

The man who believed he was already righteous and did not think he needed God’s mercy, went home in his sins.

John sums it up in this way.

1 John 1:8-10 (ESV)

 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 

So even if you are struggling with sin. You should not justify yourself in your sins. You admit that what you have done is wrong, and that it’s sin before God, and ask him for his mercy. He will cleanse you from ALL unrighteousness. This means when we confess the sins we know, he removes all sins, even the ones we don’t know.

You don’t have to be perfect, you have to depend on Christ who is perfect. But scripture also warns us not to mock God, and not to sin wilfully. 

Galatians 6:7-8 (ESV) 

  7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life 

Good knows your heart. God knows when you are not being sincere. You can’t trick him. If you make a decision to say, I am going to intentionally commit sin, and then be asking for forgiveness. He knows if you are not being sincere. However, if you have a genuine struggle, a sin that you hate, but you struggle with. Even if you confess 100 times a day, you will receive forgiveness 100 times a day.