Topical Encyclopedia
The title "Heirs of Promise" is a profound designation for the saints, reflecting their privileged status and the divine inheritance they are set to receive through faith in Jesus Christ. This concept is deeply rooted in the biblical narrative, emphasizing the continuity of God's covenantal promises from the Old Testament to the New Testament believers.
Biblical FoundationThe notion of being "Heirs of Promise" is primarily derived from the epistles of the Apostle Paul, who articulates the relationship between believers and the promises of God. In
Galatians 3:29 , Paul writes, "And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise." This verse underscores the idea that through faith in Christ, believers are spiritually grafted into the lineage of Abraham, becoming recipients of the promises made to him.
Inheritance Through FaithThe promises to which believers are heirs are not based on ethnic lineage or adherence to the Law, but rather on faith.
Romans 4:13 states, "For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world was not through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith." This highlights the transformative nature of faith in Christ, which transcends the limitations of the Law and opens the door to a spiritual inheritance.
The Nature of the PromiseThe promises of God encompass both spiritual and eternal blessings.
Ephesians 1:13-14 speaks of the Holy Spirit as "the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory." This indicates that the inheritance includes the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, serving as a guarantee of the future fulfillment of God's promises.
Adoption as Sons and DaughtersCentral to the concept of being "Heirs of Promise" is the doctrine of adoption.
Galatians 4:6-7 declares, "Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, 'Abba, Father!' So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, you are also an heir through God." This passage reveals that believers are not only heirs but are also adopted into God's family, enjoying the full rights and privileges of sonship.
The Fulfillment of the PromiseThe ultimate fulfillment of the promise is eschatological, pointing to the future glory that awaits the saints.
Hebrews 9:15 affirms, "Therefore Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, now that He has died to redeem them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant." This eternal inheritance is the culmination of God's redemptive plan, secured through the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Living as HeirsAs heirs of promise, believers are called to live in a manner worthy of their inheritance. This involves a life of faith, obedience, and hope, as they await the full realization of God's promises. The assurance of their inheritance provides both comfort and motivation to persevere in the faith, knowing that their labor is not in vain and that a glorious future awaits them in the presence of God.
Torrey's Topical Textbook
Hebrews 6:17Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show to the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:
Torrey's Topical TextbookGalatians 3:29
And if you be Christ's, then are you Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Torrey's Topical Textbook
Library
They Shall be Called the Children of God
... Positively: They have titles of honour. ... As Christ bears the saints' names upon his
breast, so they ... and damnatory sentence should pass upon the heirs of promise ...
/.../the beatitudes an exposition of matthew 51-12/19 they shall be called.htm
Psalm LXXXIII.
... the congregation of God's people in the titles of many ... nation or people of God, or
His saints, who know ... enemies of Christ, under certain proper names of nations ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm lxxxiii.htm
Wisdom and Revelation.
... The names and titles of God ... If we take it in the former sense it will mean that God
is the inheritance and we are the heirs; that the saints now possess ...
/.../thomas/the prayers of st paul/vii wisdom and revelation.htm
The Saints' Privilege and Profit;
... on Aaron's breast-plate was fixed the names of the ... odours, which are the prayers
of saints, and they ... Thus you see what terms, characters, titles, and privileges ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the saints privilege and profit.htm
The Blood of the Covenant
... We could not say to all the saints, "after this manner pray ye," for they would
not ... Other names may have small significance, but in the titles of Jesus ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 20 1874/the blood of the covenant.htm
Effectual Calling
... God blots out His people's sins, but not their names. ... This is what the saints will
stand wondering at ... worldly grandeur, his ease, plenty, and titles of honour ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a divine cordial/effectual calling.htm
The Third Day in Passion-Week - the Last Controversies and ...
... they become heirs of all the blood of martyred saints, from that ... [5240] These titles
are put ... Matt.) are quite different names, in Greek as in Hebrew - {hebrew ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter iv the third day.htm
On the Councils, Or, the Faith of the Easterns.
... The faith of the saints knows nothing of the Son being ... that there is one Person who
has two titles, or one ... the Father or the Son, if these names are explained ...
/.../the life and writings of st hilary of poitiers/on the councils or the.htm
Fifthly, as this Revelation, to the Judgment of Right and Sober ...
... place, the dead must be raised, and the saints, which have ... dwelling in tabernacles
with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise, (Hebrews 11 ...
/.../xiv proposition xiv fifthly as.htm
Christ a Complete Saviour:
... are his, and that by the best of titles: 'Thine they were ... is to be inferred from
hence, that saints"for I ... after offence given, come in their own names to make ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/christ a complete saviour .htm
Resources
What are the different names and titles of the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWhat are the names and titles of the Holy Spirit? | GotQuestions.orgWhat are the different names and titles of Jesus Christ? | GotQuestions.orgBible Concordance •
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