晨興聖言-信徒(一)-(W04-綱要)

第四週 • 綱目

神的後嗣

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讀經：加三29，四7，羅八17，弗一18，多三7

週　一

壹　後嗣是指一個人在另一個人死了之後，依法有權繼承其產業、資產或所有權。

貳　後嗣的字面意義是『被指定接受基業的人』。

叁　信徒成為後嗣：

一　我們既藉着重生而得更新，得着神聖的素質，也就照着永遠生命的盼望（多三7），成為神的後嗣，有資格承受父神的產業（羅四14，八17，加三29，四7）。

二　永遠的生命是我們今世的享受和來世的盼望，叫我們不但在今世活神並享受神，更要在來世和永世裏，承受神之於我們的一切豐富；因此，我們有永遠生命的盼望。

三　我們照着這個盼望作神的後嗣，承受祂一切的豐富，直到永遠。

肆　在聖經中，後嗣是合法接受產業的人：

一　神的後嗣乃是藉着相信基督而生入神的家，從神領受應許或基業的人。

二　『神的後嗣』表徵承受永遠的生命、神的國和屬靈的福分，常被描述為與基督同作後嗣。

三　在聖經中，後嗣是領受基業的人，通常是兒子或指定的親人，取得父親的產業、權利和責任。

四　在屬靈上，後嗣是指生入神家中的信徒；他們與基督同作後嗣，領受了所應許的救恩、永遠的生命和神的國。

週　二

伍　以下是聖經裏關於『神的後嗣』主要的經文：

一　『既是兒女，便是後嗣，就是神的後嗣，和基督同作後嗣，只要我們與祂一同受苦，好叫我們也與祂一同得榮耀』—羅八17：

1　這表明作後嗣是有條件的。

2　我們是神的兒女，並不就是後嗣。

3　我們生為兒女後，必須在生命裏長大成為兒子；還必須經過受苦，纔可得榮成為法定的後嗣。

週三、週四

二　『你…乃是兒子了；既是兒子，也就藉着神為後嗣』—加四7：

1　新約的信徒不再是律法下作工的奴僕，乃是恩典下在生命裏的兒子。

2　新約的信徒成為神的後嗣，不是藉着律法，也不是藉着肉身的父親，乃是藉着神，就是三一神—父，差出子和靈（加四4、6）；子，為兒子的名分成功救贖（5）；靈，在我們裏面完成兒子的名分（6）。

三　『你們既屬於基督，就是亞伯拉罕的後裔，是照着應許為後嗣了』—三29：

1　要成為亞伯拉罕的後裔，我們就必須屬於基督，成為基督的一部分。

2　因我們與基督是一，我們就也是亞伯拉罕的後裔，是照着應許為後嗣，承受神所應許的福，就是那包羅萬有的靈，祂是經過過程之三一神終極的完成，作了我們的分。

3　在新約之下作神選民的信徒，是成年的兒子，乃是這樣的後嗣，不在律法之下，乃在基督裏。

陸　現在我們要來看信徒作神後嗣的身分：

一　基督是承受萬有者（來一2），而信徒命定要和基督同作後嗣。

二　我們得救以後是神的兒女、神的兒子、神性情的有分者和神的後嗣。

三　當我們長大達到和基督同作後嗣的階段時，我們就要得榮耀。

四　『好叫我們既因祂的恩典得稱義，就可以照着永遠生命的盼望成為後嗣』—多三7：

1　提多書三章七節的『後嗣』不僅是兒子，更是有資格承受父產業的後嗣—羅四14，八17，加三29，四7。

2　這樣的後嗣乃是由神永遠的生命（約三16）所生（一12~13）。

五　信徒藉着在基督的復活裏重生，就成了神的後嗣—十一25：

1　當基督復活的時候，我們這些信祂的人全都包括在祂裏面；因此，我們也與祂一同復活—弗二6。

2　在祂的復活裏，祂把神聖的生命分賜到我們裏面，使我們在生命和性情上與祂一樣。

3　這是我們重生成為神的後嗣基本的因素。

週　五

六　信徒在作神後嗣的身分裏，在光中與眾聖徒同享那具體化在基督裏的三一神，作他們的分—西一12。

七　行傳二十六章十八節說到因信入基督得蒙赦罪，並在聖別的人中得着基業。

八　這神聖的基業乃是三一神自己並祂所有的、所作成的，以及為祂贖民所要作的一切。

九　信徒是神的後嗣，也要與基督同得榮耀—羅八17下：

1　基督如今是在榮耀裏。

2　至終我們要被帶進榮耀裏，與基督同得榮耀。

3　當我們得榮耀時，我們卑賤的身體要改變形狀，成為榮耀的身體—腓三21。

4　我們裏面所有作種子的生命，乃是榮耀的生命；這是基督在我們裏面成了榮耀的盼望—西一27。

5　當我們被榮耀的元素飽和並浸透時，那榮耀就從我們透出來；這就是我們這些神的後嗣與基督同得榮耀的意思。

週　六

十　聖徒對神聖基業的享受將完成于成為神的基業—弗一18：

1　作為神的後嗣，信徒和基督同作後嗣，是照着永遠生命的應許和盼望，藉着因基督的恩典得稱義，並在基督的復活裏得重生。

2　以弗所一章十八節指明神的基業是在聖徒中。

3　我們既是神的基業，就受了聖靈為印記—13節。

十一　我們感謝主，帶我們深入關於信徒是神後嗣的真理中。

Week Four

Heirs of God

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Hymns: 30

Scripture Reading: Gal. 3:29; 4:7; Rom. 8:17; Eph. 1:18; Titus 3:7

§ Day 1

I. An heir is a person legally entitled to inherit the property, assets, or title of another person upon his death.

II. The literal meaning of heir is "someone who has been appointed to receive an inheritance."

III. The believers become heirs:

A. Since we are renewed through regeneration to receive the divine essence, we are also made heirs of God, who are qualified to inherit the estate of God the Father (Rom. 4:14; 8:17; Gal. 3:29; 4:7), according to the hope of eternal life (Titus 3:7).

B. The eternal life, which is our enjoyment in this age and our hope in the coming age, is not only for us to live and enjoy God in this age but also for us to inherit all the riches of what God is to us in the coming age and in
eternity; hence, we have the hope of eternal life.

C. According to this hope, we are made heirs of God to inherit all His riches for eternity.

IV. In the Bible an heir is one who rightfully receives the property:

A. An heir of God is a recipient of a promise or inheritance from God, born into His family through faith in Christ.

B. Heirs of God signifies inheriting eternal life, the kingdom of God, and spiritual blessings, often described as being co-heirs with Christ.

C. In the Bible, an heir is one who receives an inheritance, typically a son or a designated relative who takes possession of a fathers estate, rights, and responsibilities.

D. Spiritually, it refers to believers born into Gods family who, as co- heirs with Christ, receive the promises of salvation, eternal life, and the kingdom of God.

§ Day 2

V. The following verses are key Bible verses regarding "heirs of God":

A. "If children, heirs also; on the one hand, heirs of God; on the other, joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him that we may also be glorified with Him"—Rom. 8:17:

1. This shows that there is a condition for us to be heirs.

2. It is not that we are heirs simply because we are children of God.

3. Rather, after being born as children, we must grow in life to become sons, and then we must pass through suffering that we may be glorified to become legal heirs.

§ Day 3 & Day 4

B. "You are… a son; and if a son, an heir also through God"—Gal. 4:7:

1. The New Testament believer is no longer a slave to works under law but is a son in life under grace.

2. The New Testament believers become heirs of God not through the law nor through their fleshly father but through God, even the Triune God— the Father, who sent forth the Son and the Spirit (vv. 4, 6); the Son, who
accomplished redemption for sonship (v. 5); and the Spirit, who carries out the sonship within us (v. 6).

C. "If you are of Christ, then you are Abrahams seed, heirs according to promise"—3:29:

1. To be Abrahams seed we must be of Christ, be a part of Christ.

2. Because we are one with Christ, we are Abrahams seed, heirs according to promise, inheriting Gods promised blessing, which is the all-inclusive Spirit as the ultimate consummation of the processed God, who is our portion.

3. Under the new testament, the believers as Gods chosen people, being sons of full age, are such heirs, not under law but in Christ.

VI. Now we will consider the believers status as heirs of God:

A. Christ is the Heir of all things (Heb. 1:2), and the believers are destined to be joint heirs with Christ.

B. After being saved, we are children of God, sons of God, partakers of the divine nature, and heirs of God.

C. When we reach the stage of growth of being joint heirs with Christ, we will be glorified.

D. "In order that having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life"—Titus 3:7:

1. Heirs in Titus 3:7 refers to not merely sons but heirs who are qualified to inherit the Fathers estate—Rom. 4:14; 8:17; Gal. 3:29; 4:7.

2. Such heirs are born (John 1:12-13) of Gods eternal life (3:16).

E. The believers have become heirs of God through regeneration in the resurrection of Christ—11:25:

1. When Christ was resurrected, we, His believers, were all included in Him; thus, we were resurrected with Him—Eph. 2:6.

2. In His resurrection He imparted the divine life into us and made us the same as He is in life and nature.

3. This is the basic factor of our regeneration to become heirs of God.

§ Day 5

F. In their status as heirs of God, the believers share with all the saints in the light the Triune God embodied in Christ as their portion—Col. 1:12.

G. Acts 26:18 speaks of the forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Christ.

H. This divine inheritance is the Triune God with all He has, all He has done, and all He will do for His redeemed people.

I. As heirs of God, the believers will also be glorified with Christ—Rom. 8:17b:

1. Christ is now in glory.

2. Eventually, we will be brought into glory and be glorified with Christ.

3. When we are glorified, the body of our humiliation will be transfigured into a glorious body—Phil. 3:21.

4. The life that we have within us as a seed is the life of glory; this is Christ in us, the hope of glory—Col. 1:27.

5. When we have been permeated and saturated with the element of glory, that glory will come out of us; this is what it means for us, the heirs of God, to be glorified with Christ.

§ Day 6

J. The believers enjoyment of the divine inheritance will consummate in being made Gods inheritance—Eph. 1:18:

1. As heirs of God, the believers are joint heirs with Christ according to the promise and the hope of eternal life, through justification by the grace of Christ and regeneration in the resurrection of Christ.

2. Ephesians 1:18 indicates that Gods inheritance is in the saints.

3. As those who are Gods inheritance, we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit—v. 13.

K. We thank the Lord for bringing us deep into the truth concerning the believers as heirs of God.