The Heir

Photo by Geo Lightspeed 7 2022

 I had a dream in which a famous philanthropist and author of many spiritual teachings had passed away. As he had lived his life as a recluse and had no known family, there was a worldwide search for next of kin who would be the heir of his vast estate.

I learned that an acquaintance of mine had a claim to the inheritance. He was elderly, frail, and wheelchair-bound, so I transported him to a public hearing where any relatives were asked to come forward. After I wheeled his chair to the witness stand, he said that he was the philanthropist’s son and had the documentation to prove it.

At first the lawyers scoffed at him, saying that the philanthropist had never married and had no known children, and that as he was old enough to be the philanthropist’s father, he certainly could not be his son. But the documentation was indisputable, and the lawyers reluctantly concluded that this invalid old man was the legitimate heir of all that the philanthropist had possessed.

They began the philanthropist’s memorial service and had prepared a tomb for his burial. I asked the old man if he had any personal memento that he wished to have placed in the tomb.

To my surprise, he said, “My time has come, and I too must die and be placed in the same tomb. But I bequeath the estate to you, and my only request in return is that you live your life and continue your dance ministry in his honor.”

As I awoke and contemplated the symbolism of the dream, I realized that the philanthropist was none other than Jesus Christ, Son of God and God Himself!

Jesus of Nazareth had no earthly fortune, or even a place to lay His head (Matthew 8:20). Yet He is the greatest Giver of all time, for He suffered and gave His own life on the cross (John 15:13; 1 John 3:16) to pay our sin debt in full (Romans 3:25), the price required for all those who trust in Him to have eternal life (John 3:16).

He wrote no books or even documents, yet His Word and teachings changed the world and have been faithfully recorded by men of God inspired by His Holy Spirit. Although word of His miracles and teachings spread quickly, causing Him to be followed by large crowds, He did not seek out publicity or worldly fame. Instead, He preferred to consult with His Father in private, and to witness one-on-one to lost individuals like the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:1-43), the blind man whom He healed (John 9), and Nicodemus (John 3:1-21).

Jesus of Nazareth had an earthly mother (Mary) and siblings (James, Joses, Simon and Judas; Matthew 13:55) but did not consider them to be His family on that basis, reserving that title for His followers who did God’s will (Mark 3:31-35). He never married and had no biological children, yet all those who have trusted Him as their Lord and Savior are adopted into His family as children of God (Romans 8:16-21).

I believe the old man in the dream represents the old sin nature (Ephesians 4:22) that hinders our spiritual growth once we are saved by trusting in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6). I did not consider the elderly gentleman to be my friend, but my acquaintance. Similarly, I am familiar with who I was before I came to know Christ, and do not glorify or condemn my former self, for despite my past, Christ Himself has forgiven my sins (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

This “old man” fights against the “new man,” or new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) that we progressively become by yielding to His Holy Spirit. To do this, the apostle Paul said that we must “die daily,” mortifying the deeds and desires of our sinful flesh (1 Corinthians 15:31; Romans 8:13; Colossians 3:5). Yet it is amazing that Christ died for us while we were still His enemies, children of the devil (Romans 9:8), and rebels against His Word and perfect will.

To follow Him, we must take up His cross and be willing to put the “old man” to death, so that we can no longer serve sin and instead be raised to newness of eternal life (Romans 6:4-6). Then we can truly share in Christ’s legacy of forgiveness of sins (1 John 1:9), peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7), joy in His salvation (Habakkuk 3:18), being seated in heavenly places with Him (Ephesians 1:3; 2:6), and fulfillment that comes from doing His work (Ephesians 2:10), sharing His Word (Matthew 28:19-20), and submitting to His perfect will for our life (Luke 22:42).   

As feeble as we are in our own flesh, He transforms us into God’s children and His joint-heirs (Romans 8:16-21), betrothed (Revelation 19:9), friends (John 15:15), fellow-workers (1 Corinthians 3:9), and ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20). As unbelievable as this seems, it is clearly documented in God’s Word, giving believers an undisputable claim to our inheritance in Christ.

Although baptism is not required for salvation, it is an act of obedience symbolizing the new believer’s willingness to identify with Christ’s crucifixion (standing upright in the water), burial (being plunged beneath the water), and resurrection (being lifted up from the water) to new life (Romans 6:4), in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

In the dream, the old man recognized that he needed to die for my benefit and for God’s glory. He bequeathed his legacy to me as the new creation in Christ, to use it for His glory and to continue serving Him and living for Him.

Sadly, real life is not that simple, and we must daily war against our flesh, equipping our spirit by putting on the whole armor of God before we enter spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:10-18) against the flesh, the world, and the devil. May we be willing to put the “old man” to death daily so that the Holy Spirit can feed and grow the new creation we are in Christ, using our inheritance for His glory! 

© 2023 Laurie Collett

Photo by Geo Lightspeed 7 2022