Co-Heirs With Christ in the Coming World Tomorrow!

Of all the places in Scripture, I believe Romans 8-9 reveal God’s plan of salvation the best. I don’t think anyone can remain untouched by what is explained here and it is such great encouragement!

In these two chapters, Paul, under God’s inspiration, unveils something truly mindboggling—the ultimate spiritual sonship awaiting us! He reveals: “The Spirit [itself, King James Version] bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:16-18).

(As a sidenote, first, notice a great error by scholars of the New King James version here, when they changed the KJV term in Romans 8:16 from “the Spirit itself” to “the Spirit Himself”—to back their idea of the Trinity. Yet, the term “Spirit” is pneuma in the Greek and has a neuter gender—it is an “it” and not a “him.” As A. T. Robertson, an expert in Greek, admits here, “The grammatical gender of pneuma is neuter.” So, these scholars deviously lied when they changed this word to the masculine form in the New King James!)

This section reveals our astounding eternal destiny—if we remain faithful. The process involves becoming God’s spiritually “engendered” children at baptism. Then, our names are listed in heaven (Hebrews 12:23), giving the potential of being co-heirs with Christ—meaning divine sonship and the incredible inheritance of the entire Universe!

As Hebrews 1:2 says, “God created the universe by his Son, and everything will someday belong to the Son” (Contemporary English Version). Since Christ will inherit all of this, as co-heirs we will then share, as younger siblings, that inheritance! The whole universe will one day be our new home to beautify and enjoy with Them!

Therefore, Paul says the trials and sufferings in this life are truly not worthy to be compared with the glorious future in God’s Kingdom and enjoying eternity with this great inheritance as His beloved children! Paul describes it best, “But as Scripture says: ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined, the things that God has prepared for those who love him’” (1 Corinthians 2:9, God’s Word Translation).

He now goes to the outer reaches of spiritual knowledge, saying: “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing [the resurrection] of the sons of God. For the creation [or Universe] was subjected to futility [decay], not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption [or uselessness] into the glorious liberty of the children of God [who will help renew it]” (Romans 8:19-21).

As far as we know about cosmology, our solar system and the 5,830 exoplanets so far found are in need of renovation, for none is ready to be inhabited. It appears that Lucifer’s rebellion caused great havoc when he attempted to dethrone God in heaven and was cast back to the earth. As Jesus said, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (Luke 10:18, see also Isaiah 14:12-15).

This destruction will be repaired once God’s Kingdom arrives, which begins first by renewing the earth (Acts 3:21), and then the rest of the Universe. Romans 8:22-23 adds: “We know that everything in the universe is still in great pain now. Everything cries together in pain, like a woman who is ready to have a baby. It is the same for us who are believers. We have received God’s Spirit as the first of his gifts to us, but we also cry inside ourselves. We are waiting for the time when God will finish his great work. Then we will belong to Him completely as his children. Our bodies will be free from the power of sin” (EASY version).

So, just as the creation needs to be renewed, so do we, as we are given spirit bodies and our human nature is changed into God’s nature (2 Peter 1:4; 1 John 3:1-2). God’s generosity is truly mind blowing!

Paul continues: “For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit [itself, KJV] makes intercession for us [inside of us] with groanings which cannot be uttered [“the Spirit puts our desires into words which are not in our power to say,” Bible in Basic English]. Now He [God] who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is [Christ], because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:24-27).

Paul then elaborates on whom he is talking about. In verse 34 he says, “It is Christ . . . who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.” So, there is not another “person” in heaven interceding for us. As 1 Timothy 2:5 makes clear, “For there is one God and one Mediator [not two] between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” Indeed, it is Christ living in us (Galatians 2:20) that helps us communicate properly with God the Father, while Jesus is also being our Mediator before God.

Thus, just as a small child often doesn’t know how to express his desires clearly to his parents, yet they still understand what he means and fulfill his needs—so is God with us. When we pray, we may not be very clear, but Christ is our Mediator and His spirit in us helps us before God the Father, who grants us His favor. God also prefers a simple prayer spoken from the heart to thousands of religious words constantly repeated (Matthew 6:7-8).

How can we pray according to God's will? John answers: “Whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight . . . Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions [in His mind] that we have asked of Him” (1 John 3:22; 5:14-15).

By following God’s will, Paul mentions another great benefit, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). This means that in the long run, things will work out for good for those who love and obey God. The different colored threads of the great tapestry of life sometimes don’t seem to make sense, but once that work is finished, a beautiful image will be seen in all its splendor (Philippians 1:6). Hence, sometimes things that don’t seem to make sense in our lives will make sense in the end, when God explains them thoroughly to us (Revelation 21:3-7).

We see a classic example of this in the life of Joseph, who in the end, even though he was sold by his brothers and went through so many trials and sufferings, revealed to them, “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive” (Genesis 50:20).

Paul now focuses on a facet of God’s plan of salvation involving being “predestined”—those “called” to positions in His Kingdom. For instance, Christ told His disciples how they had qualified for certain positions in God’s Kingdom, as well as other saints. He says: “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration [Gk. the rebirth] when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters . . . or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life” (Matthew 19:28-29).

Paul further explains, “For whom he foreknew, he also predestined [both mean planned ahead positions] to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29). So, we are to be part of God’s family, with Jesus Christ as our Elder Brother, and we as His spiritual siblings. Paul says that with such a glorious future ahead, the trials, sufferings and even our eventual death are not worthy to be compared with what comes afterward.

He goes on to say: “Moreover whom He predestined [planned to be first offered salvation], these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also [will glorify, aorist tense]. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:30-32). Again, the emphasis is we will receive “all things” with Christ. Can we grasp the enormity of what this means and why it is so vital to persevere to the end? It is so worth enduring whatever happens!

He says, with God's help, nothing will break his relationship with God and Christ. He exults: “Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: ‘For your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.’ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors [the Gk. is hupernikao, or super-conquerors] through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:33-39). This should be our goal too!

Paul now covers a related topic in chapter 9—the role of his Jewish brethren in God’s plan of salvation. Although the majority of Jews in His day had rejected Christ and His invitation to be part of spiritual Israel and the First Resurrection, he says in the end, they too will be called and included. How can that be? This has perplexed traditional Christianity, which doesn’t believe in the Second Resurrection for those not called now and who haven’t disqualified themselves to be part of it.

“I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, who are [1] Israelites, [2] to whom pertain the adoption, [3] the glory, [4] the covenants, [5] the giving of the law, [6] the service of God, and [7] the promises; [8] of whom are the fathers and [9] from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen” (Romans 9:1-5). Here he gives nine great blessings the Jews have over the gentiles, yet they rejected the Messiah and also their opportunity—for now.

Paul starts explaining God’s Plan for them and why this is so. He gives three examples—Isaac, Jacob and Pharaoh—to show that only God knows when He will call a person and it is His sole responsibility.

Paul adds: “But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, ‘In Isaac your seed shall be called.’ That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed. For this is the word of promise: ‘At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son.’ And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), it was said to her, ‘The older shall serve the younger.’ As it is written, ‘Jacob I have loved but Esau I have hated [this term is a Hebraism and means ‘loved less’]. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.’ So, then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy” (Romans 9:6-16).

Paul will later show that God offers everyone salvation, but He chooses when He will call each person. He gives a third example with Pharaoh: “For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.’ Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens” (Romans 9:17-18). As Paul will later explain, this same Pharaoh, who had his heart hardened, along with others, such as the disobedient Israelites, will have an opportunity for salvation, saying: “Even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all” (Romans 11:31-32).

Indeed, God is not a respecter of persons, and in the Second Resurrection, Pharaoh, along with the rest of the disobedient world, will have their chance. In the Millennium, that calling will begin. As Isaiah said: “Then the Lord will be known to Egypt . . . they will return to the Lord . . . the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, ‘Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance’” (Isaiah 19:21-22, 25).

Paul then reminds them God has always called only a few Israelites—a faithful remnant, while the majority of them usually apostatized. For example, of that first generation of Israelites, it was Joshua and Caleb who entered the Promised Land, “because [there was] a different spirit [another attitude] in him [Caleb], and [he] has followed [God] fully” (Numbers 14:24). Paul also says in his day there was also a faithful remnant, who had “another spirit” and decided to follow God. Many gentiles also chose to obey God from the heart and became like faithful Jews—with a circumcision “of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter” (Romans 2:29). How enlightening and encouraging this section of Scripture is!