The Eternal Inheritance
For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance – now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living Hebrews 9:15-17
Chapters 9 and 10 of Hebrews explain how the new covenant, (introduced in Hebrews 8), has been brought into effect by Christ, and particularly explore the promise that sins would be finally forgiven in a way beyond anything offered under the old covenant.
But in our text above the writer introduces a new idea. A covenant can only come into force on the death of the one who made it. The jump from a covenant to a will seems unusual until we realise the word for ‘covenant’ and a legal ‘will’ are actually the same Greek word.
Before someone dies they make a will describing how they want all they own to be distributed after their death. These wishes are binding but don’t take effect until the death of the one who wrote the will (called the testator) is proven.
Jesus has died ‘that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.’ We are benefactors of Christ’s will and ‘the eternal inheritance’ has been left to us. Peter describes it as ‘an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you’ (1 Peter 1:4).
Have you ever been left something in someone’s will? Even if you haven’t before, you have now.
Christ has left you an ‘eternal inheritance.’ Peter says it can never ‘perish, spoil or fade.’
Take hold of all Christ has won for you. He gave His life so you could know not only ‘life,’ but life in abundance.
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