Continuing with a little side study on the hymn, “Blessed Assurance”, let’s continue in the first stanza, and see where from the Bible the author (Fanny Crosby) may have gotten some of her ideas.
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
So, what’s an heir? I might define it simply as one who will inherit something. In that context, let’s read Romans 8:16-17.
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Romans 8:16-17 NIV
For those who are part of God’s family (adopted, after we had left when we sinned against God), we are “heirs of God”, anticipating sharing in Christ’s glory. However, there’s a little more here: we are also expected to share in Christ’s sufferings. Now, I’m pretty sure that none of us have been physically crucified (since we’re still here), but we should not expect a walk with Jesus to be free from trials and troubles.
However, this membership in God’s family – being His children – isn’t just something that we claim that we have. The Holy Spirit Himself testifies.
So, if we are heirs, what are we heirs of?
- The kingdom of God?
- Being part of God’s family?
- Eternity with God?
- Christ’s glory?
- Or, as the song says, salvation?
In fact, I think that members of the family of God are heirs to a lot of great things!
So, if we are set to inherit good things, what is this idea of being a “purchase of God”? It almost sounds like God came and bought us off of the shelf. In reality, God did purchase us, but we weren’t sitting in a nice display window, or stacked neatly in boxes. Instead, we were on death row and obligated to pay our debt by spending eternity away from God. In His great love, Jesus paid the price to get us back from our formerly-doomed existence, and this process is what we call “redemption”.
Let’s read 1 Peter 1:18-19.
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
1 Peter 1:18-19 NIV
When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and follow Him, we are indeed heirs of salvation – it is something that we will receive (although in some ways, I think that we already have taken possession of it now), but we only obtain this inheritance because we were purchased with Jesus’ selfless sacrifice. This leads us into the next words of the hymn:
born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.
In Acts 2, there was a coming of the Holy Spirit (who the disciples were promised by Jesus in Acts 1:5, and which they experienced in Acts 2:1-4). Then, after Peter’s sermon, when the people asked what they should do, Peter instructed them to “Repent and be baptized,…” (see Acts 2:38), which – in light of the example of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:26-40, for instance – would appear to be water baptism.
So, as we can read in John 3:3-8, those entering the kingdom of God experience a new birth in both the physical world (through water) and in the spiritual world (through the Holy Spirit). Just as God gave us more than just physical bodies when we were born, there’s more to our new birth than just a spiritual change.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
1 Peter 1:3-5 NIV
There’s that inheritance again, which is for…heirs. We receive that inheritance – and a living hope – through a new birth.
Now, it might seem strange to wash something in blood, but take a look at Revelation 7:9, 13-14. If you’ve ever had to get a blood stain out of clothing, perhaps because of a nosebleed or a scratch, this might not make sense. How can washing something with blood make it white?
As Christians, though, we understand that only through Jesus giving His blood – His lifeblood – as a sacrifice for our own lives that were otherwise forfeited, can we be pronounced righteous (i.e., justified) before a perfect, holy God. This doesn’t seem to be describing a physical event, but rather a spiritual exchange of our sinful lives for Jesus’ perfect life.
So, I hope that you have accepted God’s offer to buy you back with the blood that Jesus voluntarily shed for you, that you have been washed clean in your spirit, and are eagerly awaiting the inheritance that is waiting for all of God’s family members who still walk here on earth.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for September 10, 2023
References:
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation.
Those Who Sin Differently 