Our Inheritance

When Elijah went up to heaven, he left Elisha his cloak (see 2 Kings 2:11-13). Likewise, when Jesus went up to the Father, he left us his own garment which is his perfect righteousness. He cast it upon us as surely as Elijah cast his garment upon Elisha. The prophet’s action was a type and shadow of what was going to happen when Jesus was translated to the Father. Indeed, we are heirs to a wonderful garment of righteousness that covers us completely, making us acceptable in God’s holy presence.

This garment is our inheritance, and God expects us to value it. He expects us to seek after it, to be willing heirs to his legacy. You may remember what happened when King Ahab came against Naboth, coveting his vineyard. Naboth valued his vineyard so much that he rejected Ahab’s offer to buy it, saying, “The Lord forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you” (1 Kings 21:3, NKJV). He was saying, “God forbid that anyone should take my inheritance from me. It’s mine!”

I believe the most important thing you can seek from God is the understanding that this inheritance is yours, and it is waiting to be claimed. The knowledge of the perfect righteousness of Jesus will put you on a rock that is unshakable. It will end all your useless struggles and put you in God’s presence justified and accepted.

God has provided you with an inheritance whereby you can stand before him with perfect righteousness in Jesus Christ, and you should want it. It should be an inheritance nobody can take from you. No lie of the devil should be able to remove it from your spirit; no man should be able to steal it from you, and no emotion should drain you of it.

Because God said it, you must lay hold of it! You need to seek it, go after it, allow your soul no rest until you get your hands on it. “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).