Or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you.-1 Corinthians 3:22b
We are blessed.
We are blessed.
We are blessed.
As believers we are "heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ" (Rom. 8:17). We have even inherited Christ's glory, bequeathed to us by our Lord Himself (John 17:22). "We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Rom. 8:28).
The world or life or death or things present or things to come is totally inclusive. Paul begins and ends this declaration with all things belong to you. In Christ, all things are for our sakes and for God's glory.
Specifically, the world is ours, even now His main point is that, in the millenial kingdom and throughout eternity in the new heavens and new earth, we will possess the earth in a richer way. But even now the universe is a possession of God's people. It is ours. Our heavenly Father made it for us. It is still in the grip of the evil one, but it will someday and forever belong to us, not to him.
When we fully inherit the world, with Jesus on the throne, it will be perfect and even more ours. In the meanwhile, this present world already belongs to us, with its wonders and glories, imperfections and disappointments. The believer can appreciate the world as no unbeliever can. We know where it came from, why it was made, why we are on it, and what its final destiny will be. We can sing with certainty as well as joy, "This is my Father's world." And we are His heirs.
All lie is ours; but from the context it is clear that Paul is primarily referring to spiritual life, eternal life. In Christ we have new life, a quality of life that will never tarnish, diminish, or be lost. God's own life is in us now. Through Christ, God abides in us, and we share His nature and His life.
Even death is ours. The great enemy of mankind has been overcome. Christ has conquered death, and through Him we have conquered death. Unless we are raptured, we will have to pass through death; but we will pass through it as its master not its slave. All death can do to the believer is deliver him to Jesus. It brings us into the eternal presence of our Savior. That is why Paul could say with such joy, "for to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain". Whether he remained on earth for a while longer or went to be with the Lord, he could not lose. For Christians, death can only make things better. To stay here and finish the work Christ has given us to do may be "more necessary" but "to depart and be with Christ... is very much better". For God's people, this present life is good, but death-which users us into eternal life-is better.
Things present are ours. That encompasses everything we have or experience in this life. It is, in fact, a synonym for this life. It includes the good and the bad, the pleasant and the painful, the joys and the disappointments, the health and the sickness, the contentment and the grief. In God's hands it all serves us and makes us spiritually richer. "In all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us"; and because nothing "shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord," nothing can cause us any real harm. God causes all things to be working together for our good.
Things to come are ours. The reference here is not primarily, if at all, to the future of our present lives. That is included under things present, meaning everything we will experience on earth. The things that are to come are heavenly blessings, of which we now have only a glimpse. Yet they will be the greatest blessings of all.
This Thanksgiving, take time to remember how blessed you truly are.
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