What does the word heir express? The Word of God says that if we are children, we are also heirs. And how do we become children of God? By receiving Jesus: “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” (Jn 1:12) Salvation, which Jesus obtained for us through His blood in a hard struggle on Calvary, is given us freely as an inheritance through faith. We should obtain grace for other people too, that they also may receive Jesus and share in the inheritance of eternal life after death.

What does it mean to be the heir of the world? It does not mean to establish dominion over the world for our physical descendants, as it has been misinterpreted by some Jews to this day. It means to win souls for God! At the time of Abraham, human souls were under the sway of demonic forces within worldwide pagan worship of a variety of idols. We are in a similar situation today.

“For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham

or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.”

“Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only,

or upon the uncircumcised also?

For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness.

How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised?

Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised.”

«Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised.»

The Apostle asks: Does this blessedness, stemming from faith, come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? The Jews were very particular about circumcision and related it to the whole religious system of certain rites. The danger has always been that an emphasis on secondary things eliminates the essence – here the essence of salvation, which consists in personal relationship to God.

“For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God,

and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ Now to him who works,

the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.”

“For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.”

Here the Word of God highlights the example of Abraham. The preceding verse reads, “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.” And the following verse continues, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Here the meaning of righteousness is more like ‘justification’. Man does unspeakable injustice to God by sinning. The holiness of God is infinite, and so an insult to God deserves the highest punishment.

“…whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith.

This was to show God’s righteousness, because in His divine forbearance

He had passed over former sins.”

Whom did God put forward? Jesus Christ, His Son.

For what purpose? As a propitiation.

How? By His blood.

For whose sake? For the sake of all who will receive it by faith.

How did God show His righteousness? By the forgiveness of sins.

Let us realize that God forgives our sins because Jesus became a propitiation.The condition on our part is the faith in Christ who is the Saviour, the Son of God, who paid the just price for my sins by His blood and obtained the forgiveness for me.

«All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

being justified freely by His grace

through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.»

Here the Word of God says clearly that all have sinned. Naturally, little children cannot sin because they are not able to discern sin; however, they are already programmed for sin and it is only a question of time before it manifests itself. It means that all have been infected with the spiritual poison of original sin and, as a consequence, all fall short of the glory of God. This is a sad reality. But there is another reality too. The reality of God’s love. God has given His Son for our salvation. So we are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.”

And immediately the man was healed, took up his bed, and walked.

And that day was the Sabbath. The Jews therefore said to him who was

healed, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.”

Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was healed, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath. The Jews therefore said to him who was healed, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.”

Jesus healed a man who had been sick for 38 years. It happened in Jerusalem near the pool called Bethesda. Jesus first asked him: “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered sadly: “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” When the sick man described his situation of complete helplessness, Jesus said to him: “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was healed, took up his bed and walked. Jesus showed His divine power here. He spoke a word and the man was healed. Behind the word of Jesus is not only His will but His divine power too. On the part of the sick man, one can see an attitude of the obedience of faith; he took up his bed and walked, carrying his bed, although that day was the Sabbath. He thus came into conflict with the Jews, who said to him: “It is not lawful for you to carry your bed.”

These words of God, which have been given to us through the Apostle John, are a great treasure for us. It is said that if we have received Jesus by faith and believed that He died for our sins, and moreover, committed our life into His hands and to His will, then according to the right established by God we have become children of God. This truth is also connected with our belief in His name. The name of God is Isus in Greek and Ukrainian, Jesus in English, Jezus in Polish, but the full name in the original language is Yehoshua. This very name reveals that God who created the world and man – the Triune God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit – is my salvation.

«But as many as received Him,to them He gave the right to

become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh,

nor of the will of the man, but of God.»

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised

for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray;

we have turned, every one, to his own way;

and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

God gave the prophet Isaiah a vision of the future Messiah, who is Jesus. The prophet says: “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities.” The same Holy Spirit who revealed the mystery of our salvation in Jesus Christ to the prophet Isaiah has to enlighten the mind of each of us personally, that each of us may realize that Christ was wounded for my sins and bruised for my iniquities. Jesus suffered it all out of His love for me, to pay the just price for my sins and iniquities, and to open for me the way to eternal happiness in heaven. So, we were not redeemed with gold or silver but with the precious Blood of Jesus Christ. Let us also realize that the chastisement for our peace was upon Him.