God himself is quoted in Rev. 21:7,8 where we read:
What did God say the overcomers will inherit in Rev. 21:1-7? The list includes: the new heaven, the new earth and the new Jerusalem. Furthermore, "He [God] will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
The only thing that mankind has experienced since Adam's fall has been the effects of this cursed age we are now living in. Everything has been adversely affected by Adam's sin: the vegetable kingdom, the animal kingdom and, of course, man's body, soul and spirit. Our bodies and minds have been greatly weakened by The Fall. All this, however, will change one day for the overcomer! One day there will be no more thorns or thistles! One day there will be PERFECT PEACE in the animal kingdom (Isa. 11:6-9)! One day the righteous will have sharp minds like Adam did before The Fall when he named all the animals! Furthermore, "... the meek will INHERIT the land and enjoy great peace," Psa. 37:11.
The word inheritance is defined as "Anything acquired or possessed by descent or succession; something which is or can be inherited, as property or title acquired by an heir at the owner's death." This secular definition differs with the Biblical one in that only the overcomer will be the recipient of the Kingdom (Rev. 21:7). Moreover, Jam. 2:5 says:
Besides all this, the promised inheritance for those who overcome or the meek or those who love God or those who hope in the Lord or the righteous will "never perish, spoil or fade" (1 Pet. 1:4). Paul used the adjective "glorious" to describe this inheritance (Eph. 1:18). What a contrast to an earthly inheritance that will certainly perish, spoil and fade!
In a general way, we are "heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ" (Rom. 8:17). Because we have decided to "take up our cross, deny ourselves and follow Jesus" (Lk. 9:23), we get as our inheritance everything, including God himself! God will be OUR God and we will be HIS sons forever (Rev. 21:7).
WHO will miss all this?
Remember: "We [the saved] must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God," Acts 14:22. However, "everlasting joy" (Isa. 61:7) and "great peace" (Psa. 37:11) will be ours on top of everything else! THANK YOU JESUS!
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He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars -- their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.
In these verses the two groups of people and their destinies are mentioned. First, the "overcomers" will inherit the things listed from verses 1 to 7, while those who do not overcome, who are also known as "the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral," etc., will go to their place -- "the fiery lake of burning sulfur." (Please notice that God himself informs us that all people will NOT be saved and therefore will NOT "inherit" the Kingdom, Mt. 25:34. Compare to Jn. 3:5.)Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?
(We show our love for God by obeying him, Jn. 14:15,23,24 -- the chief act of obedience being "believing in" Jesus, Jn. 6:28,29, which includes TURNING FROM SIN [Acts 20:21 cf. Acts 16:31].) In Psa. 37:9, we learn that "those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land." In verse 29 of the same Psalm, we are told "the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever."Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:9,10).
See also Gal. 5:19-21 and Eph. 5:5-7.
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