Unaware
On June 4, 2021, Cathy Boone, a homeless woman, died in a warming shelter, unaware that she had inherited $884,000. Her mother had passed in 2016 and left it to her daughter, but it was never claimed.
That is a sad story, no doubt. But even sadder is that many miss out on the fullness of the inheritance Jesus left for them.
Let me frame it a little differently. Most believers I meet have no issue with believing that Jesus died to pay for their sins and provide salvation. They will easily say that by the blood of Jesus, they were forgiven and cleansed of their sins. This is very true, too! Praise God for the sacrifice of Jesus and for the blood that cleanses us from all unrighteousness. I know my past, present, and future sins have been paid for at the cross. I too rejoice when someone comes to know Jesus and is water baptized and has their name written in the Lambs Book of Life. Jesus made sure that we knew the importance of that and rejoice in it.
But is that the totality of what Jesus accomplished at the cross and in His resurrection and ascension?
Is it possible He gave His life to provide even more to us as an inheritance so we can live effectively here and now?
If you read the devotional before this one, you will notice that Jesus taught us to ask for the Holy Spirit.
Luke 11:13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
He was not teaching us to ask to be saved at that moment; He was instructing us to ask for the Holy Spirit and expect to receive Him.
Because of what I see in Scripture, I believe Jesus’ death was for far more than just saving us, delivering us, and getting us into heaven. I believe a big part of what He was willing to give His life for involved the Promise of the Father which is the Holy Spirit.
When the Law Covenant was issued, certain amazing promises were attached to keeping it—promises of abundance, health, peace, prosperity, victory, long life, etc. The only problem was that the Law relied on the power of the flesh, and thus, all the benefits of inheritance from it were restricted by the weakness of the flesh. Israel failed to benefit from all the fullness of blessing promised in the Law because they failed to keep it as they should. At least they were aware of the promise of inheriting blessing and hope. They just could not consistently comply with the conditions to receive it.
The sad thing today is that many believers are unaware of what all was covered by the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. They are ignorant of the scope of His completed work. because they are unaware, they stop short of all that is meant to be supplied to us as a result of the faithfulness and sacrifice of Jesus. Jesus communicated one of the primary reasons why He was going to die, resurrect, and then ascend back to the Father. It was so that the promise of the Father could come to us.
John 16:7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
This matter of being filled with the Holy Spirit is not a side issue to Jesus, who is the one who baptizes us with the Holy Spirit and with fire. It is of great importance in the scope of our inheritance, and it is something Jesus greatly desires that we take full advantage of. But like the homeless woman Cathy Boone, it will be missed if we are unaware. Are you aware as Jesus desires you to be aware?
