Being a co-heir or joint-heir with Christ is a profound and precious truth found in Scripture. It speaks to the incredible privilege and inheritance believers in Jesus have by virtue of being adopted into God’s family through faith. At its core, being a co-heir with Christ means sharing in all that belongs to Him as the true Son of God. This is an astounding reality for those who were once separated from God by sin.
The concept of believers as co-heirs with Christ is directly taught in several New Testament passages. One of the clearest is Romans 8:16-17: “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” This conveys the amazing truth that Christians are not merely servants in God’s household, but His very own adopted children. And since we are His children, we also share in the magnificent inheritance that belongs to Christ as the uniquely begotten Son of God.
The same truth is echoed in Galatians 4:4-7, which contrasts the believer’s state before and after faith in Christ. Before coming to faith, we were like slaves; but through Christ we have been adopted as sons, and therefore are now “heirs through God” (v.7). Titus 3:7 also confirms that we have been justified by God’s grace precisely so that we “might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” In each case, Scripture is abundantly clear that believers share in the inheritance of Christ Himself.
So what precisely does this inheritance include? First and foremost, it refers to the gift of eternal life. As Paul states in Titus 3:7, our hope as co-heirs with Christ is eternal life with Him. Jesus repeatedly spoke of eternal life as the inheritance of the righteous (Matthew 19:29, Matthew 25:34). The promise of eternity in God’s presence, free from sin and death, is in itself an incomparable treasure. As children of God through faith in Christ, eternal life belongs to us by right of inheritance.
But Scripture indicates our inheritance encompasses more than just eternal life. 1 Peter 1:3-5 describes it as an inheritance which is “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven” for us. This implies its eternal and incorruptible nature. But it also suggests we will inherit actual riches from God the Father analogous to those we might inherit from an earthly father. The parables of Jesus also speak of faithful servants being rewarded with authority and possessions commensurate with their Master’s own (Matt 25:14-30; Luke 19:11-27). Our spiritual inheritance likely includes both eternal life as well as rewards, positions, and treasures we are yet to fully comprehend.
Most importantly, being an heir with Christ means being a recipient of all that is His by nature as the Son of God. This certainly includes His righteousness, His holiness, His spiritual blessings, and His authority. By our union with Him, we partake of His divine nature and life as children of God. Just as earthly children inherit traits and privileges from their parents biologically, we inherit spiritual riches from God because we are His children in Christ.
The New Testament employs various images to convey these truths. Believers are branches grafted into Christ the true vine, recipients of His life-giving sap (John 15:1-6). We are living stones incorporated into Christ the cornerstone, sharing in His spiritual life and purposes (Eph 2:19-22, 1Pet 2:4-5). As His body, we share in the headship of Christ Himself (Eph 1:22-23). Most vividly, we are the bride of Christ, destined to share in His eternal reign (Eph 5:31-32, Rev 21:1-4). All these pictures indicate our co-destiny with Him as co-heirs.
Some specific aspects of our spiritual inheritance likely include:
– Forgiveness and redemption from sin (Eph 1:7, Col 1:14).
– Adoption into God’s family as His beloved children (Gal 4:5-7).
– The permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38-39, Rom 8:9, Gal 3:14).
– Eternal glorification of our bodies to be like Christ (Rom 8:17, Phil 3:20-21).
– The authority and royal status of being co-rulers with Christ (2 Tim 2:12, Rev 3:21).
– Treasures laid up for us in heaven as rewards for faithful service (Matt 6:19-21, 1 Pet 1:3-4).
– The blessing and honor of seeing God’s face (Matt 5:8, Rev 22:4).
– The right to eat from the tree of life in paradise (Rev 2:7).
– The enjoyment of the new heavens and new earth in their fullness (2 Pet 3:13).
Truly, the riches we inherit in Christ are far more than we can fully comprehend in this life. Even though we only see dimly now, the promise of sharing fully in Christ’s glory as co-heirs sustains our hope.
This mind-boggling inheritance, however, is only for those who are in fact adopted children of God through trusting in Christ. A mere outward association with Christianity does not make someone an heir of God. Romans 8:17 makes clear that only those who have suffered and identified with Christ through genuine faith will share in His inheritance. True adoption into God’s household comes through faith in Jesus (Gal 3:26). Without that adoption, there is no legal claim to the inheritance.
In one sense, our status as co-heirs is a present spiritual reality. Believers already have eternal life abiding in them (1 John 5:11-12). We already enjoy the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our inheritance (Eph 1:13-14). Yet in another sense, the full experience of our heavenly inheritance remains future. Like Christ Himself, we must endure a season of suffering and indignity in this fallen world before the glory to come (Rom 8:17-18). Our heavenly hope purifies and inspires us as we eagerly await the redemption of our bodies and the material creation (Rom 8:23-25). Then we will experience the fullness of our inheritance in resurrected bodies, untainted by sin, when God creates the new heavens and earth.
This underscores why Paul could call this truth the “hope of the glory of God” (Col 1:27). The promise that we will one day share fully in Christ’s heavenly reign and inherit all things with Him sustains believers in times of trial and motivates us to godly living. Our destiny as co-heirs gives us glimpses of the infinite blessings prepared for us in eternity. It reflects the surpassing riches of God’s grace toward us in Christ. And it continues to unfold the breathtaking story of God’s purpose to welcome us as children into His eternal family and kingdom.
Fittingly, this hope of sharing fully in Christ’s inheritance also shapes how believers view earthly wealth and possessions. As co-heirs with Christ, we can have contentment whether abundantly supplied or severely lacking in present material comforts (Phil 4:11-13). Our true hope is not earthly wealth that perishes, but a living hope guaranteed by Christ’s own resurrection (1 Pet 1:3-5). We look forward to receiving unfading heavenly possessions, not ephemeral earthly comforts. This hope liberates us from worldly greed and frees us to generously use present resources to advance God’s kingdom. Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await the Savior who will transform us into the fullness of His image (Phil 3:20-21).
In summary, the magnificent reality of believers as co-heirs with Christ conveys our precious privilege as God’s adopted children. Through faith union with Jesus, we become recipients of all that is rightfully His as the uniquely beloved, divine Son. This means inheriting eternal life, heavenly rewards, and treasures far beyond what we can fully conceive in the present age. Already, we experience a foretaste of this through the Spirit’s work in our lives. But the full experience still awaits us in the future resurrection. This breathtaking truth reveals the extravagant riches of God’s grace toward all who trust in Christ. It summons us to live even now in light of our glorious eternal destiny. And it fuels our longing for the day when we will experience the fullness of our inheritance together with Christ Himself. What a precious hope indeed!
