We Are Partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light

St. Paul wrote in his letter to the Colossians: “giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. But, what did Paul mean when he speaks of being made to be, “partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light”? Webster’s dictionary says a partaker is someone who has, or gives, or receives a part or a share. “The kingdom of God is called “light,” and that of Satan is called “darkness.

Light, in the Scriptures, is the symbol of holiness, knowledge, happiness; and all these are found in the kingdom over which God presides, and of which Christians are the heirs. The word “light” is often used to describe this kingdom. Thus, it is said of God, who presides over it, that He “is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.

So, we all are to be: “Partakers” with all the saints of God; “partakers” with the whole family of the elect; “partakers” with all the children of adoption.“Partakers” with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; with the Apostles, and with all who have gone before us, with all who have entered, into God’s Kingdom of Light.

“Partakers” with all the “ransomed of the Lord, as we read in the book of Isaiah: “And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (Isaiah 35:10) We shall all one day be partakers of this glorious inheritance, the life which is to come.

The word ‘partakers’ is also used in St. Peter’s second letter: “Whereby are given to us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust”. (2 Peter 1:4)

We all have this in common. We who are born of the Spirit are made thereby partakers of the divine nature. This is possible through faith in God, and by virtue of our being in Christ. Through our rebirth, we actually have the life and the nature of God.

In St. John’s Gospel we read: “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 man, but of God. (John1:12-13).

We who have received Jesus Christ have been born of God, and we have the right to become the children of God. At this very moment we are the children of God.

In St. John’s first Epistle he wrote: “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”. (1

John 3:2).

Partaking of the divine nature has a tremendous effect in our lives, and we can get a glimpse of these effects in the various miracles of Christ’s earthly ministry. Two examples can be also be seen in St. Matthew’s Gospel chapter nine verses 18-26.

First, the healing of the woman with an issue of blood, and second, the raising of the ruler’s daughter from the dead. The

King James Version uses the expression ‘made whole’, which is a beautiful and rich expression in its own right. Being made whole means not just healed, but signifies a healing of the soul that is more than skin deep.“She was made whole”.

In the raising of the ruler’s daughter, we see perhaps the most dramatic effect of partaking of the divine nature that is the inheritance of the Saints in light; deliverance from death. St Paul writes in I Corinthians 15:26, ‘The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.’ And later in the chapter, inspired by the power of Christ’s Resurrection,St Paul actually taunts death when he writes, ‘O Death, where is thy sting?’ (I Corinthians 15:55)

This destruction of death has been effectively accomplished in Christ, and this is the inheritance of the Saints, of which St Paul says we partake.

Also, in his letter to the Colossians St. Paul writes: “giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love. (Colossians 1:12-13)

Because of, His shed blood, and death on the cross, and His mighty resurrection, He has rescued us from the powers of darkness, and made us: “partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light”. Therefore, we should constantly be giving thanks to our Heavenly Father, who has given us a part in the inheritance of the saints, because of our faith in Christ Jesus.

The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen