Cornelius Vanderbilt’s descendants inherited around $200 million in the late 19th century, equivalent to billions today. Sam Walton, founder of Walmart passed to his children a combined wealth exceeding $150 billion. The Koch brothers inherited an estimated $50 billion, all well and good if you assess life in stocks and bank accounts, but none of these can be compared to the “inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fades not away, reserved” for those who believe (1 Peter 1:4). My Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10), which is only a metaphor, because He also owns the coal and gold under the hills and every creation from the hills to the heavens.
If God is our Father than we are legally heirs of God, but better yet, “joint-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17). Everything Christ is and has is also ours “in Him”. The elder brother was told, “All that I have is thine” (Luke 15:31). He could have butchered the fatted calf and wore the finest robe at any time, but he didn’t understand the possessing, stewarding and proper valuing of inheritance.
What is inheritance? Title, possessions, property, standing, etc. passed on from one party to another at the death of the person leaving a valid will. Usually, the will is drafted by a parent or relative, but this will and testament is the inclusion of all that is deeded to us in the death of our elder brother Jesus Christ. The good news is that you don’t need to hire an attorney for settlement because Christ rose from the dead guaranteeing Himself as the arbiter, high priest and surety of every promise in the covenant. If you have a Bible, you hold legal papers.
The Book of Joshua is a clear Old Testament illustration of New Testament truth. The name Joshua, God is salvation, foreshadows Jesus, the One who conquered all spiritual territory. His name also means Jehovah saves. In biblical typology, first is the natural and then the spiritual. Joshua led the way to take territory in the land of Canaan, the “Promise Land” and divided the land to the Israelites, just as the Captain of our salvation has defeated every spiritual foe and distributes our Promise Land, “all the promises of God” which are yes and amen in Him.
The word “inheritance” appears fifty-seven times in Joshua. It is the central theme of the book. When we speak of this God of Salvation, seen in type in Joshua and in fulfillment in Yeshua, or Jesus, we are not only speaking of deliverance “from” Egypt and its slavery, but entrance “into” Canaan’s happy land, with its freedom and life more abundant, a “land flowing with milk and honey”.
1. Dispossession
But before we can possess what is ours we must dispossess whatever attempts to steal our territory. There were giants in the land as well as all the “ites”, Hittites, Hivites, Amorites, Jebusites and more. God’s blessing in your life must be contended for. Most give up the fight and settle down on the east side of Jordan with less than intended victory. We are commanded to “drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, destroy all their engraved stones, destroy all their molded images, and demolish all their high places” (Numbers 33:52). You must say of your spiritual inheritance, “Let go of what is mine” and wrench it from the hands of the thief. The kingdom is taken by force.
2. Appreciation
In Joshua 13 the land was divided as an inheritance among the tribes according to God’s direction. What we have in Christ is much larger than most understand. In verses 1-8 there was land promised far north, south, east and west. They reached uttermost “borders”. Ultimately, Israel was promised land from Egypt to the Euphrates River in Iraq. Of all the tribal heads and judges, not a single leader dared to claim Israel’s full inheritance right until David came along and “went to recover his border at the river Euphrates” (2 Samuel 8:3). Similarly, most believers today live far short of their covenant rights in Christ.
This may be caused by ignorance of God’s will, but also by lack of appreciation of God’s will. Much of what is inherited comes from the labors of other generations. Indian Christians enjoy the great blessings they have today because other generations fasted, prayed and paid the price to secure the presence and power of God. The same is true of American freedom, purchased by forefathers who chose death, if necessary, over tyranny. Likewise, Christ died to give us spiritual fringe benefits. Are we excited to maintain and build on the estate handed to us?
3. Defense
Today’s believers must defend the inheritance that has been passed down by other generations. The baptism of the Holy Spirit came at a cost. Holiness came at a cost. Churches and Pentecostal organizations didn’t just happen, early members dispossessed spiritual powers to bring us the heritage of revival. The tribal leaders were to “describe the land” (Joshua 18:6) and “divide the land” (Numbers 33:54). We need to appreciate what is ours, “describe” it, then appropriate, “divide” it.
The land was divided by “lot” – “By lot was their inheritance…” (Joshua 14:1) An allotment was made. Or to bring it up to date, we have certainly received “a lot”. In conveniences and comforts the Christian of 2026 has so much more than his earlier relatives, though we do not have a square inch of land more when it comes to the things that matter like faith, faithfulness and intimacy with God.
This is a call to defend the inheritance we have received. I write this from USA, a beacon of freedom for all nations over the past 250 years. I must take a stand for freedom. But we must all stand in defense of the gospel, the doctrines of the Bible, the ministry of the Holy Spirit and all that goes with our rich tradition and inheritance.
4. Improvement and Expansion
The Israelites were given houses that they didn’t build, orchards they didn’t plant and fields they didn’t till. Thank God for every good blessing that has been handed down. But we are not to be complacent with the status quo. Our faith has been “once delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). No one can improve upon perfection. But we can improve our churches, our worship, our evangelism, our attitudes, our love walk. Inheritance is not something you spend and squander but something that is to be built upon and improved like the investments of talents and pounds in the parables. Inheritance must not only be received and defended, it must be stewarded.
5. Legacy or Transferal
At last, we must get the baton into the hands of the next generation. The tragedy of the Book of Joshua is seen in Judges. Another “generation arose who knew not the Lord” (Judges 2:10). If second generation Pentecostals and Charismatics are in danger of taking spiritual inheritance for granted and drifting from the faith, what will the situation be for third and fourth generation heirs? This is my greatest concern as I get closer to my own finish line.
Great fortunes have been handed down generationally from Vanderbilt, Walton and others, as first mentioned, but it is possible to leave the next generation a fortune but fail to leave them a faith. The Apostle Paul made sure he left a clear, living, Jesus-centered faith to the Roman world. Bible translators have bequeathed God’s word in the languages of the people. Pioneers have blazed trails for immigrants. Soldiers and sailors have purchased freedom often at the cost of their own lives. You and I have the Gospel. We have the light. We have a rich inheritance. We have the message for this Mess-Age, Jesus. The inheritance is not to be hoarded, but heralded. It is a legacy that must be shared through example, sound biblical preaching and instruction to succeeding generations. Failing there, our churches will go the way of Sardis, or Laodicea, or maybe worse.
To recap, dispossess what stands in the way, appreciate what has been given, defend what others paid for, build upon what you have received, and make sure it does not stop with you. Because one day, someone else will stand where you stand now. and they will either inherit a living fire – or the ashes of what once was. Joshua made a bold decision regarding legacy – “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord…” (Joshua 24:15)
