My Parents Were Christians, I’m Good…
Nov 15 2022 - Adam Seitz
It’s difficult for those of us in the United States to relate to a monarchy with their kings, queens, princes, princesses, and all the pomp and circumstance. But, with the Queen of England dying, it is the only thing in the news cycle. One of the most fascinating parts of the monarchy in England is the idea of heritage. With the Queen’s death, her son, Prince Charles, immediately becomes King and inherits the entire kingdom. Charles now wears the crown and inherits a title, castle, land, and fabulous wealth. And it’s not just Charles who moves up because of his family heritage. His children now move up one step closer to the throne with Prince William becoming the heir apparent. Charles, William, and others in the family are entitled to the throne, their titles, and the castle because of heritage. In other words, they are entitled to their inheritance and the monarchy because of who their parents are. Sadly, many within the church think they are “Christians” and will get into heaven simply because their parents were Christians. But the difficult fact is that your “heritage” counts for nothing with God. Heaven’s door won’t open a single inch for you merely because your parents were Christians.
One of the first instances of God’s rejection of “heritage” comes with John the Baptist. In Matthew 3, we are introduced to John the Baptist, the ultimate Bible Hipster with his camel hair clothes, leather belt, and eating nothing but an early paleo diet of locusts and wild honey. When we first meet John, Jews from all over the region who were seeking God came to him to confess their sins and be baptized. (Matthew 3:5-6). These were people who knew their own sins and recognized their need to be saved by God from God. Then along came the Pharisees, the outwardly religious but inwardly dead religious leaders of the time. John, unconcerned with hurt feelings or saying something offensive, greets the Pharisees by calling them a “brood of vipers” who will be subject to “the wrath to come.” (Matthew 3:7). John then jumps immediately to the heart of the matter—the Pharisees trust in their “heritage”:
9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’, for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
John tells the Pharisees, don’t presume you will enter heaven because Abraham is your father. In essence, John is saying “God won’t care who your father was. God won’t care who your mother was. Your family’s faith means nothing.” Instead, heaven and hell depend on your faith and your belief in Jesus.
Paul echoed the exact same thought in the book of Romans. Here, Paul was addressing the arrogance of the Jews in believing God would show them favor because they were Jews whose family line included Noah, Moses, and Abraham. Paul flatly tells the Jews their heritage means nothing:
28 For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. 29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.
To a Jew, this would have been devastating. Their identity as a “Jew,” as a child of Abraham, was of supreme importance! And Paul rejects it outright and tells them that merely being a Jew outwardly, merely having Abraham as your father, is worthless. Instead, Paul tell us, the question of whether you were a Jew—one of God’s chosen people—was a matter of your heart.
Brothers and sisters, think hard on this question. When someone asks you “why are you a Christian” is your answer “because my parents were?” Is your answer “because that’s how I grew up?” If so, that should be an immediate warning sign to you! Please understand that your heritage means nothing to God. You are not entitled to inherit the kingdom of heaven and enter God’s throne room simply because your parents were Christians. Instead, the question is what you believe:
15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 16:15-17)
This is the most important question that you can answer. Not who your parents are. Not who your grandparents are. Not who your pastor is. No. The question upon which heaven and hell rest is this—“Who do you say Jesus is?” If you confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, and believe in your heart that He will save you from your sins, then you are are now a “child of God.” (Romans 8:17). And, as a child of God, then we are “heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.” (Romans 8:17). Do you see what God has done? Your earthly heritage means nothing! But for followers of Jesus your spiritual heritage makes you a child of God and an heir to all of the kingdom of Heaven where Jesus “will grant him to sit with me on my throne.” Wow! What a heritage we have in Jesus!
Is your heritage in Heaven? Or are you still clinging to your earthly heritage? If you are reading this, then it’s not too late to turn to God and give your life over to Him!