Lately, I am hearing more and more about entering the Kingdom vs. inheriting the Kingdom. It’s being said that all Christians will enter the Kingdom, but not all Christians will inherit the Kingdom. The reason given is that many people get saved and do nothing for the Lord, while others give all to the Lord. Based on the enter/inherit idea, how do we know if we’re just entering the Kingdom, or are we also inheriting the Kingdom?
In Ephesians 1:13-14 Paul said the Holy Spirit was sealed within us as a deposit, guaranteeing our inheritance, not just our entrance. This happened as soon as we believed the gospel of our salvation before we had done anything to deserve it. In other words, our inheritance is guaranteed right from the beginning, and we receive it just for believing.
It is true that after we receive our inheritance, we may also be given additional rewards based on what we did for the Lord during our life as believers (1 Cor. 3:10-15)
But the enter/inherit idea is is another one of the false teachings currently going around, claiming that even after we’re saved we still have to earn our place in the kingdom.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.
This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3-5).