IF CHILDREN, THEN HEIRS

IF CHILDREN, THEN HEIRS


. . . we are the children of God:
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ . . .
Romans 8:16-17

Arthur was born and raised in the “Holler,” homesteaded by his great grandparents and inhabited by most of their progenitors. It had become a rural shantytown in a picturesque setting, a culture of idleness and all of its attendant evils. Arthur’s maternal grandfather, the industrious exception to the rule, had long since grown tired of being the extended family’s chief provider, and had removed himself from that role by moving into town and living with the inevitable “traitor” label bestowed upon him.

Arthur was a mild, happy, friendly, trusting child. As he began high school, his grandfather, sensing his potential, invited Arthur to live in town with him and become the family’s first high school graduate.

Arthur and Krista’s social circles overlapped. When he heard about the injustice put upon her by his up until then friend Kenny, Arthur temporarily set aside his mild temperament. “Krista is the best Christian I know. When you look up ‘Christian’ in the dictionary, all it would have to say is ‘Krista Radcliffe,’” he kept saying to anyone who would listen.

A week or so after the incident, Arthur was in the back bedroom when he heard the doorbell ring. He heard his grandpa’s chair squeak, then the familiar grunt as the old man rose and slowly shuffled to the door. A muffled conversation followed, accompanied by the sound of the door shutting.

Arthur appeared in the living room. “Who was that?”

“Religious pests. Should be a law against any of their kind disturbing people at home.”

“What did they look like?”

“Young ones. White shirts, ties, name tags.”

“I’d wanted to talk to them . . .”

“You can probably catch ‘em. But take’em into the kitchen. I’m watchin’ tv.

“Oprah? That’s for girls.”

“Better’n’ listenin’ to religious nuts.”

Arthur caught up to them and was glad to let them into the kitchen through the back door, embarrassed that his grandpa was watching a “chick” show.



His baptism was heard ‘round the high school, for better and for worse: Mormonism became the topic du jour.

A few weeks later the new convert, who had been coming to everything, quit coming. To anything. Krista’s dad was his Sunday School teacher. He asked his daughter.

“It’s those girls at work, the owner’s daughters. They’re “Born Agains,” same as Kenny, and their constant anti-Mormon rants are getting to him.”

“What can I do?”

“Talk to him?”

Brad called his Sunday School student at work. “Meet me at Village Inn at quittin’ time. Dinner’s on me.” It was an offer Arthur couldn’t refuse.

They did the small talk over pot roast. Just before the blackberry cobbler a la mode, Brad blurted out, “Time for the commercial.”

“I kinda thought so.”

“So what’s goin’ on?”

“I probably won’t be coming back. You guys are weird. You don’t believe like other Christians, and that’s one thing I am – Christian.”

“Could you give me an example?”

“This business about how you can become as God. No one else teaches that – sounds like blasphemy to them, and I’m thinkin’ they just may have a point.”

“Paul wrote about that in the book of Romans.” They read the passage together, and Brad explained, “It’s in the spirit of this scripture that we teach about becoming as God, Arthur. It doesn’t diminish God when understood in this way. It emphasizes His love for us – what parent wouldn’t want his beloved children to share in everything the parent has, and to be together forever? It doesn’t diminish God to believe that mankind’s destiny is to become heirs, as His sons and daughters, to all that our Father has. In fact, it raises the child to the level of the Parent. After all, His work and His glory, that which brings satisfaction and fulfillment to Him, is to bring to pass our immortality and eternal life – to live in His and His Only Begotten’s presence forever, and to share in all that they have. As it says, this is the greatest gift that God can give to man.”

“Wow, Bro. Radcliffe, they make it sound so weird, and you make it sound so wonderful.”

“Which explanation is accompanied by the Spirit? That’s how you can tell.”

“Would you mind stopping by work in a couple of days and explaining what you just did to Lisa and Sharla? They’re good girls, and I’m sure they’d be open to what you have to say. I’ll set it up, ok?”