There will be no grandchildren in heaven. At first glance, this statement seems ridiculous and contrary to the Bible. In a way it is. As we are all born of parents who had parents of their own, each of us is a grandchild to someone. Physically speaking, if we live faithfully so that we are allowed to enter heaven, we may be there as someone’s grandchild. However, the same cannot be said in the spiritual sense.
Romans 8:16 and Galatians 3:26 tell us Christians are “children of God.” Galatians 3:27 goes on to say, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” We become God’s children when we are baptized and live faithfully for him. As each individual becomes a Christian, he becomes a spiritual child of God. In the eyes of God, the individual is no longer someone’s grandchild; he is God’s child. This leaves no room for grandchildren in heaven. In fact, the Bible does not anywhere refer to Christians as God’s grandchildren, only as his children.
So why does it matter that
there are no spiritual grandchildren?
The Romans passage continues and says, “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ;” (8:17). As God’s children, we will inherit heaven when the time comes. Our inheritance is based on the fact that we are adopted children (Galatians 4:5-7). To receive our inheritance, we must be God’s children. It won’t matter if our parents are God’s children. That is not what our inheritance is based on. God will judge each individual’s life to see if he meets the qualifications of an adopted son or daughter (Romans 14:12; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 John 3:10). To receive our inheritance, we must be adopted children, not grandchildren.
Our faith in God must be our own. We cannot depend on the faith of our parents to get us to heaven. There are many examples in the Bible of men and women who turned from the faith of their parents to follow the true God. Consider Caleb and Rahab. When Moses sent twelve spies into Canaan to bring back a report, only two returned ready to go in and conquer the land. One of these men was Caleb (Numbers 13). A closer reading of the references to Caleb reveals that he was not a descendent of Jacob. His ancestry traced back to Esau. (John Bright, A History of Israel, (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Westminster Press) 1981) He apparently left the religion of his parents and became associated with the Israelites. This faithful man represented the tribe of Judah among the spies. His great faith was rewarded by God; he was one of two in his generation allowed to enter the Promised Land (Joshua 14).
In Joshua Chapter Two, we read of a courageous woman named Rahab. She hid Israelite spies in her home and was rewarded. When Israel marched on Jericho, Rahab and her household were spared. This courageous woman acknowledged the greatness of God and left her parents’ faith behind to live with the children of Israel (Joshua 6:25). The Hebrew writer commended her for her faith in Chapter Eleven, Verse Thirty-One.
Ruth, Paul and the Christians of the first century also forsook the religion of their fathers to follow the will of God. Ruth left her home in Moab to live with her mother-in-law in Israel. The line of King David and Christ can be traced back to this woman. The apostle Paul gave up all he had been taught in the Jewish religion to become a great missionary for Christ. Paul had achieved the highest place possible for him in Judaism; he gave it all up for Christ (Philippians 3:4-8). In Acts Two, we read of the first converts to the church. All of them were Jews observing the Passover. They gave up a lifetime of religious teachings to follow the new law of Christ. They left the faith of their parents and became God’s adopted children so they could one day inherit heaven. [Paul and other first century Jews surrendered the humanly devised amendments to Judaism and otherwise realized that Christianity was the fulfillment of Judaism, which was replaced with the Gospel. ~ Editor]
Many today must do the same thing. Each individual should carefully compare the religious beliefs of his parents to the New Testament. When the beliefs of a parent do not match the Bible, it is imperative that the individual leave behind his parents’ religion and follow Christ. Only as an adopted child of God can one enter heaven.
Some children have the privilege of growing up in a home where their parents’ faith is based on God’s Word. This does not mean they do not have any work to do to make their inheritance sure. Children of Christian parents must still examine their faith and make it their own. It is not enough for anyone to accept something just because a parent does. Christian parents also have a responsibility to help their children make their own choices about God. There are a number of ways parents can do this.
One important way parents must help involves teaching God’s Word. It is not enough for the children to know Mom and Dad believe in God. Parents need to teach their children about the Bible and God’s Word. Teaching must be done in the home and by taking the children to Bible class and worship. A child who does not see a faithful parent will most likely not be faithful himself. Just teaching the facts is not enough. Parents must not only teach Christian living, they must practice it as well. You cannot teach and live what you do not know. Parents need to show their children that their faith and obedience makes them happy and that it is important.
Only God’s adopted children will receive the promised inheritance. With this in mind, we all need to strive to teach others about God’s family plan. Our friends and co-workers need to know that just because it was good enough for Mom and Dad, that doesn’t mean it was right. Christians must take responsibility to show others that Christianity is more than just a set of facts. It is a way of life that will determine our inheritance. There will be no grandchildren in heaven.
