I love David’s words in Psalm 61.
“For you, O God, have heard my vows, you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.”
You haven’t merely heard my cry for help and listened to my vows of allegiance, David writes. You’ve “given me the inheritance of those who fear your name.”
A heritage.
A new lineage.
A new legacy to live out of.
Our New Heritage
This new heritage reality was true for David and for all of us who follow Jesus today.
When we enter into God’s family through the atoning work of Jesus, we find ourselves with new brothers and sisters now. As well as infinite bonds to those beloved of Jesus who have gone before us.
All of us in Christ Jesus have been given a heritage.
Family History
This means that Saints of the past aren’t just cool people who also followed Jesus.
They’re now blood relatives.
Take David himself.
When we read about him slaying Goliath, fleeing Saul, and mourning the death of his son, we’re not just reading Biblical stories—we’re encountering family history.
This goes beyond Scripture too.
The stories of the early church—of Justin Martyr, Perpetua, and Polycarp—are family history too.
William Wilberforce, Martin Luther, and Dorothy Day are family histories as well.
And the darker spots in church history are ours too. They’re part and parcel of the legacy we’ve inherited and the history we belong to.
Belonging Together
The next time you open the Bible or read about church history, keep this in mind.
By being saved into Christ, we’re saved into the heritage of his people.
Those who have gone before belong to our stories as well.
And we all belong to Jesus.