“The older brother was angry and refused to go in to the party being thrown for his ‘worthless estate-squandering’ younger brother. His father came out and said to him… ‘Son, you’re always with me, and everything I have is yours.’” (Paraphrase of Luke 15:28–31)
Heavenly Father, we’re all familiar with acrostics such as RIP = Rest In Peace, TGIF = Thank God It’s Friday, FMO = Fear of Missing Out, and BFF = Best Friends Forever. But I hereby create a new one that might be tattoo worthy. EIHIY = Everything I Have Is Yours—5 words you spoke to your ungrateful, self-righteous, heart-disconnected older son. You speak the same words to us in the Gospel.
As with the “older brother,” you are committed to free us from our self-centeredness, Gospel-amnesia, and gross ingratitude. You say to us in our union with Christ: “My child, I love you with an incomparable, everlasting, unwavering love. Nothing can exhaust my mercies or deplete my grace for you. I don’t endure or “put up with you.” I greatly delight in you, I am committed to quiet your heart with my love, and I will never stop rejoicing over you” (Zeph.3:14-17). Hallelujah, and thank you, Father.
Because you have hidden our lives in Christ we have all the legal rights and personal delights of your firstborn Son. We already possess the fullness of forgiveness, the righteousness of Christ, and a place in your family and heart. We are co-heirs (not sub-heirs) with Jesus of everything (Rom.8:17).
And you haven’t just secured an inheritance for us (1Pet.1:3-5) you actually call us your inheritance (Eph.1:11)—that’s how dear we are to you. Our destiny is life in the new heaven and new earth, full Jesus-likeness, wiped tears, and redeemed pain. Thank you, Abba. Hallelujah for EIHIY, and So Very Amen.
