I find it striking that on one day two men were announced king over Israel. We are told Solomon was anointed as king by a priest. Abiathar has priests join him as well. Did they anoint him as king too?

But only one of them was a true king in Israel.

We call ourselves kings and priests, but have we been anointed by the true Priest of God?

What gives us our authority and authenticity? How do we know we’ve been anointed as a rightful heir of God’s promises?

In Galatians 3, Paul tells us that those who are baptized into Christ are heirs.

We are baptized into Christ through water baptism, which is our joining ourselves to Christ in His death and resurrection (Rom. 6:3-4).

We are baptized into Christ through the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Jesus, Himself, pours His love into our hearts (Rom. 5:5).

We are baptized into Christ through fire, as we join in the fellowship of His suffering (Phil. 3:10), crucifying the flesh so we can live in the Spirit (Gal. 2:2).

These are experiences that you have after you believed on the Lord Jesus Christ.

In Romans 8, Paul says our spirit bears witness that we are God’s children; we know it within us.

He’s says our spirits within us cry out, “Abba, Father!” If you have never had any kind of time with God when your spirit fellowshipped with His Spirit in love and acceptance and of knowing you were His beloved child, you are missing the life of the Spirit in you. The Father loves to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask for Him.

John tells us that we’ll know we are His if we keep God’s commands (1 John 2:3).

King David kept God’s commands. He guarded them as a treasure in His heart. We know he sinned, but we’re also told He kept God’s commands. He loved God. His heart was set on God. He got Himself distracted and then repented. He didn’t try to justify himself. He knew He sinned against God. His heart was toward God. He loved God’s word. He loved the law. He sang love songs about God’s word and His law. Are you a true heir?