Yes—being a joint heir with Christ means believers are placed as full children of God and co-heirs, so that everything belonging to Christ is also theirs.
Romans 8:17 calls believers 'heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ.' Les Feldick explains this as a family relationship in which believers are born into God's family, adopted as full-grown sons, and given equality with Christ in the inheritance. It is a present reality, not a future hope, and carries both the privilege of sharing all that is His and the expectation that all that is ours will be His.
Romans 8:17 — This verse directly defines the concept: if we are children, then we are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ.
Romans 8:15-17 is the key passage. Believers have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby they cry, 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. Then it follows: 'if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.' The Bible presents joint heirship as a direct consequence of being God's children. It is not described as an honorary title but as a legal family relationship in which the child is an heir of God and a joint-heir with Christ.
Les Feldick explains joint heirship through the Spirit of adoption in Romans 8. He teaches that at salvation the Holy Spirit births believers into the family of God, and then another act of God places them as full-grown, mature sons by adoption. This is what it means to become a joint heir with Jesus Christ. Les's consistent illustration is marriage: in joint heirship, what belongs to the husband belongs to the wife, and what is hers is his. Applied to Christ, this means everything that is God's is now ours, and everything that is ours is to be His. He expects this surrender, but He does not command or demand it—this is the beauty of living under grace. Les also stresses the present tense: the Spirit bears witness that we already are the children of God, and if children, then heirs. He uses the illustration of a child under tutors who is declared a full heir by his father, showing how believers are placed equal as full sons through adoption. Finally, he reminds believers that joint heirship includes suffering with Christ so that we may also be glorified together.
In Scripture, being a joint heir is tied to being a child of God. Romans 8:17 says, 'And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ.' Les unpacks this by saying joint heirship means everything that is Christ's is ours, and everything that is ours is His. He compares it to marriage, where what belongs to the husband belongs to the wife and vice versa. This is the biblical meaning of joint heirship: a shared inheritance of equality.
Les teaches that at salvation believers are born into God's family by the Holy Spirit. But then there is another act of God: the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, 'Abba, Father.' Through this adoption, God places believers as complete, mature sons, and the result is that we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.
Les emphasizes that this is present tense. In Romans 8:16, the Spirit bears witness with our spirit 'that we are the children of God'—not that we will be. He says, 'we are already the children of God.' And if children, then heirs. He also teaches that believers were predestinated as believers to this position with Christ as joint heirs in the process of adoption from day one.
Les Feldick makes it plain that joint heirship is two-directional. Just as everything that is God's is now ours, God expects everything that is ours to be His. He does not command it or demand it—this is the beauty of living under grace. Les illustrates the responsibility of a full heir by telling of a young boy in Israel who was trusted to run his father's shop and conduct business, showing that being made a full heir carries responsibility.
Romans 8:17 attaches a condition: 'if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.' Les points believers to this as part of the promise, saying our salvation is not just something we glibly say we believe but something we can enter into, experience, and know that the promises of God are ours. Suffering with Christ is therefore part of the joint-heir pathway to glorification.
The Eldest Son Declared a Full Heir
Les uses the biblical picture of an heir under tutors to show that at the appointed time the father declares the child a full heir. He illustrates this with a young boy who was trusted to run his father's shop, demonstrating that being a full heir brings responsibility.
Joint Heirship Works Both Ways
Les teaches that if we are joint heirs with Christ, everything that is His is ours, and everything that is ours is His. God expects this surrender but does not command or demand it.
We Are Already Children and Heirs
Les points to Romans 8:16-17 and explains that we are already, in the present tense, children of God and therefore heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, with the shared ownership of marriage as an illustration.
Adoption Places Us as Full-Grown Sons
Les teaches that being born into God's family is followed by adoption, which places believers equal as full-grown sons and makes them joint heirs with Jesus Christ.
Predestinated to Joint Heirship
Les explains that believers were predestinated as believers to this position with Christ from day one—as joint heirs in the process of adoption—so that in joint heirship the other party's possessions become yours.
Equality of Joint Heirship
Les stresses that joint heir implies equality: what is His is hers and vice versa. At salvation we are born into the family by the Holy Spirit, and another act of God places us as a full heir.
Suffering and Glorification With Christ
Les reads Romans 8:17 with the phrase 'if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together' and urges believers to enter into the experience of these promises.
Spirit of Adoption Makes Us Mature Sons
Les explains that the Spirit of adoption brings believers into a relationship with God that places them as a complete mature son, and the Spirit bears witness that we are children of God, making us joint heirs with Jesus Christ.
Romans 8:15: For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
This verse introduces the Spirit of adoption, which is the basis for being placed as a son and heir.
Romans 8:16: The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
This verse establishes the present reality that believers are already children of God.
Romans 8:17: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
This is the key verse that explicitly calls believers joint-heirs with Christ.
Yes. Les Feldick teaches that joint heirship works like a marriage: everything that is His is ours, and everything that is ours is His. He bases this on Romans 8:17 where believers are called 'heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ.'
At salvation. The Spirit bears witness that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs. Les stresses the present tense—we are already children and heirs, not waiting for a future event. The Spirit of adoption places us as full, mature sons.
Les says God expects that everything that is ours will be His, but He does not command or demand it. This is part of living under grace. He also illustrates that a son who is made a full heir is entrusted with his father's business.
The verse says if we suffer with Him, we will also be glorified together. Les points to this as part of the inheritance promise—salvation is not just saying 'I believe' but entering into the promises of God.
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