Recently, my cousin Calvin forwarded a document that he had come across that traced our family tree back to English royalty. It indicated that King Edward III of England was our 22nd great grandfather (GG), and that other notables in English and European history, including King Edward II (23rd GG), Charlemagne (41st GG), and Edmund Mortimer (20th GG) were also positioned as branches along this illustrious family tree. Someone had gone through painstaking effort to assemble this ancestry listing all the way back to the middle of the first century A.D. To say the least, the document was very impressive!

i was considering writing the current royal family to see if arrangements could be made for us to come for a visit to Windsor Castle since it was the birthplace of my 22nd GG. i was certain that the royal blood coursing through my veins would insure an immediate affirmative response. Who knows – this knowledge may have also surfaced the birthright of a forgotten knighthood? The list of possibilities soon became endless!

Until the next morning, when i received an email from another one of my cousins indicating that my euphoria had been too hasty! Upon closer scrutiny, my cousin Nelson had discovered that the research was “slightly” flawed. He noted that the parents of our 11th GG had not in fact descended from the royal line as shown on the document. Though my 12th GG (and 12th great grandmother) in fact bore the same names as the ones shown in this research; they, in fact, were not the same persons. Given the fact that the father bore the unique surname of “John”, it is difficult to believe that such an error could occur … but alas! Fortunately, i was able to hastily retrieve my post to the royal family before it was sent out! As my cousin Nelson wrote, “we may be related to royalty, but, if so, it is not through this genealogy!” Well, it was fun while it lasted!

But it has caused me to consider the unquestionable fact that i do – in all reality – have royal blood coursing through my veins. And there is a very good possibility that you do as well! The apostle Peter writes, “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”(1)  And to whom is Peter speaking? To those who according to the great mercy of God the Father, “… He has caused … to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading….”(2)

And “though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”(3)

Our inheritance – our “royalty” – is imperishable, undefiled and unfading. No one and no “thing” can take it away. The Father has caused it to be so … through the resurrection of the Son. The only condition is that i believe in Him by faith – not a belief of mere mental assent or acknowledgement – “even the demons believe … and shudder!”(4) No, it is a belief that places my full faith and trust in Him!

And God gave us this imperishable promise, as Peter writes, even “though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.”(5) We may not be feeling very “royal” right now. You may be feeling the weight of the world falling upon you. You may be discouraged by the events that are taking place around us, or the difficulties that you are walking through. But, if you are trusting in Christ, remember WHO you are … because of WHOSE you are. He has prepared a place for us that is so much grander than Windsor Castle in His Kingdom that will endure forever.(6) Who cares if we are related to earthly kings – or more than likely the serfs that attended to them? i am a joint heir with Jesus(7) – the King of kings and the Lord of lords!

But one cautionary word from my ancestry tale. One break in the tree changed the outcome. There is no such thing as a “slightly flawed” blood line. One generation that was not a part of the royal blood line took my lineage in a totally different direction. Because it’s a blood relationship. My relationship to King Edward III, et al, looked good on paper. But it wasn’t legitimate because the bloodline doesn’t exist. That’s true of God’s promise to us. It is only an imperishable promise if we have truly come to that place of believing in His Son by faith. No matter how we might otherwise appear, only the line of His shed blood makes the difference. Do not depend on any one or any “thing” else! Make sure your royal connection is assured!

* * * * *

(1)  1 Peter 2:9 (ESV) – emphasis added

(2)  1 Peter 1:3-4 (ESV)

(3)  1 Peter 1:8-9 (ESV)

(4)  James 2:19 (ESV)

(5)  1 Peter 1:6 (NIV)

(6)  John 14:1-6

(7)  Romans 8:17

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash