Should Christians leave an inheritance?

Whether it’s leaving a legacy, or passing money on to your children, this kind of financial planning feels like a way of securing the future of your family.  

But how should Christians engage with questions about legacies, and passing money through generations? As with many things, we can engage with this topic through four biblical principles: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and New Creation.  

First, Creation 

As humans we bring nothing with us when we come into the world, and it’s important to remember that we take nothing with us.  

God gives us minds, and the Bible is clear that wisdom plans for the future. But does that mean we should deliberately set aside money now with the intention of leaving it to others?  

Fall 

We live in a broken world, where hoarding, instead of planning for generosity, can be the norm. Let’s beware of this mindset. Have you noticed that in Luke 12, in the parable of the Rich man, who tears down his barns to build bigger ones, Jesus says “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?”  

The rich man is described as a fool for storing up earthly wealth which he can’t take with him (wealth that will just go to his offspring), rather than investing for eternity.  So, the primary point we must take away is that our priority is to be rich towards God – to invest for eternity; to give to fund gospel ministry.   

Isn’t it also interesting that something we might well commend, like prioritising the passing on of wealth to the next generation, comes out very badly in this parable?  Let’s beware of hoarding for ourselves but also hoarding for our family. While many of us will want our children and other loved ones to live free from financial stress, the priority is to invest for eternity, not the next generation. 

Redemption 

As Christians we are called to urgently continue Christ’s work. So, we are to support gospel proclamation, care for other people, and prioritise discipleship. Therefore, we are encouraged to give away our money now if we can, not hoard it so that we have a big estate from which to give when we die. Invest for eternity now; it’s urgent! As redeemed people, this is an obvious way in which we can be different from the world around us. 

However, if you will leave an estate (perhaps from the sale of your house), do plan to give generously and sacrificially from it.  Discuss and pray through the difficult questions.  Will your children use the money you leave them for the Kingdom of God?  Are you blindly following the secular world’s expectation that those with means should help the next generation get a foot on the housing ladder?  We worship what we value: our comfort, our kids, … or the Lord.  In God’s economy, our priorities need careful thought. 

New Creation 

As before, invest in the Kingdom of God for eternity. This world is not our home, so don’t be tempted to build a ‘bigger barn’ here. We are called to be those who stand out from the world around us. The way in which we view our money is a practical way of being distinct; if we view our finances as God’s resources, which he has given us to steward, then it should impact how we approach financial planning. 

One way to ensure your money is used for Kingdom purposes is to save with Kingdom Bank. Explore how our savings accounts give your money a mission.

This blog is based on a seminar delivered by Kingdom Bank CEO Paul Houghton, at the 2025 Keswick Convention. Watch the full seminar here.  

Kingdom Bank does not provide financial advice. Please seek independent financial advice when structuring your finances.