Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is so good, and by raising Jesus from death, he has given us new life and a hope that lives on. God has something stored up for you in heaven, where it will never decay or be ruined or disappear. You have faith in God, whose power will protect you until the last day. Then he will save you, just as he has always planned to do. 1 Peter 1:3-5 (CEV)
In this week after Easter it is only appropriate that we focus on the hope we have in living because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Today we discover the great gift we receive with the believer’s hope. The inheritance is the eternal life that God gives us, but the inheritance of eternal life involves the most wonderful gifts imaginable. Pause and reflect on what is yours as a believer:
- Being adopted as a child of God
- Being forgiven and made blameless
- Being given eternal life
- Being given an eternal spirit
- Being given a glorious body
- Being given eternal rest and peace
- Being given the knowledge of Christ Jesus
- Being given durable riches and righteousness
- Being made priests
- Being given incorruptible crowns righteousness, glory and life
Our inheritance is described in 1 Peter 1:4. It is most descriptive; an astounding picture of the new heavens and earth that are coming and of our life in God’s new and eternal world: To obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you…
This verse tells us our inheritance is imperishable. When you buy perishable items at a store, you know you have to use it up before it expires. There is an expiration date. Our inheritance from Jesus has no expiration date. It is good for an eternity. It never runs out or spoils and Satan cannot steal it from you.
The word undefiled means that it cannot be polluted or defiled, dirtied or infected. It means that our inheritance will be without any flaw or defect; it will be perfectly free from sickness, disease, infections, accident, pollution, dirt—from any defilement whatsoever. There will never be any tears over what happens to oneself or over the damage or loss of some possession.
Our inheritance does not fade away. It will last forever and ever. The splendor and beauty of it all—of life and of all the positions and possessions which God shall give us—none of the splendor and beauty shall fade or diminish whatsoever.
Nothing, not even our energy and bodies, shall wear out or waste away.
Our inheritance is in heaven; it is reserved there for us. It is actually being held there by God for us. God is simply waiting for us to finish our task here on earth and to come to Him. Then He will give us our inheritance.
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints… Ephesians 1:18
