-July 28, 2022-
Good morning, happy Thursday,
“…According to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.”
(1 Peter 1:3b-4).
When we are saved we receive all the blessings of salvation. There are three tenses of salvation: Past: we are saved from the penalty of our sins; Present: we are daily saved from the power of sin; and Future: we will saved from the presence of sin. It is our future that is before us in today’s text.
The definition of an inheritance is, “the acquisition of a possession, condition, or trait from past generations.” In our society, it it is usually money or other material things that are conferred from parent(s) to offspring upon the death of the former. The problem with earthly inheritances is that they can be contested, lost, stolen, or at best spent and gone so quickly. My experience with an inheritance was good because of the investments I made over twelve years ago when my dad passed away. Because of that I was able to retire in 2020. Not everyone’s experience is as good as mine.
As good as my inheritance was, it was far inferior to my heavenly one. Every believer is guaranteed an inheritance in heaven which is reserved for us. Those who receive an inheritance are called heirs, and such we are in Christ. Everything that belongs to Christ belongs to us. We who were once sinners and spiritually bankrupt now possess all the riches in glory in Christ.
Paul wrote to the Romans, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (Romans 8:14-17). God made us His adopted sons and we have all the blessings and privileges that Christ has.
Peter describes our inheritance as incorruptible, undefiled, that does not fade away, and is reserved in heaven for us. It is our’s now to rejoice in but is waiting for us in heaven to be enjoyed for all eternity. Each of these statements adds luster to our inheritance.
• It is incorruptible – This means it is immortal and imperishable. It lasts forever. Bill MacDonald commented, “Incorruptible means it can never corrode, crack, or decay. It is death-proof.” When athletes received a crown for winning the Olympic Games in Paul’s day it was a corruptible crown of a garland of flowers or a wreath of leaves that would soon wither away. Our crowns and our inheritance are incorruptible.
• It is undefiled – It is pure, holy, and perfect. It is in what we call “mint condition.” It will never dim, tarnish, or lose its value. It is sin proof. Man cannot spoil it or soil it.
• It is does not fade away – It lasts forever. Most things in this life do not last. They break, they wear out, or we spend them on temporal things. Even gold, silver, and precious stones last only in this life. Our inheritance in heaven is waiting for us in unparalleled beauty and splendor.
• It is reserved in heaven for us – When something is reserved for you, it is there waiting for your arrival, in your name, just for you alone. We often reserve hotel accommodations, rental cars, air or cruise transportation, or any other amenities. But sometimes there are mixups and a trip can be ruined. Not so of our heavenly inheritance.
May the Lord encourage us to rejoice and look forward to our inheritance in heaven. It will be the best. Adopted sons, heirs and joint heirs with Christ, enjoying a great inheritance. It doesn’t get get any better than that!
Have a blessed day counting your blessings. Stay safe and healthy.
In His eternal family,
Dean
Dean Allen's Daily Devotional 