First Epistle of Peter
OUR GREAT INHERITANCE
Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 1:4 (KJV)
"inheritance"
When Christ comes, we are to receive an inheritance. God has begotten us again and so we are His children. As children, then we are "heirs of God; and joint heirs with Christ" (Rom. 8:17). Such a stupendous statement we can hardly understand. God owns everything. Christ, His son, is the Heir. The church is the bride of Christ. We are to share the inheritance with Him.
A college student was walking home from the library with some books under his arm. A man met him and asked, "What have you got there?" "Some books from the library," came the reply. The man looked over his books and asked, "Let's see. What have you got this book for?" The college student said: "Why do you ask?" “Well,” said the man, "It's about the moon and I was just wondering why you’re interested in the moon?" The reply was quick: "Why shouldn't I be? It's mine."
Whatever belongs to the Lord, belongs to us. We may not have two dollars to our name, but we are an heir of all things, so in Christ we are rich.
As Christians, we already have the earnest of that inheritance (Eph. 1:14). Since He has given us His Spirit, we can be assured that we will receive the whole inheritance. And the Spirit within us causes us to enjoy the prospects of that inheritance. He reveals many things to the believing, obedient one, through the reading of the Word.
If we do not grieve Him by sin, He will make us truly happy in hope of what we are to receive.
"incorruptible"
Our inheritance is incorruptible. That is, it has not the seed of death in it. When a relative dies, we may expect to inherit his beautiful horse, and we may enjoy in anticipation, the day when it will be ours. Only, sad to say, the horse dies before the relative, and our hopes are dashed to the ground. A beautiful dead horse is useless and in time will begin to smell. Such is much of this world's inheritances, but not so our heavenly inheritance. It will never spoil.
"undefiled"
It is also "undefiled", that is, untainted by sin. What inheritance in this world is absolutely clean? How was the money we are to inherit earned? Was it earned in some corrupt way? Were widows and children defrauded in the gaining of this wealth? This merchant, was he always honest in his measures and weights? This industrialist, did he gain all his wealth by legal means? Most likely some of it is, in some way, defiled. Our inheritance as God's children is as clean as fresh-fallen snow.
"that fadeth not away"
It is everlasting. Many an earthly inheritance is like a flower, beautiful for a time, but soon withers and dies. Many an inheritance has faded away, either before being received or shortly thereafter. The parents of the most of us leave a small estate, often in the form of a little piece of land somewhere. So, when there are two or more receiving it, at best there's not much to go around. Sometimes, due to greed of one member of a family, it may be years before anyone is able to use what little is available to share. After legal expenses and time gone by, it may be faded away. Such is an earthly inheritance.
Many things can happen to an inheritance before the heir can get his hands on it. Many are hoping for some rich relative to die, but he lives on and on, and finally, the heir precedes him in death. Sometimes, at the last moment wills are changed, or the owner is remarried, or defrauded out of his savings. Then, oft times wills are broken or a lawyer is paid the bulk of it. A man was killed in a car accident. He left a small estate, unequally divided between ten of his nephews and nieces, and six other cousins. It seemed inevitable that the inequality in the family would cause serious disruption. At last reading there were seven or eight lawyers on the case. As Christians we need not worry about such things, because we have an inheritance that will never fade away.
"reserved in heaven for you."
Sometimes, earthly children are cut off from a will. But none of God's children will be cut off. It is for all those who are begotten again of the Father. It is safely laid away "where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal" (Matt. 6:20). Many a man has thought his valuables were in a safe place, only to find thieves can break through and steal. Some time ago, in Ohio, over a holiday, thieves broke into a bank safety deposit vault and did a very thorough job of looting. But our inheritance is safe; we can be at perfect ease. Even the master thief, Satan, can not get at it. It is safe in the custody of Him, to whom all power in Heaven and in earth has been given.
Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 1:5 (KJV)
"Who are kept"
He keeps. The word "keep" has the sense of "guarded." It would not do us much good to have the inheritance kept for us, if we were not kept for the inheritance. Many a person has expected to inherit something, only to die before he could get it. Some Christians, who do not understand the keeping power of God, fears and trembles at the prospect of losing not only his inheritance, but even his soul. It is indeed wonderful to be able to say with Paul, "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day" (2 Tim. 1:12). All that is required of us, like Paul, is to "fight the fight" and "keep the faith." And, God's blessed Word is very clear on what that means. A true child of God should never fear crossing over from this life. After all, he is at last going home to live with the Lord forever. Praise God.
Some ask, "Can a Christian do anything he pleases and still go to Heaven?" Such do not understand the power of God. He is able to keep the true Christian from sin. Now, of course, the term "true" Christian in our lesson does not define those who say they are, but who are, in their hearts, actually far from Him. Should an obedient and true Christian do something wrong, it will be something he did because of Satan, and the Lord is certainly able and willing to forgive such a one, just as He did Peter, when he truly repents. A true Christian has no desire to do as he pleases. The Spirit of God within him gives him a desire to do the will of God. As true Christians we should not live in fear, but in hope and joy, loving and serving our blessed Lord, knowing that an inheritance is ours after this earthly life.
One who is not truly born again, but who has only a profession of Christianity, is likely to do as we read in 2 Peter 2:22; "The dog is turned to his own vomit again, and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire." But a true obedient Christian is neither a dog or a sow. He is likened to a sheep.
"the power of God"
But let us all never forget, it is only the power of God that keeps us. If we had to keep our own selves we would fail utterly. Our flesh is very weak and our enemies are very strong. The world would quickly ensnare us and Satan trip us up, but our Guardian watches over us night and day. How helpless and hopeless a little infant is. Without the watchful care of the parents, the baby would quickly die. We are like that in the world; utterly dependent for everything on the keeping power of our Father.
But let us think a bit of the "power of God". It was His power that created the heavens and the earth. It is His power that preserves them. It is His power that keeps the stars and the sun and moon in their places. It is His power that keeps the earth rotating on its axis, and revolving about the sun, so causing day and night, winter and summer. It is His power that guards us through our whole journey here on earth. We need not fear, only trust.
It was His power that delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt, overcoming Pharaoh in all his wicked ways. It was His power that preserved them on that otherwise impossible journey through the wilderness. It was His power that preserved the three young men in the fiery furnace (Dan. 3) and Daniel in the lion's den (Dan. 6). The Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) is full of examples of His mighty power. With that same power He keeps us.
The New Testament is full of examples of His power, too. We have Peter in prison in Acts, Chapter 12. Herod had delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him. "Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains; and the keepers before the door kept the prison" (Acts 12:6). He was to die the next day and his deliverance seemed hopeless. We have a great display of man's power, but God's power was greater, and an angel of the Lord came and took him out of the prison.
Man's power is contrasted with God's toe, in connection with the burial of the Lord Jesus Christ. They took Him down from the cross, put Him in a tomb, rolled a great stone before its mouth, sealed it with the Roman seal, and set a band of soldiers to watch. Yet in spite of all that man could do, He arose from the dead, and came out of the tomb. It should thrill our hearts to know that it is this same power of God which guards us throughout this earthly life. Absolutely nothing can happen to us, apart from His will.
In Romans 1:16, we read, "Far I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." It is through and because of faith that we are willing and happy to obey the Word of God and contact the blood of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ, thus being born again, to live a new and better life, serving God. Faith is the basic foundation of our salvation, and when born again it is then that God becomes our guardian. It is then that we become God's children, and as Father, He puts us under His care.
Faith is something that does not stop with salvation. As a child, we should trust and obey our Father at all times. Sometimes, when we fail to trust and obey Him, He permits things to happen to us that will drive us back to Him. Also, as we have faith in our Father, we will enjoy our new birth. We are not happy if every little thing disturbs and upsets us, and certainly then we really are not believing the Father is doing His very best for us.
"Unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." Peter is thinking beyond the mere salvation of the soul here. He is thinking of the time when we will be saved spirit, soul and body. Salvation is looked at in three ways in the Scriptures. First, we are saved from the penalty of sin just the moment we trust and obey Christ and are born again. Then, we are saved from the power of sin, day by day as we go through this earthly life. Finally, we are saved from the presence of sin, when we get to Heaven with Him. This last aspect of it will be complete when Christ comes and those of His who have died are raised. Those who are alive at His coming, will have their bodies glorified without passing through death.
This, we read, is "ready to be revealed in the last time." Just the moment Christ had finished the work of redemption, everything was accomplished for the full revelation of the salvation of the people of God. One may ask then, "Why has it not been revealed?" or "why is it not revealed right now?" There is only one answer. There are yet more in the world who are to be saved. Perhaps some even yet not born, who are to be saved. As far as we know though, the last one may be saved today, the Lord may come and the full salvation of God's children be revealed.
We cannot yet tell for sure who are saved and who are not saved. We certainly cannot tell from the outward appearance. We may stand on the busy corner of a strange city and observe hundreds. We have no way of telling who are God's children or who are not. As we come in closer contact, and observe their lives and hear them talk, we who are spiritual may be able to judge them by their fruits. If one acts Christ-like, we can conclude he belongs to Christ. But, even then we may sometimes be wrong in our conclusions. There are so many borderline cases. But an unsaved person is no judge of this at all. The salvation of a sinner is by such very poorly understood. However, there is a day coming when none will question who are saved and who are not. When the Lord Jesus comes, and we are in our glorified bodies, then everyone will recognize us as the redeemed of the Lord.
