By God’s great mercy we have been born again
In 1 Peter 1:3-7, God—through His penman Peter—gives a beautiful description of the inheritance that every believer ultimately receives. The passage begins by telling us that it is by God’s great mercy we have been born again; and that because God the Father raised Christ the Son from the dead, we can live with eager anticipation of the inheritance we will receive on the last day.
Peter then goes on to define this inheritance as one that is priceless by any standard, with no monetary sum huge enough to cover it. He assures us that it is being kept for us in heaven, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. Throughout all time, it will be there, just waiting for us to return home.
This promised inheritance is for believers only
Through their faith, God is protecting them with His power and will continue to do so until they receive the salvation that is going to be revealed on that last day. Jesus gives right-now salvation, the abundant life, in the here and now. According to 1 Peter 1:5 we receive the full inheritance God has promised when Jesus is ultimately revealed to the whole world.
During life on earth, God says that we will endure many trials, and that these trials will prove to us and others that our faith is genuine. In other words, as we remain strong through trial and tribulation, we will bring much praise, glory and honor to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We definitely play a role in the inheritance that God promises.
“Absent from the body is to be present with the Lord”
Because of God’s great mercy, we have much to look forward to when our earthly bodies cease to live. First, we must remember that “to be absent from the body” means “to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). Indescribable joy awaits us when we enter into that presence before God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and all those who have gone before us.
But there’s more. We live in the here and now with the expectation of a priceless inheritance, more valuable than gold. On the last day, we receive the full extent of what God has promised, far beyond anything we could ever imagine. In the New Living Translation, 1 Peter 1:12b puts it this way, “It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen.”
We have so much to look forward to!
An inheritance that is kept in heaven for every believer! Because of God’s grace and mercy, received through our faith, we have much to look forward to.