I Peter 1:3-5

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

As the Bible so often does, here is a nugget of truth on which volumes could be written. As I read this, I wondered why I have never heard this verse used at funerals. Funerals are those things that make us reflect on our own lives even when we don’t want to, especially when the departed is around our age or younger. I had the displeasure of experiencing this not too long ago.

Living and Dying

This one statement tells us how we should live and die. As Jesus told Nicodemus in John, chapter three, you must be born again. Who causes this to happen? God, according to His great mercy and through the atoning life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Our rebirth is into a hope that is living. This hope is not the kind that one would use in wishing something is true, but rather is a trust in something real, yet to come. It is a surety not realized, just like in Hebrews 11:1. That trust is in an inheritance that we will one day receive. That inheritance will not perish, will never be defiled, and will not fade – ever.

Beyond Imagination

This inheritance if far beyond our imagination here on earth. It is waiting for us in the holiest home of heaven. It is such a treasure for us that it is even being guarded until such time as we arrive to receive it. We believe it not because we wish it to be, but because it truly is. Our faith can be steadfast in the power of God to reveal our inheritance to us at the right time and will be given only then.

Be Encouraged

As the bible says, it is appointed for man to die and that there will be a judgment.  No one wants to think about this reality of living. You must die one day. You must stand before a righteous God in judgment on how you lived this life. Every work, word, and deed will be revealed at that time. For Christians, the vault will be opened, and that guarded inheritance will be revealed and bestowed. This is what we should be looking forward to when times are tough when we feel lonely, and when we feel fear. Don’t feel beaten down, but encouraged that God takes note of all you are going through here and will reward you there with a guarded inheritance, specifically for you, with your name on it. That is great and wonderful news.