“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to 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 a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
- 1 Peter 1:3-5 (esv)
When my husband and I got married, I had my wedding bouquet freeze-dried to preserve them. In order to do this, a professional sprayed the bouquet in its original form with starch. Then, it was placed in a special freeze-dryer for several months to slowly remove the moisture. Finally, they were placed inside an air-tight shadow box frame with special museum quality glass to protect the flowers from air and sunlight damage. The soft purple roses contrast against the deep and vibrant calla lilies and the fullness of the delicate hydrangeas can still be admired as if they were new and fresh as it hangs in our bedroom. My daughters simply adore them. Recently, we attended the wedding of my Father-in-law to his lovely new bride. Both girls received a bright bouquet of golden sunflowers adorned with soft yellow roses. They wanted to preserve their flowers, so we placed them upside down in a closet to dry out. Much to their surprise, the flowers didn’t preserve how they had hoped. Yes, the bouquet was there but it had withered. The colors lost their vibrancy and faded. The softness of the petals dried out, and they no longer had the appearance of being freshly cut. Moreover, as they sit on their dressers in a vase, they are not shielded or protected but rather subjected to damage. Of course, my preserved bouquet isn’t truly how it was the day of our wedding, but in contrast to theirs, it has the appearance of vibrancy, fullness, and radiance and sits shielded in the shadowbox.
The future inheritance promised to believers is far different than those (albeit stunning) temporal bouquets.
While Peter doesn’t detail exactly what this future inheritance will be, he does describe it straightforwardly: imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. Our future inheritance won’t and cannot cease to be but is eternal. Our future inheritance won’t and cannot be corrupted but is and will continue to be pure. And our future inheritance won’t and cannot fade but is and will be radiant and full of glory.
But how is it preserved so wonderfully? Because it is kept in heaven, God’s dwelling place, a place where sin cannot reign to distort, defile, and decay.
But let’s dive into this a little deeper. This future inheritance that is guaranteed for believers is the same that is reserved for Jesus. You see, for whomever accepts and believes in Jesus’ death and resurrection, he/she also gets to share in Jesus’ future glory and the promises made to him. Why? Because we are adopted into God’s family, and as adopted children, we get to share in the riches and inheritance that was and is promised to the Son. And our adoption is not by works of our own – whether goodness, generosity, or deeds – but on Christ alone, through faith alone, according to the [great] mercy of God the Father.
Finally, not only is our future inheritance being kept but so are we. God’s mighty power is keeping, preserving, and sustaining our faith until the end when we “receive a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” The salvation mentioned here is not utterly different than the one we live out in the here and now. Rather, it’s a fulfillment of the better one to come – the one that is free from sin and the effects of it. The salvation that we have in the here and now is a mere foretaste and foreshadowing of the eternal, pure, and glorious fellowship that we will have with Him forever in His forever kingdom.
What beautiful and hopeful verses these are. Oftentimes when I read such powerful verses, I rewrite or say it to make it personal. But why do this? Because it allows my heart to more deeply reflect and meditate on the scriptures. Here is a sampling from my prayer journal:
“Praise be to God, my Heavenly Father of my Lord Jesus Christ. According to His abundant mercy, He has caused me to be born again (not by anything of my doing, but solely because of his goodness and grace) to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that won’t and cannot cease to be but is eternal, won’t and cannot be corrupted but is and will continue to be pure, and won’t and cannot fade but is and will be radiant and full of glory, kept in heaven for me. I, by God’s power, am being guarded through faith (in Jesus) for a future salvation where fellowship with Him will be pure and whole.”
May you go forward today relishing in the promises held for you who are found in Christ.
Reflect
- Take some time to reflect on your future inheritance (unfading, undefiled, imperishable). What aspect of it is most encouraging to you? Why? What about that particular truth astounds you?
- Of those aspects, which one is hardest for you to wrap you mind around? Think through why that is.
- How does knowing what fellowship will be like with Jesus in eternity impact how you walk with Him in the here and now?
