An Inheritance In Heaven

An Inheritance in Heaven

1 Peter 1:3-5 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

I’ve been at turns amused and sickened by the lengths people will go through to get their hands on their inheritance. Anyone who has attended church for a length of time has heard the story of the prodigal son who took his inheritance and wasted it on partying. We’ve all shook our heads in disgust at the stupidity of such behavior, wondering what kind of raising it would take for a person to sink so low in life.

Unfortunately things aren’t much better 2,000 years after Jesus told that story to his disciples. The tales that go around about children and grandchildren stealing from their parents would just make you sick. All of that, almost literally selling their own soul for a little bit of money that will be gone all too soon.

Inheritances are fine, in fact the writer of Proverbs 13 says that “a good man leaves and inheritance for his children’s children.”

However, we have to understand that all kinds of earthly inheritances, no matter how ingeniously planned and put together to avoid taxes and other problems, will eventually just disappear. They’ll be used up, lost for all time.

My advice to you is simple, really. Start looking for an inheritance that will last as long as you do. Let me show you where to look.

Colossians 3:23-24 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

In order for you to get an inheritance there are three things that absolutely must exist:

• A Gift

• A Giver

• A Will

First there must be a gift.

Notice that Paul says in Colossians 3, “…you know that you will receive an inheritance…”

Now in earthly terms, I know nothing of the sort. There’s no guarantee that I’ll come into any kind of inheritance in this life.

But remember what 1 Peter 1 says.

1 Peter 1:3-5 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

There’s a gift, an inheritance guaranteed to be in heaven for us. In John 14 Jesus refers to a house or a mansion filled with rooms prepared for us. The Apostle Paul speaks of a “crown of righteousness” to be given in 2 Timothy 4. But our inheritance is about much more than just “stuff” that will eventually grow dusty and moldy and rot away. Remember, Peter said we had an inheritance “that can never perish, spoil or fade…”

Revelation 21:1-7

Now that’s an inheritance! That’s a gift!

Possessions, houses, art, clothing and money will pass away. But there is a gift we are guaranteed to receive, if we overcome.

In addition to there being a gift, in order for us to receive an inheritance, there has to be a giver.

Colossians 3:23-24 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Our text tells us exactly who that giver is: God himself. Peter said it was because of the great mercy of God that we have been born into a living hope. And our giver is not stingy, either!

In Matthew 7 Jesus asks the question, “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him?”

Consider the most generous person you have ever known in your life. They don’t hold a candle to the giver of good things in our lives – God our Father.