A SURE HERITAGE
SCRIPTURE: I Peter 1:1-5
INTRODUCTION
On the eighteenth of July, A.D. 64, during the reign of that tyrannical emperor, Nero, the great fire of Rome took place in which three quarters of the city was consumed. It has been usually thought that Nero caused the fire and that while he watched from a balcony, he played on his violin. Whether he started it or not, the blame was put on the Christians and great persecutions arose against them.
The two Epistles of Peter were written under the shadow of these persecutions, which spread throughout the empire. Jesus had said to Peter:
"Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren" (Luke 22:31, 32).
This precious Epistle, from which our text is taken, may be considered a marvelous fulfillment of that word spoken to Peter by our lord. "When thou art converted [or turned back], strengthen thy brethren." It is addressed to "the strangers scattered." These were Christian Jews and Gentiles who were scattered out of the land of Palestine, a scattering often referred to as the "Diaspora."
In a very special sense, every Christian in every age is a stranger, a foreigner, and a pilgrim.
"These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. . . . And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly; wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city" (Hebrews 11:13-16).
As Christians, this world is not our home. We should not be at all surprised if we feel like strangers in a world of sin. In fact, there is something drastically wrong with a Christian who does not feel like a stranger among those who do not know the Lord.
Though it is surely true that the Christian does not feel at home here below, and is often misunderstood by those who have not experienced the miracle of salvation, Peter shows us here that we are (1) chosen of God, (2) children of God, (3) heirs of God, and (4) kept by the power of God.
let us now examine each of these four marvelous positions and relationships.
CHOSEN OF GOD (1 Peter 1:2)
"Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father." The world may reject the children of God, considering us strange and deceived, but it is blessed to know that we are chosen of God. This doctrine of predestination has probably caused more disagreement among conservative theologians than any other facet of spiritual truth. It is doubtful if any of us fully understand it in its completeness; principally because it rests entirely in the hands of Almighty God, and His ways are continually far above our ways.
Election is "according to the foreknowledge of God the Father." Paul makes it quite clear that we were chosen in Christ "before the foundation of the world." In His great
foreknowledge, God looked ahead and saw us in Christ Jesus. He did not choose us outside of Christ, but in Him. How did we get there? Through faith in Christ.
Thus, we are "elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification"-or separation-"of the Spirit, unto obedience" - the obedience of faith - "and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ." Each member of the Godhead-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-had a part in our salvation.
CKILDREN OF GOD (verse 3)
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope."
He "hath begotten us again." We are "born again." We are in the family of God. We are not merely the recipients of His pity. We have been brought into the loving, privileged relationship of His fatherly love. Such a miracle could only happen because it was "according to his abundant mercy."
What a glorious hope we have through this marvelous relationship! Our first birth was disappointing. We were "dead in trespasses and sins . . . by nature the children of wrath" (Ephesians 2:1, 3)’ but now we are new creatures in Christ Jesus. Peter goes on to say that we have been begotten again "unto a lively [living] hope by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead."
The two disciples who were on their way to Emmaus on that memorable first day of the week after Jesus’ crucifixion were met by the Lord, though "their eyes were holden that they should not know him." They answered Jesus’ question, "What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another . . and are sad?" with the words, "Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?" Jesus said, "What things?" They replied, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth … our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death. … But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel" (Luke 24:16-21).
Their hope was a dead hope. But after He had been revealed to them as He broke bread in their home-and they knew that He had risen from the dead-theirs became a living hope. Thank God, those who know Him today are alive in Christ Jesus and have a living hope-they themselves are alive in Christ Jesus!
HEIRS OF GOD (Verse 4)
"To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you."
The passage in Romans 8:16, 17, joins these two thoughts most gloriously: "The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ." It must be a remarkable experience for one unexpectedly to receive notice that he has been named in someone’s will, and has suddenly become the heir to a vast fortune of this world’s goods! This is nothing compared to the inexplicable joy that comes to one of God’s children when he realizes that he is an heir of God’s eternal riches-yea, even a "joint-heir with Christ."
If one of my brothers and I were named as joint heirs in a will, it would mean that neither of us could receive one penny more than the other. The Bible says that we are joint heirs with Christ. Could that possibly mean we will share on an equal basis with our Lord Jesus Christ in the heavenly inheritance?
The fact that we are named as heirs of God proves once and for all that we are in the family of God-that He has really accepted us in the Beloved One (Ephesians 1:6). Paul says, "If children, then heirs."
Peter now proceeds to describe, in a fourfold way, this blessed inheritance which is ours.
It is an everlasting inheritance. It will never end. So many of life’s joys last for such a short season. You have all experienced the delights of a two-week vacation. Then, as the second week began, you realized that your pleasant vacation was already half over, and you could hardly enjoy the last few days because of the realization that it was all to end so soon. We will never have those moments of regret as heirs of God, for our enjoyment of God’s great provisions will never end.
Nothing impure will ever enter therein. Part of our eternal inheritance will be the privilege of dwelling in that celestial city which John saw coming down from God out of heaven, and he tells us, "There shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie" (Revelation 21:27). So many of earth’s beauties and pleasures are marred by the presence of sin. Moses turned his back on all that Egypt held for him, as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, because he esteemed them as "the pleasures of sin" (Hebrews 11:25).
A minister and his wife who have traveled rather extensively in evangelistic and conference work often find themselves visiting in a new city. If they have an hour or so to spare, they enjoy driving through the area of the city where the most beautiful homes are built. They revel in the grandeur of the architecture, the beauty of the wide, spreading lawns, the lovely flowers and trees. It is a delightful way to enjoy the beauty at someone else’s expense. On many of these excursions the loveliness of the scene has been spoiled as they have realized that within those gorgeous mansions, among some of the most affluent circumstances, live men and women whose lives are blighted with sin and unhappiness.
Thank God, ours will be an undefiled inheritance.
Ours is an inheritance that does not fade away. The most beautiful of earthly scenes soon begins to fade when we view them again and again. A visitor distinctly remembers the first time, in his adult life, he saw the glory of the cascading waters of Niagara Falls. As he stood there on the old, high-level bridge and watched the sheer grandeur of the scene of so much water falling from such a height and over such a wide expanse, as he watched the clouds of mist rising and the little ship, The Maid of the Mist, making her perilous way up to the very foot of the falls, he thought to himself, I could stay here forever and watch this thrilling sight
He spent a long while trying to take it all in, but after being there for several days, he found he could pass the same scene with only a passing glance. Somehow, familiarity had caused its charm to diminish.
I am sure this will never happen in relation to my spiritual inheritance in Christ. It is an unfading inheritance and will never cease to bless and thrill with an ever-increasing experience of heavenly delight.
Ah, but someone is thinking, Will I ever reach that blessed time? Others will, but maybe I will never make it. Listen to Peter’s last word of description which he holds out to every redeemed child of God. This inheritance is not only incorruptible, undefiled and unfading, but it is also reserved in heaven for you.
Reserved in heaven for you. No probate court will ever be able to take it away from you. No inheritance tax will ever deplete this great legacy. It is reserved for you. I believe your name is already recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life as the eternal heir of that bequest.
A minister tells of growing up in Toronto (Ontario), Canada, in the early twenties and before that, he was captivated with the accomplishments of the Edmonton Grads and their fabulous coach, Percy Page. The Edmonton Grads was a girls’ basketball team from a teacher-training college in Edmonton, Alberta. Percy Page had established a dynasty of championship basketball teams, much like John Wooden did years later at UCLA. This team of girls, constantly changing through graduations, were women’s world champions for some 16 years or more. They traveled throughout the world and continued their dominance. They even played one complete game when the opposing team did not score a point.
What a delight it was when he discovered one Saturday, as he arrived in Edmonton to hold some evangelistic meetings, that the Edmonton Grads were to play a team from Tulsa, Oklahoma, for the women’s world championship that very night, in the downtown arena! He asked a friend of his if he would like to go see the Grads play. He agreed, and with unmingled delight they made their way down to the arena and purchased general admission tickets for the sum of 50 cents each. (Money was scarce in those days.) The building seated some eight thousand and there was a large crowd present when they arrived. They made their way around to the seats in the end of the arena, where they were supposed to sit-a long way, it seemed, from the basketball court.
As they went around to the area they noticed a lot of empty seats with a much better view. So, because they were empty, they occupied two of them. They had not sat there very long before he felt a tap on his shoulder, and an usher informed them they were sitting in someone else’s place. They had reserved tickets. Slightly embarrassed, they made their way to some other empty seats nearby.
Only a short time later, he felt another tap on his shoulder, and again an usher called their attention to the fact that some other people had reserved tickets for the places they were occupying. Really embarrassed this time, they decided they had better go around to the area indicated by their tickets.
Oh, my friends, I am glad that my place in heaven has been reserved for me-purchased by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, and no big angel is ever going to tap me on the shoulder and tell me that I do not belong there. My place is "reserved in heaven" for me.
Someone says, "But suppose I cannot hold out to the end against Satan and his wiles?" Hear Peter’s last encouraging statement.
KEPT BY THE POWER OF GOD (verse 5)
"Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." The inheritance is being kept for us; and we are being kept for the inheritance.
For what are we being kept? "Unto salvation."
Here it is being looked at in its glorious and eternal nature. Salvation includes a double idea. We are made safe, but also we are made sound. We are rescued from the deadly peril, but we are also cured of the deadly disease of sin. It is not enough to rescue a drowning person from the devastating flood and then leave him shivering in the cold. Our redemption provides everything that is needed for a complete salvation
-salvation "ready to be revealed" in all its abundant fullness.
By what are we being kept? "Kept by the power of God."
Peter had earlier made the mistake of thinking that he could keep himself when Jesus warned him that before the cock would crow twice he would deny Him thrice. But now he had learned that he could only be kept by the power of God.
Literally, what Peter said was this: "guarded IN the power of God"-surrounded by the power of God. "As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people" (Psalm 125:2). "The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe" (Proverbs 18:10). "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them" (Psalm 34:7). "Hid with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3). Our only means of security is to keep ourselves in the keeping power of God.
A father and a daughter went for a walk in the park when she was just two years old. He put out the forefinger of his right hand, and her little hand was just big enough to circle it. As they walked along the gravel path, she was looking at the flowers and trees and a little dog, not paying any attention to where she was walking. Soon she stumbled on the path; her little hand slipped off his big finger and down she went in the gravel. Fortunately, she had on a snowsuit so she did not hurt herself. But he realized that something more was needed if she was not to fall again. So when she took hold of his finger, once more he found that he could circle her wrist with his thumb and little finger. It was not long before the same thing happened. Childlike, she was not paying attention to where she was walking and again she stumbled and her little hand slipped off his finger; but this time she did not fall to the ground. With his thumb and little finger encircling her wrist he was able to hold her tightly and keep her from falling.
If my being kept depended on my holding on to God, I am sure I would have been distracted by the things of this world and would have fallen many times-my hand slipping its hold on Him. But God is there with His great hand of love holding on to me, so that I am kept from falling.
Through what are we kept? "Through faith."
This is absolutely necessary on our part. He alone can keep us, but we must look to Him in faith. As you must open the window to let in the air, raise the blind to let in the sunshine, and eat your food to gain nourishment, so you must trust in order to be kept. Make no mistake: It is not your faith that keeps you, it is His power. But it is by your faith that you constantly lay hold of His keeping power.
CONCLUSION
We are favored above all people, for we are chosen of God; we are children of God; we are heirs of God, and we are kept by the power of God!
Amen
