Kept by God’s promises
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 1 Peter 1:3-6
From the text, Peter is writing to Christians being persecuted in Rome. Nero burnt half the city of Rome and placed the blame to Christians. Peter then reminded Christians not to give up and to remain strong in their faith. He told them about the great hope that every believer has. “Because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead, now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance.” We persevere and remain faithful because of something better yet to come! As Paul says, “In this hope we were saved” (Romans 8:24). Why should we persevere under stress? Because we have an inheritance worth obtaining! It is worth it. It is worth to be long-suffering amidst any persecution or stress our enemies—or life itself—may throw at us. Peter says we have this hope, “because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3). In His death, He paid the price for our sins and in His resurrection, He overcame death for us. It is through what God did in Christ that we begin life all over again in a new family relationship with God. It is through this that we have the inheritance promised us. Our inheritance is “kept in heaven for you.” When something is “kept,” it is guaranteed, and it is yet to come. They are in Heaven because they are from God. It is implied here the fact that we will be in Heaven as a part of our future. Christ assured His disciples that He was preparing a place for them to be with Him in the future when He said, “I am going there to prepare a place for you.… I will come back and take you to be with me” (John 14:2, 3). I will persevere because this kind of future is worth waiting for. It is worth having, for it will not burn like Rome. It will never, like anything else, lose its beauty and luster. When we face the severe times in life, we must remember God’s promises!
Blessings,
