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, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 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
A sister in Christ called to tell me her father had passed away. Her sorrow over his death was deepened with the knowledge that her father had never placed his faith in Jesus Christ. She was the lone Christian in her family and her father’s displeasure with her, and ultimately with Christ, broke her heart. But God works in the broken hearts of daughters to pour out love on their fathers and that’s what He had done for this daughter. She shared with me how the Lord had given her the courage and strength to gently tell her father about the gospel of grace as she cared for him through his illness and death. Yet, there was no indication he had embraced the truth before he died.
The memorial service was held at the funeral home, followed by the reading of her father’s will at his estate lawyer’s office. Anticipation grew as each line of the will was read and one by one the family members were singled out for an inheritance—but the daughter’s name was never mentioned. Her father had left her out of his will. Her sorrow was compounded and tears welled up in her eyes—not because she had received no material wealth from her father, but because he had not remembered her with a father’s love. The silence in the room became agonizing. And then she heard Him—a whisper in her soul . . . the Comforter gently brought to her remembrance her Heavenly Father’s will. . . 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.
And we all who belong to Christ, have the comfort of a living hope—Jesus Himself, our true inheritance and glory forever. This world is not our home, but God is with us and will never leave us—not ever. We are citizens of heaven, born again by the Spirit, washed in the blood of Jesus, clothed in His righteousness, joint-heirs with Him, sons and daughters of our blessed and merciful Heavenly Father, our names written in His book of life—what an inheritance!
For Reflection
The book of First Peter is a letter written in the context of much suffering on the part of the first century Christians who had fled the persecution of Nero. They were scattered throughout the territories of the Roman Empire. They suffered the loss of all their material property and were imprisoned, tortured and put to death. As you work on memorizing this week’s Fighter Verse passage, take time to read the book of First Peter and meditate on it.
In what ways are you already prepared for the kind of suffering these first century Christians endured? In what ways do you need to grow in obedience to the Gospel (1 Peter 1:22-2:3; 4:12-19)?
Hymn for this week “Blessed Assurance” by Fanny Crosby.