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Some Thoughts On Your Heavenly Inheritance

1 Peter 1:3-5

¹Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
³To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
³Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Introduction

In this text, Peter speaks of an in inheritance, incorruptible, that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you. This is the heavenly inheritance.

I. Your heavenly inheritance is real (a reality)!

A. The Bible clearly states the fact of a heavenly inheritance.

  1. Romans 8:14 says: For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons [or children] of God. Romans 8:17 says: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ. If there is an heir, there has to be an inheritance.
  2. Ephesians 1:11 says we have obtained an inheritance in Christ. Verse 14 of that same chapter says: the Holy Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession.
  3. Colossians 1:12 speaks of: Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light...
  4. Acts 20:32 Paul said, "I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified."
  5. The Bible promises an inheritance.

B. God promised this inheritance to Abraham and to his Seed after him.

  1. Hebrews 11:8-10 tells us that Abraham was promised an inheritance and that he looked for a city that hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
  2. Galatians 3:16 tells us that the Seed to which the promise was made was Christ.

C. Jesus promised His people that they would received a heavenly inheritance. John 14:1-3: Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. ²In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

D. Hebrews 10:34 speaks of the heavenly inheritance as a better and more enduring one. Chapters 21 and 22 of Revelation reveal much about that inheritance with its description of streets of gold and a place where there is no pain, death, tears, or sorrow.

  1. We've got plenty of that now, but not then.
  2. I don't know what all is included in the inheritance but it's ironic to me that the streets of New Jerusalem are going to be made out of gold.
  3. That's not an accident: today we value gold so much that it's not possible to own very much of it. Well, when you receive your inheritance, gold is going to be so common that you'll walk on it.
  4. So there is an incorruptible, eternal, inheritance waiting on you in the heavens. The Bibles makes that promise, God made the promise, and Jesus promised the same thing.
  5. Take heart and cheer up: In this world you might not own a bucket of water or a window to dash it out through, but you do have an inheritance in heaven. That's something to look forward to and a reason for hope, no matter how you look at it.

People may laugh at you today and consider you to be foolish. Somewhere in the world someone thinks your beliefs amount to the same thing as believing in old Greek or Norse mythology. Somebody out there thinks you've got as much hope of an afterlife as does a pine tree or a snail. Pay no attention to the world that lumps you into a category with lost people! Thus saith the Lord: You do have a heavenly inheritance, reserved and incorruptible, waiting for you.

II. The recipients of the heavenly inheritance.

A. Hebrews 1:2 names Jesus as the Heir of all things.

B. Romans 8:16, 17 declare the children of God to be heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ.

C. Galatians 4:7 declares - If a son then an heir of God through Christ.

D. Ephesians 3:6 declares than the Gentiles are fellow heirs with the Jews.

E. Who then will claim the inheritance?

  1. Jesus first, because He's the heir and the firstborn Son. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand.
  2. Second, all who come to God through Jesus Christ will be fellow-heirs.
  3. When He receives His inheritance, the children of God will receive theirs.
  4. It's His inheritance, but we inherit along with Him.
  5. That's not hard to understand or explain, but it's important. Yes, we are heirs, but only through and because of Christ Jesus.

III. What made the heavenly inheritance possible.

A. This inheritance was first contained the promise God made to Abraham and his SEED after him - which is Christ. Galatians 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

B. The promise God made is also referred to as a testament or a covenant. Hebrews 9:14-17: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions [that were] under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament [is], there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament [is] of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. Hebrews 9 declares the necessity of the death of the testator - the person who promises the inheritance - before the inheritance can be claimed.

Illustration

For instance, many of you may have a last will and testament made out to your children or extended family, or whomever. That is a promised inheritance that cannot be claimed while you - the testator - are alive. After I die, my heir can inherit, but not before.

C. The Bible presents Jesus Christ as both the testator and the Heir.

  1. He promised the heavenly inheritance.
  2. He died and was buried to make the inheritance accessible to the named heirs.
  3. Then He rose from the dead to serve as the Heir of all things.
  4. In this, the Gospel, He made it possible for any child of Adam's sinful race to share in the heavenly inheritance as a joint-heir to Jesus Christ.

IV. Consider how the Gospel makes it possible to receive the heavenly inheritance

A. The Gospel is how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures and how that He was buried and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. See. 1 Cor. 15:1-4

B. The sin debt for every human being was paid by the Lord Jesus Christ through the Gospel.

C. For the Gospel to provide you with a heavenly inheritance, you must admit your sin and believe that Jesus died to pay your sin debt. You must believe that He died for your sins, was buried, and rose again the third day for your justification.

D. You must ask God to forgive you and place your trust in the person of Jesus Christ to save you from your lost condition.

E. When you do this, you are born again of the Spirit of God and you are one of God's children and an heir to the heavenly inheritance.

  1. In effect, and in reality it is reserved for you, according to 1 Peter. It's incorruptible and cannot fade away.
  2. According to Ephesians 2, it's as good as done in God's mind and you are already seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
  3. Peter says it's reserved because you are kept by the power of God unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time.

Illustration

Once, as a first or second year seminary student, I had the opportunity to preach regularly at a certain church which was seeking a pastor. I made friends with the people, and I still remember a lady telling me her family was going to be gone on vacation that next week. When I saw her again, she had vacation war stories to tell. When they got wherever they were going - I think it was in Oklahoma somewhere - when they got there, the hotel had lost their reservations and they didn't have a place to stay. Repentance and faith in the Gospel provides an inheritance in heaven that you don't have to worry about. When that reservation is booked, it doesn't get lost and it doesn't expire. In fact, you can't get out of it no matter how hard you try.

How do you get that reservation? You don't make it by phone and you don't get on the internet to do it. You Repent and believe the Gospel. You be born again.

John 3:5 confirms my words. Jesus said, "Except a man be born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." That's where the heavenly inheritance is located. You must believe and be born again.

V. To share your heavenly inheritance is to make it larger!

A. We were all saved to serve our Savior, Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:10 which no Baptist likes makes that clear.

B. God chose to save us by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

C. Romans 10:13-14 sets forth the need of each person who is a joint-heir to spread the good news that Jesus saves: 13For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

D. It is the responsibility of everyone who had heard to tell the good news of the Gospel to those who have not heard it.

  1. We need to tell them all - Jesus loves you.
  2. Jesus died to pay your sin debt.
  3. Jesus was buried and rose again the third day and He stands ready to save your hell bound soul!

E. The rewards of an enlarged heavenly inheritance await those who do this.

  1. Solomon wrote, 'he that winneth souls is wise.' Proverbs 11:30
  2. Daniel 12:3 sheds light on that: 'They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever.'
  3. Folks, sharing the Gospel and winning souls enlarges that inheritance. In one place in the New Testament (Luke 16:9), it says the people we lead to the Lord will meet us in heaven. It's good to be assured of a heavenly inheritance; but how much greater it is to know you have an enlarged inheritance.
  4. For some reason I always feel a little underhanded when I preach about rewards. I don't like to use rewards to influence people to do something they ought to do because they love the Lord. In my opinion rewards should be a result of doing something and not an incentive to do something, but the simple truth is that there is a reward for those who share the Gospel of Christ.

Conclusion

Do you know for sure that you are saved and that you shall have a heavenly inheritance?

If not, you can be assured of it here, now, in this service [or by reading this text]. Admit to God that you are a sinner, ask Him to forgive you and save you. He will and you will be born again and will be an heir to a heavenly inheritance.

We who are saved and are heirs to that heavenly inheritance, are we doing anything to enlarge our inheritance? Are we spreading the Gospel? If not, are we ready to repent, and set about taking care of that very wise pursuit?

Page Added: 9/19/2007 Last Updated:3/10/2008