Tuesday, July 19, 2016

As we saw in our last visit, God the Father was impelled by His great mercy to give all of us who believe in Jesus Christ a new birth into a living hope. 1st Peter 1:4 says God also gave us new birth “into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you.” John 1:12-13 declares, “To all who received him (Jesus Christ), to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” Paul explains further in Romans 8:16-17, that if you are born of God, “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.” Many earthly inheritances have been squandered or taken away through economic catastrophes. Others have been spoiled, such as lush farmland devastated by hurricane, flood or drought. Still others fade, such as a beautiful masterpiece painting, stored in a damp and dirty basement. No, what we inherit as a result of our new birth in Christ “can never perish, spoil or fade,” because it is “kept in heaven for you.” The word “kept” is in the perfect tense in Greek which means it refers to an action completed in the past with continuing present results. The word means to watch, observe, guard, protect, reserve, set aside.” Your inheritance is safe and secure in heaven under the watchful eye and care of God. Praise God!