So far, 1 Peter has shown us that we are a new people who have been given new life and have been born again to a new and living hope. Of course, hope must have an object, and in 1 Peter 1:4, we are told about the object of our hope—we are those who await a new inheritance.
What is an inheritance, and what does it take to get one? Fundamentally, an inheritance is not something that can be earned, but rather something set aside by one person to give freely to another. Receiving an inheritance isn’t about your own personal accomplishments—it is given to you because of who you are.
Peter tells us that we have been “born again” (1 Peter 1:3), and with God Himself as our Father, we have been born into the wealthiest family that has ever lived! In the book of Romans, Paul tells us that, “the Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:16–17a). Our God has stored up an inheritance for His children, and we who have been born into God’s family share this inheritance with Jesus Himself!
What does this inheritance look like? That which we are waiting to receive doesn’t exist metaphorically—it actually exists physically. As God’s children, we have a real and tangible inheritance waiting for us in the form of a new creation in which, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).
Peter tells us that this new creation will be imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. This new world will never taste death in any form. It will be entirely pure and free from sin, and it will never lose its beauty. For the moment, we live in a world where none of these things are true—we experience the pain and loss of death, we feel the effects of sin in every area of our lives, and our bodies—along with our possessions—fade away with the steady march of time.
Whatever pain we experience and whatever trials we face, we can trust that our struggles are only temporary because we have been born into God’s family. We know that our inheritance is coming; we will one day receive new bodies—freed from weakness and pain—that we will use to enjoy an imperishable, undefiled, and unfading new creation with our Father for all eternity. This is the object of our hope, and it is a hope that can strengthen us each day, no matter what circumstances we face.
All the best,
Luke
Missional Action Prayer: Lord, thank you for the inheritance that you are keeping in heaven for me. Please help me to live each day in light of this eternal hope. Amen.
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