“Blessed 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, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:” (1 Peter 1:3-10 KJV)
What an encouragement from Apostle Peter to us all who believe on Christ for righteousness, forgiveness and eternal salvation by belief on Christ crucified died and risen! Peter tells us that as believers we should have a “lively hope”! An exciting and hope filled life in Christ. He tells how about God’s ABUNDANT mercy for us. As believers we have an incorruptible inheritance. Some of this inheritance we seen in our Earthly life and other parts of it will start at the Rapture of the Church, our bodily resurrection.
Peter tells us that this eternal inheritance of every believer in Christ will never fade away. It is an inheritance ALREADY RESERVED for us in Heaven. And Peter states clearly that we are not the ones that keep ourselves saved; instead we “…are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. “ And even when we face hardships in this life, and persecution fro our faith, we should set our hearts and minds on this hopeful truth. God is WITH US in and through everything that happen sin our life. Peter also speaks directly to us today, in our generation; the End Times and Last Days before Christ returns. He mentions ‘ at the appearing of Jesus Christ’ and that is us! We are closer to the Lord’s Coming than ever before. All the countless people who have come to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for Salvation and eternal life, who never actually seen Him as Peter did so intimately, and yet believe on Christ, need to keep he hope of what is to come for us when Jesus appears again! The end of our faith and the glory God has made us in the Spirit already will be COMPLETED in our bodily resurrection at the Harpazo Rapture of the Church. Peter tells us that it is all by God’s GRACE! Grace that the prophets of old foretold would happen to us believers today.
It is hard to even image what that day is going to be like. We cannot even fathom what God has in store for us fellow believers! Let this hope be in you! Christ is right now in you, the hope of glory!
Apostle Paul put it this way,
“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,
neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God
hath prepared for them that love him.”
(1 Corinthians 2:9 KJV)
