“Always more to come!”
- Feb 6
- 5 min read
Ephesians 1:3 confirms we have been blessed “in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” Notice this is written in the past tense, indicating that we already have these blessings; we’ve already begun to experience and live out our inheritance in Christ.
However, don’t misunderstand what the heavenly realms are! This is a reference to all the invisible realities, the foundational truths of our life in Christ. They won’t be restricted, reduced or removed.
To mention a few... We’re chosen to have new life in Christ; Christ now reigns in us; we’re adopted, made heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ; we’re loved, forgiven, restored, reconciled and redeemed. There's so much more!
As Christians, we all know G.R.A.C.E. - 'God's Riches At Christ's Expense'.
Because Jesus has made us His very own, we should never be lukewarm or have a spiritual disinterest/indifference toward the things of God. So, let me ask you, as indeed I ask myself, ‘What are you doing about what God saved you for?’
Can we say with Isaiah 26:8, “your name and your renown are the desire of our hearts”.
Wesley L. Duewel said, "All other passions build upon or flow from your passion for Jesus. A passion for souls grows out of a passion for Christ…The most crucial danger to a Christian, whatever his role, is to lack a passion of Christ. The most direct route to personal renewal and new effectiveness is a new all-consuming passion for Jesus."
We should, knowing we are God’s treasured possession, have an increasing zeal for Him, becoming more and more like Him as we walk with Him.
We should be growing spiritually, and getting to ‘know Him better!’
We all need to be reminded of our place in God’s redemption story, of our identity in Christ, and therefore our inheritance as co-heirs with Him.
John Piper, looking at this text says, “The main thing is that God has caused new birth. His great mercy is the source of it. His raising Jesus from the dead is the historical triumph over death that makes it possible. Our living hope in a great inheritance flows from it.”
Let me remind you, Peter is writing to scattered believers facing social and political pressure. 1 Peter 1:1 states they are scattered throughout Roman provinces. They are in a hostile world, facing persecution, but they are instructed to remain steadfast, live holy lives, and find hope in Christ.
You see, now that Christ has died for us, he has established the new covenant in His blood so that we can receive “the promised eternal inheritance.” We cannot experience this inheritance unless we are born again!
David Guzik makes the point that "Peter didn’t really describe our inheritance. All he can tell us is what it is not. What our inheritance actually is, is something too great for him to describe.”
Our inheritance includes the gift of God Himself. God gives Himself to us now, so in one sense our inheritance has already begun, here and now!
This knowledge empowers us to endure, knowing that our struggles are not in vain.
Instead, they serve to remind us, refine us and reshape us into the image of Christ, allowing us to experience our inheritance in Him now.
“For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance” (Hebrews 9:15).
Our inheritance will never perish. Actually Peter, in this first chapter, points out a few things that are imperishable. Our new birth is imperishable. Our redemption is imperishable. The mercy of God is imperishable. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is imperishable. And the inheritance that God promises to give us is imperishable. Hallelujah!
Our inheritance will never spoil. Our inheritance in Christ is unsoiled, pure, free from contamination. It’s an inheritance that is not liable to decay, death, or destruction. Unlike earthly things, which can rust, rot, or be stolen, our inheritance in Christ is now "deathless".
W. MacDonald has said our inheritance is “death-proof, sin-proof, and time-proof.” I like that!
Revelation 21:27 says that "nothing impure will ever enter, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful." Peter says that our heavenly inheritance will never ever spoil.
Our inheritance will never fade away. The Greek word for 'never fade' carries the idea of enduring energy, a permanence untouched by time, sin, or death. When Peter used this word, it’s quite possible that he was thinking of the crown that was placed on the head of a runner who won an Olympic race. It was a laurel wreath that would wither within a matter of days. We have received an inheritance from Christ and it will never fade away.
C. S. Lewis once said, “My true good is in another world, and my only real treasure is Christ.”
Our inheritance is kept by God. Look at verses 4-5. The word 'kept' is in the perfect tense and it implies that what God did in Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago has a lasting effect right now. The power that raised Christ is the same power that preserves our inheritance.
Peter implies it’s a safe place and a guarded place. It could literally be translated “Kept under lock and key”, with an all-powerful God watching over our future inheritance.
God will not allow anyone or anything to tamper with what He has put into safekeeping. Matthew 6:19-20 states it’s a place where “neither moth nor rust corrupt, nor thieves break in and steal.” Isn’t that something to be deeply grateful for?
The sure and certain thing is this: our heavenly home is secure, guarded by our heavenly Father, waiting for the day when we will arrive to receive it for ourselves.
Stop and ponder
“No eye has seen, No ear has heard and no human mind has conceived the things God has prepared for those who love him, these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.” (1 Cor 2: 9-10).
Hebrews 11:1: "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."
Assurance is something that is not only available, but must become a crucial aspect of our Christian walk in getting to know God better.
The word assurance does not mean substitute for evidence! It actually means a title deed to a piece of property. We haven’t fully entered into our inheritance which is ours in Christ, but faith is the title deed to it. How amazing is this?
Romans 8:16-17 states, “We are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.”
What a definition for us as believers. We’re "heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ." Stunning!
This is Christ’s last will and testament to us. His "will" confirms our partnership in Christ and the ultimate victory with Him, reassuring that our future glory far outweighs everything of this life on earth.
We must recognise that our inheritance is not earned or deserved but is solely a result of God's lavish and outrageous grace. By the way, nothing whatsoever can ever disinherit us, once we are in Christ!
Tim Keller reminds us, “Your bad things turn out for good, your good things can never be lost, and the best things are yet to come.”
But what a difference to live with a constant awareness of our inheritance in Christ today! This shifts our focus from earthly limitations to one of eternal abundance, of identity and authority.
Actually, it’ll empower you to really live your life in Christ confidently, and with hope, knowing you are a child of the King, a co-heir with Christ, and as a consequence possess immeasurable treasure and a guaranteed inheritance.
What a powerful and heart hitting message today. The question you ask yourself, Harry “ what am I doing about what Christ saved me for”, is one I too ask myself so often.
I am also reminded today about keeping my eyes looking upward, to the inheritance promised, something I have to remember as daily life can take that focus away. I feel humbled thinking about an inheritance that lies ahead with Christ, being co-heirs with Christ, being a child of Christ when I have done nothing to earn or deserve it. Feels like moving a little more closer to God and seeing who He is a little more.