Friday, November 11, 2016

With Un-Cancellable Reservations (1 Peter 1:4)

“…born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,” (1 Peter 1:3–4, NASB95)

We have an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, unfading, and reserved. Robin and I were watching one of those countless Hallmark Christmas movies the other night, in which a young wife had called to cancel the reservation at a hotel for her mother-in-law who they had determined would stay with them. What she did not know was that the rest of the family’s reservations were intricately linked together and cancelling one was cancelling them all. As you can imagine, they had to roll with this and wound up all staying together for Christmas in the one home, as all the other details of the plot played themselves out. I think we all might have some form of experience with arriving somewhere to find that what we had planned or hoped was not as we had planned or hoped and maybe even not happening at all. This is the kind is disappointment that we all have known in life. It is the disappointment of things hoped for not happening.

God’s word assures us that out inheritance is reserved in heaven by Jesus Himself. We have a place our Heavenly Father’s house according to His Own will, and specially prepared for us by His Son who was sent to bring us to Him. Think of the words of Jesus as He was preparing to leave His disciples, where we read, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:1–3, NASB95) Then on the next day as Jesus hung on the cross between two felons we read His words to one of them who believed, “And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”” (Luke 23:43, NASB95) Jesus assured His disciples that He was telling them the truth. They had a home being prepared for them, and He would come and get them to take them there. Their reservations were made and they would not be revoked. On the cross He assured the criminal on the cross that He would check in very soon as a sure thing.

The apostle Paul wrote to encourage the Corinthian believers concerning death, saying, “For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.” (2 Corinthians 5:1–5, NASB95)  We read here not only of the promise of a future home, but we also read of the present pledge or promise being assured by the Spirit dwelling in us from the moment of our salvation to the moment we step into His presence.

Clearly we have a promise from God that we have a home and an inheritance. The reservations are made for all who believe and call upon the name of Jesus for salvation. And, as we read the words of Jesus no one is able to cancel them, even by mistake. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”” (John 10:27–30, NASB95)

Knowing that our eternal life rests in the work of our Lord Jesus Christ who rose from the dead and is sitting at the right hand of the Father truly does give us a real living hope in being born again. It will never perish. It will never become contaminated. It will never fade away in the slightest way. It is reserved for us in heaven where He awaits our entrance. It is a package deal for which He paid the price and He holds our ticket. Oh, what incredible hope we have!!

“in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:8, NASB95)

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