The List

Rather than having made a list and checked it twice before heading out on an annual adventure to bless children around the world, on this day (as we celebrate the historical record) a young couple neared the end on their journey in which they were to be placed upon a list. It was the time of the census, and Joseph had to return to his ancestral home to be registered. He had brought with him his young wife with whom he still had not had relations but who herself was ready to deliver the most special baby in all of history--the One that would hold a list of not who was naughty or nice, but of who was once naughty and made nice by His own blood

Nearly two thousand years ago this young couple arrived in Bethlehem where their Son who was to be King of kings was to be born that night in a place reserved for animals. It is not because He couldn't have had better, but because our God determined that His own Son who humbled Himself to take on the form of man would be born of a virgin in the most lowly of ways with the least of things, only later to lay down His precious life to pay for our sins and then to take it back up again and rejoin the Father from whom He came to reign as Lord forever.

As we head into this last day before Christmas, and we are pressed to think of what we might have forgotten let us remember that our God did not forget us. He loves us so much that He sent His Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

This is the real story of Christmas and its most humble beginning nearly two thousand years ago.

God’s Plan Hasn’t Changed (1 Peter 1:10-12)

“As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, (11) seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. (12) It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look.” (1 Peter 1:10–12, NASB95)

What an amazing thing it is to know that Jesus Christ in the person of the Holy Spirit moved in the prophets to prophesy (or speak) the words given to them for times to come, and that even these prophets searched those words themselves for their own understanding. There was much that they penned in faith, not knowing what it meant for the future. God called them to trust Him for things that He has assured them would come to pass, though they didn’t have a clear picture of how it would come to pass or what it will look like when it did.

We read that what was shown to these prophets is that which was revealed to them through the Spirit. What they recorded was not for them to clearly see and know, but for those who would later come and understand. What was incumbent on them was to trust God for what they did know, and believe that He would make all the rest clear in His right time and proper way. Though they did not know about Christ, they knew that their salvation came from God and that He was faithful to save them. He indeed was going to send a Savior for not only His people Israel, but also that in Him all the nations would be blessed. They understood the sacrificial system, but they did not fully grasp the reality of a once and for all perfect sacrifice accomplished by the very Son of God. They knew that the One coming would have to suffer to accomplish this, though they did not yet know the nature or extent of that suffering.

By faith they listened and they wrote, knowing that one day we all would be blessed to hear and understand, and that the glory shown then would be incredible. This was the role of the prophets as they continually called the people back to God and were regularly rejected in the process. What an amazing thing it is to know that God used these men over hundreds of years to record His incredible plan which was revealed in person of His Son. Then, at the right time, when Jesus spoke to the Pharisees and those who listened He repeatedly pointing back to the prophets as He affirmed their words and unfolded Himself in fulfilling what they were moved to write.

““Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he will never see death.” The Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets also; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word, he will never taste of death.’ “Surely You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died too; whom do You make Yourself out to be?” Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’; and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you, but I do know Him and keep His word. “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”” (John 8:51–56, NASB95)

“Then He [Jesus] took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. “For He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and mistreated and spit upon, and after they have scourged Him, they will kill Him; and the third day He will rise again.” But the disciples understood none of these things, and the meaning of this statement was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said.” (Luke 18:31–34, NASB95)

Peter wrote of the inspiration of the entirety of the Word of God saying, “So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” (2 Peter 1:19–21, NASB95)

Peter’s audience heard these truths and responded, and now we have them recorded for us in God’s Word so the we might likewise respond. We have the incredible privilege of seeing much of God’s plan from the historical vantage point of what has already happened. Sure, there is much we look forward to which remains a mystery, as it did for the prophets, but we know the truthful track record of our God. The Savior has been sent in the Son and the message of our salvation has been revealed. Now, we are privileged to know it as true. The reason we have come to know this truth is because just as God had spoken to His prophets through the power of the Spirit, so the Spirit works today in the lives of men to bring that same good news to people such as us, so that even we by the power of that same Spirit might hear, understand, believe, and be saved. This is the progression of the great gift of salvation given to us, as it was faithfully recorded, accurately fulfilled, and continually shared. Paul wrote, “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!” However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:14–17, NASB95)

The foundation has been laid and us who are saved are now part of the continued building as the good news of salvation in Christ is spread to those who so desperately need to know of God’s great love for them. “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:19–22, NASB95)

It is because our God is trustworthy that we can in full confidence abide in Him and trust Him to bring our salvation to its ultimate fulfillment as we step into His presence to His glory forever.

Joy in the Present (1 Peter 1:8-9)

“and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:8–9, NASB95)

In Wikipedia, concerning the phrase “Seeing is believing,” we read that it “is an idiom first recorded in this form in 1639 that means "only physical or concrete evidence is convincing". It is the essence of St. Thomas's claim to Jesus Christ, to which the latter responded that there were those who had not seen but believed. It leads to a sophistry [wisdom or rhetorical teaching] that "seen evidence" can be easily and correctly interpreted, when in fact, interpretation may be difficult.” The reality is that there are also many other phrases that point to just how obscure seeing might really be when you cannot see what lies below the surface or around the corner. But the fact remains that we all tend to believe things more readily that we can see, touch, smell, taste or hear. We believe when our senses confirm for us that something is real.

This tension is in part what is at the heart of our inability at times to trust or believe. It speaks to those moments when we have might have “a crisis of faith,” such as when there is a real problem rushing in and we see no way to escape. We grab onto the idea that it truly is the end. And, oh how the Roadrunner has proven this one wrong so many times as the Coyote often suffered the consequences of his own actions. How can we enjoy a cartoon when it flies in the face of what we know to have real consequences? The reason is that we hope for another outcome. We trust that we will endure and that “this trial too shall pass.” We learn to hope in what we know to be true as opposed to what the world might accuse Christians of—a form of escapism from problems, a refuge for the weak, an opiate for the masses.

Before moving to the words of hope in verses 8 and 9, Peter first laid out the certainty of the hope we have which undergird them. We have the promises of God who created all things and who has proven Himself to us through not only His creation and how it works, but though His Son who He sent on our behalf. Jesus Christ took on the form of man and lived historically as a man. His death, burial, and resurrection are historical and real. His Word is testable and true. And, His work in the lives of those who believe are undeniable.

We have been made children of God because of His incredible love for us, and the world does not get it. “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.” (1 John 3:1, NASB95) And, just as we have come to know His love, there is hope to those who don’t because we are His living proofs as we read in verses like John 13:34-35. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34–35, NASB95) We have been shown the love of God and we are being enabled to love with that same love, and so declare His love for others.

Peter had seen Jesus. He was the first recorded disciple chosen by Jesus, and He was given a specifically recorded charge by Jesus to take care of His sheep. He spent years with Jesus. He was there at His crucifixion. He spent time with Him after His resurrection, and He was there at His ascension as He left to return to the right hand of the Father. Then even Peter did not see Him any longer. As He wrote this letter Peter addressed those who had not seen Him and had probably never seen him, but who believed because of what they had heard of Him and believed it to be true. They did not have to see to believe as the famous encounter with Thomas who insisted that he would not believe until he physically touched the marks on Jesus’ resurrected body. Even then Jesus told Him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” (John 20:29, NASB95) Just a few verses later John added, “Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.” (John 20:30–31, NASB95)

Peter’s audience was living between the resurrection and ascension of Christ and His return. They were living with the assurance that He had come and that He would come again, which is exactly where we are still living today. We love Him because of His love shown to us even though we have not seen His face or felt His physical hand. God has enabled us to know His great love and to respond to that love by loving Him and others. It is just one of those incredible proofs of His presence. And, we are enabled to rejoice in the hope of His certain return or our personal joining with Him through death before that return. We rejoice in the victory we have over death, and the promise of life given to each one of us. We rejoice in knowing that we have been brought into a vital relationship with the living God. He is on our side and there is no one that can separate us from Him. This is the truth, and it is our incredible hope. All the trials we face in life are fully within the scope of His care and His ability to handle, and we know that one day the salvation we have been given will be fully realized in His eternal presence. This is the outcome of our faith. One day we will see Him face to face and what a day of rejoicing that will be.

The incredible thing is that his readers “greatly rejoice[d] with joy inexpressible and full of glory” in the present because they knew their hope for the future. What an encouragement for us to do likewise as we live immersed in the love of our God.

Bought Better than Gold (1 Peter 1:7)

“so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;” (1 Peter 1:7, NASB95)

We may not know why any particular trial comes our way. We may not know why this person dies of cancer and another does not. We may not know why one loses a job and another doesn’t. There is so much that we don’t know and may not come to know. But what we do know is that God is not evil and He does not promote evil. We also know that He is sovereign and in total control with His strong hand on every single one of us. And, we know that for this season we live in fallen bodies in a fallen world where Satan and his cohorts are allowed by God to reign. But even in this we know that God even holds the reigns over the evil one and those who belong to him. These are some hard things to reconcile, and we may not really be able to fully do so other than to recognize the greater truth that God created everything very good, and that man and Satan rebelled bringing in death and destruction. God reached into this death and destruction with His perfect plan to send His only Son to give Himself as a living sacrifice for our sins and to restore us to life in Him. We know that for a season sin is prevalent and that it will get worse before His Son comes again. But one day God will put an end to it all. Sin will be abolished. The devil and his cohorts will be cast away forever along with all who have rejected God and His salvation, and those whose names are found in the Lamb’s Book of Life will live eternally in His presence.

Sure, the Bible gives us more detail than this, and there is much more we can learn about the nature of evil and the character of our God as we study His Word. But the big picture reality is pretty simple. God is perfect and He demands perfection. We are not perfect and are incapable of perfection. Only in His Son are we made perfectly righteous because He personally credits His righteousness to us at the moment of our salvation and the Spirit cooperates with us as we grow in righteousness until such time that we step into His perfect presence, perfectly perfected in all ways for all of eternity.

And, what is the proof that keeps us going? It is that God’s Spirit is indeed working in us through faith to make us more and more like Christ every day. The proof that we belong to God is the work of God in us. We change because we have been changed. We grow because we have been made alive. This is what a plant does. The seed is germinated and then it grows. The big difference is that unlike the flower that fades, we are made to never fade.

The picture we have here is of the refining process. Robin and I have been married over thirty-six years. We gave each other rings on the day we were married. My wedding ring was lost in the Northridge earthquake, and several years later we replaced it. But as I look at even the replacement gold ring on my finger right now, it still shines. It is recognizable as gold, unlike many pennies or dimes that I’ve seen that have become so tarnished that I had difficulty distinguishing between the two and their subsequent worth. My wedding ring was made of refined gold and it has a level of purity to it that allows it to keep its value and recognized status. At one point in time raw gold and other minerals were removed from the ground and the gold was separated from them. It was further heated to remove additional impurities, and then when it was made to the right degree of purity it was put through the process of turning it into a marker on my finger of a covenant made year ago.

God’s work in our lives is that marker on our lives that reminds us of the certainty of the promise made to us, and unlike my first ring God’s promise will never be lost or forgotten. It is not up to me to keep it on my finger at all times. It is up to Him. In Christ I have been sealed and made inseparable. But at the same time, God does expect me to live according to who I am. Wearing a wedding ring is not all there is to being married, and being sealed in Christ is not all there is to being a Christian. We are called to live lives by faith, seeking after God, growing in our knowledge of His Word as we hide it in our lives, and living in obedience to what we learn and according to how we are led in response to those truths. The incredible thing is that this is not an effort we do on our own, but it is one that His Spirit enables us to do and it is through that very enablement that God proves just how saved we are.

We were told in verse 6 to rejoice knowing distress. Here we are told that the entirety of our lives is proof of His love and faithfulness ant that it is to result even greater praise and glory when we see our Lord. I love the ending verses of chapter 13 of 1 Corinthians where we read, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:12–13, NASB95)

For the time being we get the opportunity to taste and see just how good our God is, but we still have to trust because we have not yet reached the end and seen in full. Now we have to hope having promises shown to us through our lives, but the fullness of those promises is yet to be disclosed. And now we get to know the love of God poured out on us amidst the sorrow of the world, but one day we will get to know the fullness of God’s love with great rejoicing and praise as the glory of God is revealed face to face. We read that now abide faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love. Think of it, when we are there, there will be no more reason to trust because faith will be proven in His presence. When we are there, there will be no more reason to hope because we will see hope fully realized. And, what we know of love now, imagine how much more we will realize the extent of His love and that of His Son—our Lord Jesus Christ when we meet them once and fully forever.

This promise is truly more precious than gold. Gold may buy us a lot now, but Jesus bought us eternity and He is working in us right now proving just how real His purchase really is.

Promise-Freed and Rejoicing (1 Peter 1:6)

“In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,” (1 Peter 1:6, NASB95)

Robin and I moved with our kids to Oregon on October 1, 1994 following nine months of trying to endure in the San Fernando Valley after the Northridge earthquake. It was a difficult season leading up to our move, but after a great deal of searching and waiting we agreed together to do so. I contacted a large nationally known mortgage company and made arrangements to come up and work with them. Leaving our home church was difficult, but they sent us with a wonderful letter of transfer. After a bit I was asked by our new home church if I would like to help teach the adult Sunday School class. At first I resisted, but then agreed to do so. Next came the question of what to teach. I looked through what I had taught previously, and was led to something that I had not. I decided to teach through the book of James.

On the first Sunday of June in 1995 I taught the first verse and gave a brief overview. Then I began the work of preparing to teach the next three verses. During that week, we were notified that there was a mandatory Thursday office meeting at the mortgage company. At the meeting, we were told that their small market offices were being closed as of the end of work that day. The verses I was working on were James 1:2-4 which read, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2–4, NASB)

The tough season was going to continue, and not only had I read that I was to actively consider this ongoing season of trial joy, but that I was also expected to teach it to others. To this day, with some who are close to me, we speak of these times as James moments. But James was not alone in associating trials with joy. Here Peter wrote saying, “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,” What a combination of words we find in this passage! In the same verse, we read “rejoice” and “distressed.” These two emotions in normal terms could not be further apart from each other. We are accustomed to rejoicing in that which gives us joy and becoming distressed over that which gives us sorrow. Joy and sorrow are seemingly incompatible. How do we reconcile the two into one situation, and especially to the level described here where we “greatly rejoice”?

Rejoice here is the Greek word “agallio,” and it means to be exceedingly glad or to leap for joy. The roots of the word literally mean much leaping or springing up. It has the meaning of responding to trial reflexively with joy. Our response to trials is to bounce to joy. Sure, it may not be automatic, but it can be as we grow in our understanding of our reason for joy which is our certain hope because of the unfailing promises of our unlimited and infinitely faithful God.

We are not immune to trials because we have a God who separates us from trials. Rather, we have a God who brings us through those trials. The Lion King movie may have planted into our minds the words, “Hakuna Matata! What a wonderful phrase. Hakuna Matata! Ain't no passing craze. It means no worries for the rest of your days. It's our problem-free philosophy. Hakuna Matata!” It’s a great song, but how true are its words? What is meant by its words? Have you really thought about them? Is there any such thing as a care-free existence? The Bible seems to say otherwise. We read that we are not as much to be care-free as we are to be joy-filled. We are not to be problem-free but to have hope in our problems, including those that might cause us to become greatly distressed.

Distress is something that may come upon us unsuspected like a wave on the beach. Our response to that wave determines how we stand as it crashes in. To become overwhelmed and panic is to see the wave as that which is most fully in control. To quickly recognize that we have a God who enables us to stand firm enables us to see that wave in perspective and to find our great hope in our God who even holds that wave in His hands and limits its power and even its duration.

What might seem like an enduringly long period of time to us, we are reminded in this verse, is momentary in the eternal scheme of things. Peter, in talking about rejoicing, in distress tells us that whatever it is, it is only going to push in on us “now for a little while.” It will come and then it will be gone, but the faithfulness of our God will never fade. This is the truth of Scripture, and it is because of these truths—these things we know of Him, His promises to us, and that powerful hand of His Spirit on our lives that we are sealed for the great hope that awaits us on the other side whether that other side is later today or in His eternal presence. Whatever it is, it will pass and God is firmly in control. We are to rejoice in the certainty of His hand on us and His sovereign power at work on our behalf.

James tells us that it is through these very trials that we see the faithfulness of God demonstrated and that we grow in our faith and our ability to endure the next ones. What seems like big potatoes now, may seem like small potatoes later as we are prepared to experience possibly even bigger ones in the future or maybe even to help others through their trails because of how God has helped us.

I wish the Northridge earthquake was the biggest trial we would have ever had to experience. At the time, it was big enough. But the reality is that we have experienced others since, and we are even experiencing them now. Sometimes I do not respond as well as I do at others. Sometimes my faith is weak as I look to the size or the pressing nature of the problem, and in them I feel the meaning of what it is to be distressed. It is then that I am looking at the situation without the great hope I have in Christ and getting things outside of their proper perspective. But when I step back, turn my eyes to God, and I take times even as right now to focus on His truth and let them soak into my heart and mind, I find that His Spirit does that incredible work of quieting the storm and increasing my joy. What makes the difference from my side of things is not that the problems go away, but that I make a purposeful choice to look to God and rejoice in who He is, what He has promised, and trust even for the moment in His promise to bring me through to the other side.

Protected by the All-Powerful Protector (1 Peter 1:5)

“who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:5, NASB95)

As I was sitting in an empty room at our home church thinking about 1 Peter and a brief devotion I was to prepare to give Thursday night at Trail Life USA meeting, my eyes were drawn up to a poster on the wall concerning the attributes of God. Each of the fifteen attributes listed came with a very brief description intended to help the children grasp each of them. Among the attributes were eternal, immutable, omnipotent, omniscient, sovereign, and wise. And with them were the descriptions….

Eternal – Always was and always will be.

Immutable – Will never change.

Omnipotent – All powerful to do whatever He wants.

Omniscient – Knows everything—past, present, future.

Sovereign – In complete control of everything; does all that He pleases.

Wise – Does everything perfectly without mistakes.

In 1 Peter 1:5 we read that we are protected to receive our eternal inheritance by the power of God. I am so thankful that it is not my power or the power of anyone else that does this. Every created human being is born and then dies. We are not eternal, and therefore any power that we have cannot extend beyond the length of time that we have to wield it. We are not immutable. We are born infants and grow to maturity. We learn, and then we even forget. We are in a constant state of change. We are not all powerful. Our strength and ability to do the things we desire to do is severely limited. I don’t’ think we have to dig too deep to figure this one out. We don’t know everything. Though we may continue to grow in knowledge and understanding, we again are limited in our ability to know. And, we are definitely limited in our ability to see into that which we do know, leading only to cloudy speculation. We are not sovereign. We are not in complete control. We cannot do everything that we please, regardless of any intense desire or compulsion. We simply are not in charge in the big “in charge” sense of things. And, we are not all-wise. We don’t do everything perfectly. We make mistakes, and that’s just the way it is. We are not God.

But God, He is all of these and so much more without any limit. He is them infinitely, and when His Word tells us that we are kept by His power it means that we are kept by a power that cannot be corrupted, eroded, or changed. God made a decision to call us with perfect knowledge and according to His infinitely wise plan. He will not change His mind, and we are securely His, if….

The big “if” is, if we have been saved. We go on to read that our response to God choosing us is to by faith believe that He will do exactly what He said He would do. Faith is more than believing that a chair will hold you when you sit in it. You may have thoroughly examined it, but until you plop your fanny on it, the chair it will not hold you. Faith is a response of trust based upon belief. And the belief we have is in the promises of the Word of our God who cannot lie Who told us that if we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ we will be saved (Acts 16:31). And, the incredible thing is that even this ability to believe or to have faith is itself a gift from God as we read in passages like Ephesians 2:8-9. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8–9, NASB95)

We have been saved from the just penalty of our sin, which is death, and we have been saved to life, which is eternally held for us by God. Every day that we live in between that moment of salvation and the moment we step into His eternal presence is continued proof of His ability to keep us according to His power. Sure, we will continue to sin and we may rebel at times, but we are to remember that we are kept not by our power to hold onto Him, but by His power to keep us firmly in the center of His hand. As we walk, seeking Him and growing in Him according to the power of His Spirit in us we are living proofs of His work—His infinitely powerful and awesome work. We are even blessed to have those moments where we get a glimpse into the glory that is to be revealed to us in the last day as we see Him work in our lives and the lives of those around us. We live with a certain hope because our God has made His certain promise, and it is not in His character to change His mind or in His ability to lose His grip. When Scripture says that we are kept, we can believe that we are truly kept because we belong to Him based upon the salvation we received as we responded to His choice and call on us by believing by faith.

The past few weeks have been very difficult, and I know of many others who might echo this. Aside from the current political climate and signs of social unrest, we all have things in our lives that can push us to the brink and even give rise to thoughts of hopelessness. But we need to remember in these tough times that God is faithful and He is in control. Knowing this makes all the difference. He will bring us through on the other side, and He will do it in such a way that He is glorified in the process.

Later in this letter Peter wrote, “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” (1 Peter 5:10, NASB95) And, the apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians, “For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,” (2 Corinthians 4:17, NASB95) Our God is our refuge and our strength in troubled times, and He is our hope for the future and all that He has in between.

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)