Word of Salvation – Vol.11 No.27 – July 1965

 

Our Incorruptible Inheritance

 

Sermon by Rev. P. J. Berghouse on 1Peter 1:3-5

Scripture Reading: 1Peter 1:1-16

Psalter Hymnal: 48:1,2; 344:4 (after Law); 429 (after Creed);
447:4,5,6; 428:3,5; 144:4

 

Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, Young People,

A treasure hunt can be an exciting game.  The more real the treasure is, the more real is also the excitement.  And….. the greater the treasure, the higher our hopes!

It is this hope, that keeps you going, that helps you to endure to the end.  For you want to find it, you want to be with your treasure, you want to secure it for yourself!

Perhaps it was this natural feeling in man’s heart, of which Jesus was thinking when He said in Matthew 6:21, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

Tell me about YOUR treasure.  Is it a toy? …or a car? …or a home? …or is it the boy or the girl you love so much?  (In that case you would probably prefer the Dutch reading of that verse: “Waar Uw schat is, daar zal ook Uw hart zijn”).

[Explanation by JW:- in Dutch ‘schat’ can be your treasure or also you sweetheart.]

What is it, that you treasure most? …and how secure is it? …can you reach it? …will it be yours indeed?

Oh, we may sing, full of expectation, “I have high Hopes”, but will it all become real?

The Word of God speaks to us today of our Living Hope, which is
“OUR INCORRUPTIBLE INHERITANCE”.

And we see that this is…
I.  Hoped for.
II.  Provided.
III.  Kept secure.
IV.  Guaranteed.

1.  Hoped for.

As we have seen already, hope keeps you going, hope helps you to endure hardships.  This is but natural.  Think for instance of the thirsty desert traveller.  Time and again he looks to the horizon hoping to find an oasis.

If you give hope to a person he will come back.

Just as you will go back to the Estate Agent or the Bank manager as long as they give you a tinkling of hope that the house you’d like so much may become yours.

Or, just as you will go back to the employment officer or the foreman who holds out hope that you may be the person who will get that much coveted position.

Or, would a boy not go back to the girl who has given him reason to think that his high hopes may come true?

But take away all hope and the matter becomes final, hopeless!  Even more so are these things true of the Living Hope which the Christian has.

In spite of all the difficulties which a Christian may have, he is able to endure all hardships.  For he has an Incorruptible Inheritance to which he looks forward.  And on which he may set his HOPE.

In 1Cor.13 we read of the grand Christian trio: Faith, Hope and Love.

Faith is that which connects us, as it were, with the past.  In Faith we recognise that Christ paid for our sin, when He died on the Cross.

Love is that which we show in the present as we love God above all, and our neighbour as ourselves.

Hope is that, with which we reach, for what is in the future.  It is as a hand, stretched out towards heaven where Jesus is to prepare a place for us.

This Living Hope is in direct contrast with the dead hope of the world: What hope is there, for a Christless person who is stricken with an incurable sickness?

Aimless and hopeless is the future of the unbeliever, when his own resources fail him (as they certainly will, sooner or later).  For him there is nothing to “hang on to”.  He is like a person who is unable to hold on to something in a crowded bus or train: One moment he has to excuse himself for treading on someone’s toes; the next he must say sorry for nearly rolling over someone else.

Indeed, a life without Christ is a life cut loose from its moorings.  It is tossed about, until it is shattered upon the rocks.

At its very best, a Christless life is like a cut-flower.  It may seem beautiful for a while.  It may even have its charm, and a certain fascination.  It may even have its ideals…. but, like the cut flower, it has no future!  It bears no fruits!

But for God’s children, they are those who come to Christ, for them there is a future!  There is hope!  There is life!

Why…?  Because:

2.  God has Provided an Incorruptible Inheritance.

Our text says that God “begat us again by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ”.

He “begat us again” or, as we would say, “He made us to be born again.”

In Psalm 51:5 the Bible tells us about our first birth.  It says: “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”

Born in iniquity and conceived in sin, that is how every person, …how you and I are born.  That is how our life in this world began.  And unless our text is speaking of you… that is how your life will end too.

Died in sin, and buried in iniquity!

But our text says, that God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His great mercy, made us to be born again!

Through our first birth we came into a world of sin; through this second birth we are born into a spiritual world, the Kingdom of God, where death has lost its sting and where sin is done away with.

A Christless person is a hopeless person, and a hopeless person is powerless!

But God gives power again.  As He makes us to be born again.  He regenerates us.  A generator produces electric power.  Without a generator your car is quite useless.  Without a generator we would be without electric light and power.  Now, the Bible says that in Jesus Christ we are raised to a New Hope.  We are given New Power….!  We are Re-Generated!

God does that because He is our God and our Father, through Jesus Christ His Son.  Would a father leave his son powerless?  Would a father give his son a stone, when he asks for bread?  Or would he give a snake, when he asks for a fish?  Oh, our fathers may seem hard sometimes, and sometimes they have to be!  But a true father is merciful, even in punishing.

So, our Heavenly Father may seem hard to us sometimes.  But He is merciful!  For, in His Son Jesus Christ, He provided for us an incorruptible Inheritance, which is Eternal Life!

This Inheritance, this Eternal Life, God has provided for you.  And He tells you about it.  To-day again, as you hear His Word.  And He confirms it to you time and again through signs and tokens, such as Baptism and Lord’s Supper.

How long then shall we be tossed about by all kinds of reasonings and of vain deceit?

Look at yourself; and life is hopeless.

Look at Christ; and there is the incorruptible Hope!  Nothing can detract from it.  Nothing can destroy it…  Because:

3.   God keeps our Inheritance SECURE.

In verse 4 we read that our inheritance is: incorruptible, undefiled, one that fades not away, and is reserved for us in heaven.

The same God who provided, He also keeps!  Jesus was not only raised from the dead, but He also ascended to heaven!

And there in heaven, He keeps our inheritance safe!  Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-21 ( – which read – ).

You see, in heaven there is no sin, no corruption.  In heaven everything keeps its lustre and shine.

Where is your Treasure?

Is it really safe? …as safe as in heaven?

What use is there to build your hope on a “cut-flower”?  It will fade and die.  Even plastic flowers grow grubby after a while, and they certainly do not bear fruit!

And so it is with everything we use and handle.

It all will start to show signs of wear and tear.  We cannot use things and still retain their beauty.  But God, in His great mercy keeps our inheritance safe in heaven, where rust and the moth cannot affect it.

If Christ had given us the opportunity to save ourselves, only to leave it up to us as to how we would use it; if He had given this inheritance into our hands….. well, what a miserable mess we would make of it.  We would soon spoil it again with our stubborn sinfulness!  But God is wiser than we are.  He keeps our inheritance in heaven.  There our sinful nature cannot corrupt it.

Our sinful actions cannot defile it.  Our stubborn disobedience cannot cause its lustre to fade.

For you this Incorruptible Inheritance is kept secure.  For you it is reserved in heaven.  But….. what good will that do for you, if you won’t be there to enjoy it?

Therefore we must yet read verse 5: “You who by the Power of God are guarded through faith unto Salvation”.  Here we see that:

4.  God guarantees this Inheritance to His children.

Again, the same God, who provides and keeps the inheritance ready for us, this same God keeps us safe for the inheritance.  He guarantees that His children will receive it.  Therefore: He guards them with His own power.

Quite often we can hear such remarks as: “That won’t happen to me”  e.g. “I will not be killed in a car accident… I am too careful for that,” (or too smart) or “I will not die of cancer… that just could not happen to me”, or “I will not be forced into marriage…  I am too good for that” (or too shrewd).

But the Bible says: “By the Power of God you are guarded”.  God knows our weaknesses; even better than we do.  He knows that it takes His almighty power to guard us.  The word “guarded” is a military word, used to indicate a heavenly armed protection, set up around a military camp or installation.

The likelyhood of accidents and sin is so great, that it takes God’s Power to protect us.

To fight temptations takes Faith!  In Eph.6:10-18 we are encouraged to “put on the whole armour of God” (- read these verses -).  Self-reliance is utter foolishness.

God has provided an armoury for our protection.

He surrounds us with His Power.
Truth – Righteousness – Preparation.

The shield of faith and the helmet of Salvation, the sword of the Spirit (which is God’s Holy Word, the Bible), prayer and supplication.  These are God’s Gifts to us.

Through them we receive power that protects.

A life without Christ will sooner or later come to the end of its resources… and then, what hope is there left?

But in Christ there is power that never fails.

We ourselves cannot stand fast, trusting in our own weapons of cleverness or deceit.

We must lay down arms and surrender to His.

For there, is real Power and Protection, there, is Hope.  Blessed indeed is such a God, who shows so much mercy that He gives, even to such sinners as we are, New Life, New Hope, and New Power.

Who keeps for us a Treasure in heaven.

Yes what is more, who guards us by His own Almighty Power.  Would you not trust in such a God?

Hence, with earthly treasure, (away with it)
Thou art all my pleasure,
Jesus all my Choice!  (428:3+5)

Amen.