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A Joyful Life and an Imperishable, Undefiled, and Unfading Inheritance

 (Originally written for The Baldwin Bulletin: Pastor's Column September 27, 2023)

…According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time…Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:3-5, 8-9)

Over the last month, I’ve been preaching about rewards. For all who repent of their sins and believe in Jesus Christ, there is the promise of salvation and eternal life (Mark 1:15; Acts 2:37-39; 3:17-21). It’s a reward in the sense that it is not fully received until the completion of this life, it’s only for some, and it is an incredible prize. It’s not a reward, however, that any of us have earned wholly of our work and merit. In fact, it’s 100% the obedience and righteousness of Jesus Christ that he has graciously given to those he has chosen. Every believer, no matter when they come to faith or how long they believe for, no matter the quantity or quality of their life, share the common reward of eternal salvation in Jesus.

There is a second type of reward, though, that Reformed Christians like myself often struggle to talk about. Passages like Psalm 62:12, Matthew 16:27, and Revelation 22:12 all contain the message: [God] will reward each person according to what he has done. Many well-intentioned people fall into the traps of the false teachings of “prosperity gospel.” (If you do enough good or give enough money to the right causes here on earth, God guarantees that you will come into health and wealth in this life.) I don’t deny that God can bless the cheerful giver, but earthly treasures are not where our focus is to be! In fact, the Revelation passage I provided contains the words of Jesus where he says, “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done…” When he returns—his second coming, then he will reward!

As I told the congregation I serve, I don’t know what exactly these differing rewards will be. The Belgic Confession uses words like glory and honor. Jonathan Edwards similarly spoke of happiness, glory, and holiness. …It will be no damp to the happiness of those who have lower degrees of happiness and glory, that there are others advanced in glory above them; for all shall be perfectly happy, every one shall be perfectly satisfied…There will be a perfect harmony in that society…Yet there will be different degrees of both holiness and happiness according to the measure of each one’s capacity…

While I don’t have a complete, all-details-known understanding of the 1 Peter passage above, it assures me and I hope it assures you as well—if you are a believer, whatever God has planned and accomplished for us will be incredible. How many of us look at our lives—our body, our housing, our transportation, our support systems, our finances, etc.—and see perfection? No fat, no aches, no pains, no needed repairs, no messes, no endless chores, no rust, no annoyances, no debts. All those things are blemishes, they show problems, they show something deteriorating, depreciating, or lacking. Heaven isn’t just the things of this world but a little better, a little sweeter, a little less traffic, a little more this or that.  

Eternal life is an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.  Notice, you is plural; Peter speaks of the church of Jesus Christ collectively. We are those who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. God’s got you and me, our past, present, and future. So, how should we live, not just in the age to come, but right now? …Rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Know, brothers and sisters, that your salvation is secure in him, and live to the praise and glory of God—doing what is good— “…So that [others] may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

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