“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3-5).
Honestly, I don’t need the Easter holiday once per year to remind me of the glorious resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I’m not perched on a lofty pinnacle of spiritual superiority but as a Christian who loves Jesus Christ, I live with that reality each day. My faith and sure hope is specifically in the risen Saviour, not someone who was defeated by death and by the grave. And my hope is not rooted in a religious ceremony that offers a feel good experience and temporary satisfaction. My relationship with Jesus Christ is real and permanent. My bond with Christ is personal and life-changing. Hope, inheritance
, and power are mine because He lives!
Do you have this hope? It is not an “I hope so hope
” but rather, a “know so hope.” A hope that is sure, absolute, and unchangeable. Hope that endures the most troublesome times and tumultuous storms in life. It is a hope that withstands the test of time and ushers us into the glorious presence of Jesus Christ.
Do you have this inheritance
? It is an inheritance that is incorruptible and has the guarantee of eternal life. The inheritance that is never defiled by the frequent sorrows, unwanted pain, and wavering circumstances we each have in this mortal existence. It is the promise of unfading life. It is a reservation made in Heaven for every true believer.
Do you have this power? It is the amazing power that makes you the child of God through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is this power that has conquered the penalty of sin and which gives you the guarantee of eternal life. It is the same power, “Which he [God] wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:” (Ephesians 1:20-21). It is the same power that has removed all condemnation and made you the righteousness of God in Christ. “For he hath made him [Jesus] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him
” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
There is hope, inheritance, and power by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Walk in this reality every day, dear Christian, and rejoice in the lively hope. Enter into the rest that gives the assurance of eternal life and an inheritance which is incorruptible and never fades away. And stand fast in the power that offers real freedom, liberty, and victory over death and the grave!
“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ
. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord
” (1 Corinthians 15:55-58).
This Easter Sunday, reflect on these realities. Lively hope, inheritance which is incorruptible and never fades away, power that offers real freedom, liberty, and victory over death and the grave. These are yours in Christ Jesus!