Eternal Expectations

1 Peter 1:4 ~ "...to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you."

What are your expectations... and are your eternal expectations of far greater worth than any here on earth?

We all live with certain expectations in mind. People expect that the sun will rise upon the morning, that the day will carry along one second, by one minute, by one hour at a time, and that by the end of day the world will be shrouded in evening darkness.

Those who have the opportunity to live what might be considered a normal, productive life, will hold expectations for things like retirement, vacations, home and stability. People who strive toward achieving a level of competence in a field of study or work have the expectation that their efforts will be rewarded with greater knowledge and ability. All who step onto an airplane have the great expectation that they will arrive safely at their desired destination.

But then something happens along the journey of life that might change those expectations. A career might fail, or an illness might strike without warning. The economy might turn against you or an unexpected natural disaster might wreak havoc upon your plans. And then, with that unforeseen situation, your expectations are lost upon the wind of circumstances like a leaf blown in a storm.

Therein lies the problem with making an anchor out of our expectations in this world. It is like holding a kite in a windstorm with a flimsy strand of web. Eventually, my friends, our circumstances will prove to fail our expectations. Jesus, our Lord, told us this when He said in Matthew 6:19, "“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal." 1 John 2:17 reminds us, "And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever." We must remember that there is nothing in this world that is so permanent that we can anchor all our expectations upon it and trust that it will not fail. Moth, rust, thieves--all manner of decaying, destructive forces work against the life. 

But there is an expectation for the believer that is more secure than anything this world could offer. For those who are in Christ, there is promised an eternal inheritance. There is a kingdom given, crowns applied, rewards recompensed, the river of life, and of greatest delight--the very presence of God with His people (see Revelation 21-22). 

And from our text today, we find that this inheritance is eternal. First, it is imperishable. There is no force or enemy that can destroy what is promised to the believer. Disasters cannot befall it. Second, it is undefiled. There is no quality of this promised inheritance that can be corrupted or compromised by its own inner contamination. There are no impurities within this promised inheritance. Third, it is unfading. There is no limit to the eternal reward from the Lord Jesus. It is an enduring, perpetual inheritance that will never run out. And fourth, it is kept in heaven for you. Literally, it is being "watched over" or guarded by the Divine hand. And it is in heaven, outside the reach of any who would try to despoil the inheritance. 

My dear friends, hold to expectations in this transient world with a tender grasp, but cling to the expectations of the world to come with a grip of iron. For in this world, sudden circumstances might rob you of a hoped for expectation. But there is no calamity that can touch the eternal promises for those who belong to Christ. Let us do as Paul instructed the Corinthian church in 2 Corinthians 4:18, "We look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."

In His Grace,
​Pastor Michael

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