Yesterday, my great friend and I were talking about our faith and relationship with the Lord, and he said (paraphrased) that though he is in a dry spell presently in prayer, he has been reminded and continues to remind himself that He has received the best part of salvation already, a sure eternity with the Lord. I have been thinking about the truth of that statement and last evening I was reading through the two letters of Peter and saw that he had a very similar theme as the main point in his first letter. Here are the first few verses that caught my attention - 1 Peter 1:3-9 NIV:
[3] "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [4] and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, [5] who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. [6] In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. [7] These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith---of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire---may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. [8] Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, [9] for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
What a great reminder, of what is really important. In my daily life, and working through all the stuff, sometimes I can lose sight of this truth! In my readings of letters from the early church, some writings of the early fathers, they were often focused on this heavenly end, and sometimes it seems like they were doing so, because life in the "here and now" was difficult for the early Christians, so it was helpful to focus on that which was promised, life in heaven.
However, in thinking about this more, I think that maybe I have lost sight of what is really a great treasure, our great inheritance. My life, in comparison to a Christian believer of the early church, is fantastic, at least from a worldly perspective. I have plenty of creature comforts, and am able to practice and express my faith without fear of death, or significant persecution. I have the word widely available, and have at my disposal hundreds if not thousands of letters and books written to help me live out my Christian walk with effectiveness. In fact there is so much available in this present life, that I can think that life here is what it is all about, and forget what is waiting for me.
However, it is also important to remember that this present life experience is made possible because that final destiny comes with a full suite of benefits in the "here and now"! Peter in the beginning of his second letter describes it this way, writing, "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." (2 Peter 1:3-4 NIV) Peter says that we can participate (present tense) in the divine nature. The word that is translated participate, would be more fully defined as "partners, partakers in, sharers in" the divine nature. We don't just get to participate, we are full partners in this divine nature, as in partners in a law firm, part owners if you will. While this IS something to be excited about, this present being partner in the divine nature, it truly finds its final and full benefits in heaven.
I was thinking more about this and it still doesn't quite lead me where I think the Lord is aiming. What I find missing is the nature of the treasure, or inheritance that we can partake in here! Whenever I think inheritance I tend to think material things, and this is where I can sometimes get caught up in a "prosperity gospel". We can think that this divine nature brings with it material blessings, health, wealth, favor, healings, even spiritual gifts. We can get so caught up in what is "our stuff" that we miss the whole purpose of our sharing in this divine nature. We are called to be His sons and daughters, to express to the world who He is, to bring the good news of salvation out of the darkness into the wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9). Our sharing in this divine nature means we have access to and are partners in the character of God, and its expression here on earth. This is our great treasure that we inherit, we become full members of His divine family, and thus His nature! This family is not a giant "bless me club", but is rather a giant bless THEM with the same family membership club! We are called to be those that give away freely that which we have been given (Matt 10:8). We aren't collectors of divine blessings, we are givers of divine blessings!
Oh, that we would grasp the fullness of this truth! We are God's sons and daughters, if we have received His salvation! We then get full access to all the Christ had available to Him, and just like Him, we are not called to live "high on the hog" rolling the material blessings and riches of our Father, but rather spending our lives inviting others into this same glorious inheritance! We are called to be social influencers, not showcasing our material wealth, but rather showcasing the character and nature of God! It is not about us, it is about Him, and His greatness. We don't want the world to look at us, we want the world to look at HIM!
Our gaze heavenward is meant to remind us of our final destiny, of our Father's greatness, of our true identity, and of our call in this life. We know that we only see dimly now (1 Cor 13:12), but in eternity we will see clearly and understand fully the truth of God's greatness! As Paul writes, "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NIV).
Amen and Amen!
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