Mercy! We are heirs of God, joint-heirs with Christ.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In his great mercy he has given us new birth into living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, 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. (I Peter 1:3-5)

In the novel The House of the Seven Gables, author Nathaniel Hawthorne weaves several sub-plots into his story, one of which deals with an inheritance.  The Gothic mansion is in disrepair, and the current resident, Hepzibah Pyncheon, fears losing the house (and her family's honor, former glory, and good name) because of a lost deed that would prove the family's wealth and would save the inheritance.  Within the mansion is a portrait of the patriarch, Colonel Pyncheon; he has written into his will that the portrait will never be taken down from the wall--it will forever be positioned above the mantel in its custom wood frame.  Hepzibah is worried about her finances, as her brother (who has been in prison 30 years for murder) is about to be paroled and will be staying with her.  So she turns the lower floor of the house into a soda shop, selling root beer and candles, and other sundry items, just to make ends meet.  To add insult to injury, not only have they had to turn the family mansion into a common thrift shop, the small family and their boarder face eviction from the family dwelling.  Finally, someone discovers that inside the frame of Colonel Pyncheon is a deed to a  large tract of land in Maine, the sale of which will forestall foreclosure, pay all of their debts and give them financial freedom to travel, even perhaps settling elsewhere.

On a certain level, this story parallels the story of Redemption in the Bible.  God has given us a home on earth to live in, as an inheritance from Him.  But we have watched it deteriorate over time.  Some of us try to work out our salvation by ourselves, without looking at the Father, whose face is always watching over us.  Some of us are guilty of murder and other sins against God and against humanity.  We try to redeem ourselves, but we find that we have run out of the wealth that had been freely given by the Father.  All the while, the inheritance promised to us is within reach, if we would only look to the Father's face.

That is what the Apostle Peter was talking about in this passage.  He begins by offering praise to the Father.  2 Corinthians 1:3 says "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort."  See, the relationship between God, Jesus, and us is unique.  John 20:17 says,

Jesus said, 'Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to my Father.  Go instead to my brothers and tell them, "I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God."

Jesus is the only begotten Son of the Father (John 3:15); yet John 1:12 says, "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become the children of God."  God's only Son is Jesus; but through Jesus' shed blood, we can also become children of God, and in a sense, brothers of Christ.  Praise the Lord!

We receive that right by God's great mercy.  Titus 3:5 says, "He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.  he saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit."  Salvation is not achieved by human effort or merit but comes through God's mercy alone (see Ephesians 2:8-9).

By that gift of divine mercy, He offers us a new birth.  That new birth affords us two things: a living hope, and an eternal inheritance.  One is alive now on this earth, and the other is promised for our future forever.  Let's look at both of these in more detail:

1. A living hope.  1 Peter 1:23 says, "For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God."  The new birth comes about through the direct action of the Holy Spirit (see Titus 3:5 above), but the word of God also plays an important role, for it presents the gospel to sinners and calls them to repent and believe in Christ.  This new birth leads to a living hope: 1 Peter 1:21 says, "Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God."  Hebrews 3:6 says, "But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house.  And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.  This living hope is available to us through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead: 1 Corinthians 15:20 says, "But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep."
2. An inheritance that can never perish.  Ephesians 1:13-14 says, "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.  Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory."  Romans 8:17 says, "Now if we are God's children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."  This inheritance will never perish, spoil or fade.  Why? Because it is kept in heaven for you.  Colossians 1:5 says, "The faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel."

 But wait!  There's more:  Through faith we are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.  There are two sides to the perseverance of Christians.  They are shielded first by God's power, and then by their own faith. Thus, they are never kept contrary to their will nor apart from God's activity. God will not keep somebody who does not choose to love Him; but once we do choose Him as our salvation, His own power is at work always maintaining them as His heirs.  John 10:28 says, "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand."

But what does Peter mean when he says our salvation is yet to be fully revealed?  Our salvation is three-fold: First, God rescues us from sin; He gives us this justification at a specific time and place.  Our testimony of His mercy starts at a point certain.  Second, God keeps us by His power and grows us into His knowledge and grace; this is our sanctification, and it continues until our death.  But when He comes again to call us home, we are gathered into His presence; this is our glorification, our becoming true reflections of Him.  And this last bit has not yet happened--it is yet to occur.

The Apostle Peter has a unique view of God's salvation.  This was the man who left his home and business to follow Christ, but after that he experienced sin and defeat: he was mired in doubt, even though he had seen miracles and signs by the Son of God Himself.  He drew a sword or dagger and cut off the ear of the servant of the High Priest, even after following the Prince of Peace.  He denied knowing Christ on the eve of his crucifixion.  Yet through all this, Peter's salvation was secure.  He knew that in his great mercy he has given us new birth into living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, 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.