Glory In Your Inheritance

To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you

1 Peter 1:4

There is a glorious dwelling place provided by Jesus Christ for all His believing people.  The world that now is, is not their rest: they are pilgrims and strangers in it. Heaven is their home.

I can tell you a little of the blessedness of heaven, but not all.  What mortal man can explain the full nature of the inheritance of the saints in light?  Who can describe the glory which is yet to be revealed and given to the children of God?  Words fail, language falls short.  Mind cannot conceive fully, and tongue cannot express perfectly, the things which are comprised in the glory yet to come upon the sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty.  Oh, it is indeed a true saying of the Apostle John :  "It doth not yet appear what we shall be" (1 John 3:2).

The very Bible itself only lifts the veil a little, which hangs over this subject.  How could it do more?  We could not thoroughly understand more, if more had been told us.  Our constitution is as yet too earthly, our understanding is as yet too carnal to appreciate more if we had it.  The Bible generally deals with the subject in negative terms, and not in positive assertions.  It describes what there will not be in the glorious inheritance, that thus we may get some faint idea of what there will be.  It paints the absence of certain things, in order that we may drink in a little the blessedness of the things present.  It tells us that the inheritance is incorruptible, undefiled, and fadeth not away. It tells us that there shall be no more night and no more curse,-that Satan and death shall he cast into the lake of fire,-that all tears shall be wiped away, and that the inhabitant shall no more say, "I am sick."  And these are glorious things indeed!  No corruption!-No fading!-No withering!-No devil!  No curse of sin!-No sorrow!-No tears!-No sickness!-No death!  Surely the cup of the children of God will indeed run over!

But Reader, there are positive things told us about the glory yet to come upon the heirs of God, which ought not to be kept back.  There are many sweet, pleasant, and unspeakable comforts in their future inheritance, which all true Christians would do well to consider.  There are cordials for fainting pilgrims in many words and expressions of Scripture, which you and I ought to lay up against time of need.

Is knowledge pleasant to us now?  Is the little that we know of God, and Christ, and in the Bible, precious to our souls, and do we long for more?  We shall have it perfectly in glory.  What says the Scripture?-Then shall I know even as also I am known" (1 Cor. 13:12).  Blessed be God, there will be no more disagreements among believers!  The former ignorance will have passed away.  We shall marvel to find how childish and blind we have been.

Is holiness pleasant to us now?  Is sin the burden and bitterness of our lives?  Do we long for entire conformity to the image of God?  We shall have it perfectly in glory.  What says the Scripture?-"Christ gave Himself for the Church, that He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing" (Eph. 5:27).  Oh, the blessedness of an eternal good-bye to sin!  Oh, how little the best of us do at present!  Oh, what unutterable corruption sticks, like birdlime, to all our motives, all our thoughts, all our words, all our actions!   Oh, how many of us, like Naphtali, are godly in our words, but, like Reuben, unstable in our works!  Thank God, all this shall be changed!

Is rest pleasant to us now?  Do we often feel faint though pursuing?  Do we long for a world in which we need not be always watching and warring?  We shall have it perfectly in glory.  What saith the Scripture?- "There remaineth therefore a rest for the people of God" (Heb. iv. 9).  The daily, hourly conflict with the world, the flesh, and the devil, shall at length be at an end:  the enemy shall be bound; the warfare shall be over; the wicked shall at last cease from troubling; the weary shall at length be at rest.  There shall be a great calm.

Is service pleasant to us now?  Do we find it sweet to work for Christ, and yet groan, being burdened by a feeble body?  Is our spirit often willing, but hampered and clogged by the poor weak flesh?  Have our hearts burned within us when we have been allowed to give a cup of cold water for Christ's sake; and have we sighed to think what unprofitable servants we are?  Let us take comfort.  We shall be able to serve perfectly in glory, and without weariness.  What saith the Scripture?-"They serve Him day and night in His temple" (Rev. 7:15).

Is satisfaction pleasant to us now?  Do we find the world empty?  Do we long for the filling up of every void place and gap in our hearts?  We shall have it perfectly in glory.  We shall no longer have to mourn over cracks in all our earthen vessels, and thorns in all our roses, and bitter dregs in all our sweet cups.  We shall no longer lament, with Jonah, over withered gourds.  We shall no longer say, with Solomon, "All is vanity and vexation of spirit."  We shall no longer cry, with aged David, "I have seen an end of all perfection."  What saith the Scripture?-"I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness" (Psalm 17:15).

Is communion with the saints pleasant to us now?  Do we feel that we are never so happy as when we are with the excellent of the earth?  Are we never so much at home as in their company?  We shall have it perfectly in glory.  What saith the Scripture?-"The Son of man shall send His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which work iniquity."  "He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet; and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds" (Matt. 13:41; 24:31).  Praised be God, we shall see all the saints of whom we have read in the Bible, and in whose steps we have tried to walk.

We shall see apostles, prophets, patriarchs martyrs, reformers, missionaries, and ministers, of whom the world was not worthy.  We shall see the faces of those we have known and loved in Christ on earth, and over whose departure we shed bitter tears.  We shall see them more bright and glorious than they ever were before.  And, best of all, we shall see them without hurry and anxiety, and without feeling that we only meet to part again. In glory there is no death, no parting, no farewell!

Is communion with Christ pleasant to us now?  Do we find His name precious to us?  Do we feel our hearts burn within us at the thought of His dying love?  We shall have perfect communion with Him in glory. "We shall ever be with the Lord" (1 Thess. 4:17).  We shall be with Him in paradise: we shall see His face in the kingdom.  These eyes of ours will behold those hands and feet which were pierced with nails, and that head which was crowned with thorns.  Where He is, there will the sons of God be.  When He comes, they will come with Him: when He sits down in His glory, they shall sit down by His side.  Blessed prospects indeed!  Yet, all before me is unseen: the world to come is a harbour unknown!  But Christ is there, and that is enough.  Surely if there is rest and peace in following Him on earth, there will be far more rest and peace when you see Him face to face. If we have found it good to follow the pillar of cloud and fire in the wilderness, we shall find it a thousand times better to sit down in our eternal inheritance with our Joshua, in the promised land.

Reader, if you are one of those who are heirs of glory, you may well rejoice and be happy.  You may well bear crosses without murmuring: your light affliction is but for a moment; the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory which is to be revealed.  When Christ our life appears, then you also shall appear with Him in glory.

 Glory in your inheritance.  It is all yours, if you are a son of God. 

~J. C. Ryle