1 Peter 1:3-5

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All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.”

Peter refers to a concept of being “born again,” words that are used several times in the New Testament but have been culturalized in some negative ways in American society. What does it mean to be “born again”? This was the exact question of Nicodemus in John 3, and Jesus describes a new kind of birth through the Holy Spirit. We now understand this more clearly in a post-Pentecost world as we know that every believer personally receives the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of salvation. It is your birth into the kingdom of God that is possible through Jesus’ resurrection.

When we are born into God’s kingdom, we become heirs to a great inheritance. God is keeping it safe for us and will reveal this prize on the last day. The world will know the one true God and every knee will bow to him in worship. In the famous book Great Expectations, a woman lives for years wearing her wedding dress after her wedding is called off. We live in clothes of mercy, kindness, gentleness, and patience as we wait with great expectation for a celebration that will continue for all eternity.

Here’s your freedom for today: God has written you into his will. He isn’t going to die, but he has a great inheritance he wants to share with you. And his will is not a legal paper, but it is the ultimate desire of the most powerful God and King. You are in his will, your salvation and eternal life is in his will. But he is not a dictator. He is announcing here well in advance of the end of the world that he has this inheritance for you. He has invited you to follow him and to enter into his kingdom through a birth like no other. Just come to him to claim your true identity as a co-heir with Jesus.