“to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.”
reserved in heaven for you
The New Testament uses “reserved” 60 times. It may mean to guard (Matthew 27:36; Acts 12:6), to keep (John 2:10; 1 Peter 1:4), to protect (1 Corinthians 7:37).
God lays up and keeps our inheritance for us. The tense indicates that God reserved our inheritance in the past with the result of continuing into the future. We can translate this phrase, “which has been reserved” for us. God laid up our inheritance at the point of our salvation and personally keeps it for us into the future.
The word “reserved” means keeping as a result of guarding (John 17:11). The voice (passive) indicates that God put the inheritance in the reservation for us. The idea is he preserves it for us.
“Reserved” is a military term. It means to keep safe with a garrison. God is guarding our inheritance. His guard never changes. No one will ever take our inheritance away from God (John 17:11,12; John 5:24). This is God’s protection of the believer’s eternal destiny. He is on duty 24 hours a day. God places a perimeter around the Christian (John 10:27-29). No one or nothing will defeat or disrupt God in providing salvation for us. Our salvation centers on God’s purpose (Romans 8:28-30), not on human merit.
PRINCIPLE:
God promises to preserve our inheritance.
APPLICATION:
Children are sometimes cut off from their inheritance. God guarantees in the Bible that none of his children will be cut off from inheriting eternity.
Legislation protects those who have died and want their inheritance to go in a given direction. Very few people succeed in contesting a will through litigation. The courts have high regard for the wishes of those who have died. God is no less committed to his promises. No force is able to sever the believer from God’s love (Romans 8:35, 38,39). This is an indissoluble bond.
God promises to preserve our inheritance. Our inheritance is salvation. No matter what may come our way, God himself will preserve our salvation. This is the effect of the power of God.
Many people who expect to inherit something die before they receive it. God keeps the believer for his or her inheritance! Many Christians fear that they will lose their salvation. It is a matter of God’s promise 1 Timothy 1:12).
