Never Perish, Spoil or Fade?

The Gold Standard

By William M. Self, Sr.

Faith in God

Builds and protect your inheritance in heaven

Now in a world where things perish, spoil and fade

That is something to get excited about

 

 Never Perish, Spoil or Fade?

My son Marty and I buy and sell collectables.

When we get a piece from the 1800s

 in good shape, its value increases.

Most of the things our great, great grandparents

 owned, have perished over time.

Much of the inheritance your ancestors

could have passed down to you has turned

into junk leaving you with no value.

Now if your ancestors had left in their Will,

Gold, you would have something that does not

perish, spoil or fade and grows in value.

The Bible tells us we have an inheritance greater then Gold.

This inheritance is kept in heaven.

Your inheritance is protected by your faith.

Our faith in God keeps this inheritance

safe through the hard times in life.

Anyone who has lost a loved one, a job, a house or car…

Knows the pain of loss.

Sandy had a thin gold bracelet I

 had bought her many years ago

that she never took off.

  

But the other day she lost it and it broke her heart.

Even things like Gold that has lasting value

and we try to preserve are lost in this world.

It is faith in our inheritance in heaven that gives

us hope in a world that perishes, spoils and fades.

The fact is faith gets excited when

we suffer the losses of this life.

We get excited because we know God

has reserved treasures in heaven.

It is our deeds in faith that actually

 increase our treasures in heaven.

When we act in righteousness at a time when

we could minimize our suffering by taking

the easy way out, God adds to that account.

Every time your faith is proven to be genuine…

It brings praise to God resulting in inexpressible

joy and an increase to your heavenly account.

Although when you and I die, it is time

 to give an inheritance, and that is the

 time we receive the greatest inheritance.

But until then there are times when God releases

from your heavenly account blessing in this life…

As we live by faith.   

 

Scripture Reading

Revelation 3:18 NIV

18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire,

 so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear,

so you can cover your shameful nakedness;

and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

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 — 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 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 your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may be proved genuine and 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 goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Luke 12:32-34 NIV

32 "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.