Words for the Wise, Partnership, Prayer and Purpose, Philemon 1 NIV (UK)

Philemon 1 New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

¹ Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,

To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker – ² also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier – and to the church that meets in your home:

³ Grace and peace to you^[a] from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving and prayer

⁴ I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, ⁵ because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. ⁶ I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. ⁷ Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.

Paul’s plea for Onesimus

⁸ Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, ⁹ yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul – an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus – ¹⁰ that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus,^[b] who became my son while I was in chains. ¹¹ Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.

¹² I am sending him – who is my very heart – back to you. ¹³ I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. ¹⁴ But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favour you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary. ¹⁵ Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back for ever – ¹⁶ no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.

¹⁷ So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me.¹⁸ If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. ¹⁹ I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back – not to mention that you owe me your very self. ²⁰ I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. ²¹ Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.

²² And one thing more: prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers.

²³ Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. ²⁴ And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers.

²⁵ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Growing old for good, from Elim Missions

Philemon

So this incredible moving letter from Paul to Philemon calling for him to receive Onesimus not as a slave (he had left Philemon as such) but as a Christian brother also contains an interesting admission.

"I'm an old man" v9

Of course we all grow old. But we should do all we can to grow old for good.

Paul could say I'm old but:

I am someone who prays for others, v4

I have a positive outlook on life, v7

I am careful not to offend, v8

I approach in love, v9

I know hardship, v9

I am a father to the younger generation, v10

I believe in turning things round for the better, v11

I try and see the bigger picture, v15

I am willing to pay whatever it costs for the good, v18

I believe in grace, v25

Ten things that every old person could do well pursuing. Ten things that I will pursue whilst I wait to be old!

Matthew Henry's Commentary

Verses 1-7

I. In the Phlm. 1:1, 2 of the preface we have the persons from and to whom it is written, with some annexed note or title, implying somewhat of argument to the purpose of the letter.

The persons writing: Paul, the principal, who calls himself a prisoner of Jesus Christ, that is, for Jesus Christ. To be a prisoner simply is no comfort nor honour; but such as Paul was, for the faith and preaching of the gospel, this was true glory, and proper to move Phlm. upon the request made to him by such a one. A petition from one suffering for Christ and his gospel would surely be tenderly regarded by a believer and minister of Christ, especially when strengthened too with the concurrence of Timothy, one eminent in the church, sometimes called by Paul his son in the faith, but now, it is likely, grown more in years, he styles him his brother. What could be denied to two such petitioners? Paul is not slight in serving a poor convert; he gets all the additional help he can in it.

1. Here is the object of Paul’s praises and prayers for Philemon: I thank my God, making mention of thee in my prayers, Phlm. 1:4. Observe, (1.) God is the author of all the good that is in any, or that is done by them. From me is thy fruit found, Hos. 14:8. To him therefore is all the praise due. 1 Chron. 29:13, 14, But [or for] who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? For all things come of thee, both wherewith to offer, and the will and heart to do it. On this account (says he) we thank thee our God, and praise thy glorious name. (2.) It is the privilege of good men that their praises and prayers they come to God as their God: Our God, we thank thee, said David; and I thank my God, said Paul. (3.) Our prayers and praises should be offered up to God, not for ourselves only, but for others also. Private addresses should not be altogether with a private spirit, minding our own things only, but others must be remembered by us. We must be affected with joy and thankfulness for any good in them, or done by them, or bestowed on them, as far as is known to us, and seek for them what they need. In this lies no little part of the communion of saints. Paul, in his private thanksgivings and prayers, was often particular in remembering his friends: I thank my God, making mention of thee in my prayers; sometimes it may be by name, or at least having them particularly in his thoughts; and God knows who is meant, though not named. This is a means of exercising love, and obtaining good for others. Strive with me, by your prayers to God for me, said the apostle: and what he desired for himself he surely practised on behalf of others; so should all. Pray one for another, says James, Jas. 5:16.

2. Here is the circumstance: Always making mention of thee. Always—usually, not once or twice only, but frequently. So must we remember Christian friends much and often, as their case may need, bearing them in our thoughts and upon our hearts before our God.

3. Here is the matter both of his praises and prayers, in reference to Philemon.

(1.) Of his praises. [1.] He thanks God for the love which he heard Phlm. had towards the Lord Jesus. He is to be loved as God superlatively, as his divine perfections require; and as related to us, the Lord, and our Lord, our Maker, Redeemer, and Saviour, who loved us, and gave himself for us. Paul thanks God for what he heard of this, the signal marks and expressions of it in Philemon. [2.] For his faith in Christ also. Love to Christ, and faith in him, are prime Christian graces, for which there is great ground of praise to God, where he has blessed any with them, as Rom. 1:8; I thank my God because your faith is published throughout the world; and, in reference to the Colossians (Col. 1:3, 4), We give thanks to God since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus. This is a saving grace, and the very principle of Christian life and of all good works. [3.] He praises God likewise for Philemon’s love to all the saints. These two must go together; for he who loveth him that begat must and will love those also that are begotten of him. The apostle joins them in that (Col. 1:3, 4), We give thanks to God since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which you have to all the saints. These bear the image of Christ, which will be loved by every Christian. Different sentiments and ways in what is not essential will not make a difference of affection as to the truth, though difference in the degrees of love will be according as more or less of that image is discerned. Mere external differences are nothing here. Paul calls a poor converted slave his bowels. We must love, as God does, all saints. Paul thanked God for the good that was not only in the churches, but in the particular persons he wrote to, and though this too was known to him merely by report: Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast towards the Lord Jesus, and towards all saints. This was what he enquired after concerning his friends, the truth, and growth, and fruitfulness of their graces, their faith in Christ, and love to him and to all the saints. Love to saints, if it be sincere, will be catholic and universal love towards all saints; but faith and love, though in the heart they are hidden things, are known by the effects of them. Therefore,

(2.) The apostle joins prayer with his praises, that the fruits of Philemon’s faith and love might be more and more conspicuous, so as that the communication of them might constrain others to the acknowledgment of all the good things that were in him and in his house towards Christ Jesus; that their light might so shine before men that they, seeing their good works, might be stirred up to imitate them, and to glorify their Father who is in heaven. Good works must be done, not of vain-glory to be seen, yet such as may be seen to God’s glory and the good of men.

4. He adds a reason, both of his prayer and his praises (Phlm. 1:7): For “we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother. The good thou hast done and still doest is abundant matter of joy and comfort to me and others, who therefore desire you may continue and abound in such good fruits more and more, to God’s honour and the credit of religion. The administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God,” 2 Cor. 9:12.

The Bible Panorama

Philemon 1

V 1–3: PEOPLE Paul, the prisoner, and Timothy, his brother in Christ, write to Philemon, Apphia, Archippus, and to the church in Philemon’s house. He desires God’s grace and peace for the beloved recipients who have laboured and fought along with him in the gospel.

 V 4–7: PRAYERS Paul always thanks God for them in his prayers because of the effect of Jesus on them, causing them to share their faith effectively. Philemon also has given great joy because of his refreshing of the Christians.

V 8–16: PLEA Paul now pleads with Philemon about a runaway slave, Onesimus, who has come to faith in Christ in prison through Paul, and whom Paul regards as a spiritual son. He explains how profitable to him Onesimus has become. (His name means ‘profitable’.) He urges Philemon to accept him back as a brother in Christ, and not as a slave.

 V 17–19: PARTNER Paul speaks not from high ground as an apostle, but from level ground as a partner in Christ. He offers to pay anything to Philemon that is owing to him from Onesimus. He reminds Philemon that he, too, has come to blessing through Paul.

V 20–22: PREPARE Paul’s letter is not instead of personal contact, but to make that contact more meaningful. He asks for hospitality and for prayer that he will be able to visit Philemon soon. He looks for spiritual refreshing from Philemon.

 V 23–25: PRISONERS He and Epaphras are prisoners for Christ. They greet Philemon along with other named fellow labourers, praying that God’s grace will be with Philemon.

Encyclopedia of The Bible

FAITH, FAITHFULNESS. These two concepts are central to Biblical thought. They deal with the relationship of God and men. They are in some respects correlative, for man’s faith is that which responds to and is sustained by God’s faithfulness. In other respects there can be a progression of thought, for faith on the part of man should lead to his faithfulness. Again, the idea of faith can move from the subjective attitude of trustfulness to “the faith”—that which God has revealed objectively through deed and word and sign in order that it should be trusted. Associated closely with the two nouns is the adjective “faithful” and the verb “have faith in,” “trust,” or “believe.” In some parts of the Bible the verb is more prominent than the noun. As always in the Scriptures, the divine initiative is emphasized or assumed, and the fact that the living God is willing to enter into relationship with men and has shown them that He is worthy of their trust is what gives Biblical faith its distinctive character. Faith as it is demonstrated in the OT is a necessary, but incomplete preliminary to its full possibility through Christ in the NT.

IV. Faith and faithfulness in the NT

A. Terminology. There is no need to emphasize the centrality of the concept of faith in the NT. The words that are used to express it are almost always those of the pistis group. Despite the usage of the LXX in rendering ’emeth and ’emūnāh by alētheia, that word and its cognates almost always denotes in the NT truth, reality, and genuiness. There is an association with the concept of faithfulness quite frequently because what is true is also trustworthy. By and large the field has been left entirely to pístis and the words related to it.

1. Pisteúō. This word often has a nontechnical sense even when it is dealing with religious statements. So it is possible to believe that when using a hoti clause (John 8:24) or the accusative and infinitive (Acts 8:37). Likewise one may give credence to a statement (Mark 13:21). When it is followed by a noun referring to a thing, the object of pisteúō is in the accusative (1 Cor 13:7). It is much more frequently found with the dative of the thing (John 2:22) or of the person (4:21). It is used also in the active (2:24) and in the passive (Gal 2:7) in the sense of “entrust.” More important is the technical sense of Christian believing that it developed. It could be used with the dative of faith in God (Acts 16:34), in Christ (John 8:31) and in His name (1 John 3:23). There were various prepositional uses of which the most important is eis followed by the accusative (John 2:11), but epi also is found with the accusative (Rom 4:5) and with the dative (1 Tim 1:16). The verb also may be used absolutely (John 1:7) and the participle became a technical term for Christians (1 Thess 1:7).

2. Pístis. This is used only rarely in the NT of human fidelity (Titus 2:10) and of divine faithfulness (Rom 3:3). In the great majority of cases it means human faith in God. It is one of the great “theological virtues” (1 Cor 13:13). It can be further defined by the use of the objective genitive or by the prepositions eís, pros, epi, or en. Faith may be in God (Mark 11:22), in Christ (Rom 3:22), in His name (Acts 3:16). It also may be in things such as His blood (Rom 3:25) or the Gospel (Phil 1:27). The word pístis also may be used in an objective sense of the doctrine which is to be believed (Jude 3).

3. Pistós. The adjective pistós also may be used both technically and nontechnically, and in both active and passive senses. It is commonly used of the reliability of servants or stewards (1 Cor 4:2). God is supremely the One in whom confidence may be placed (1:9), but His word and His promises are also reliable (Rev 21:5). Statements of Christian truth also may be trusted (1 Tim 1:15). When pistós is used in the active sense to mean believing, it is only as a technical term (John 20:27). It also can be used almost as the equivalent of “a Christian” (Acts 16:1).

4. The Pauline epistles. Neither Paul the man nor his writings can possibly be understood unless we grasp the meaning of faith to him. Ever since his encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus the whole of his thinking and his life were dominated by the ideas of the faithfulness of God and the need for a responsive faith in man. If there is a systematic treatment of these themes only in Romans, their living reality bursts forth spontaneously again and again in the varied pastoral situations which he deals with in all the epistles. His entire doctrine of salvation, his entire theology, could be summed up under the heading of faith, but we shall have to concentrate on the passages where the pístis words or closely associated ideas are present.

a. God’s faithfulness. This is the solid foundation upon which all else in Pauline theology is built (Rom 3:3). The adjective pistós is used six times with reference to God or Christ. God is faithful in fulfilling His promises (2 Cor 1:18). He is faithful in continuing to work in and to preserve those whom He has called to Himself (1 Cor 1:9; 10:13; 1 Thess 5:24; 2 Thess 3:3). Even “if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself” (2 Tim 2:13). It is because He is faithful that there are sayings about what He has done which also are completely reliable (1 Tim 1:15; 3:1; 4:9; 2 Tim 2:11; Titus 3:8). Christian teaching as a whole can be described as “the sure word” (Titus 1:9).

We find also in Paul a fair number of references to ἔλεος, G1799, “mercy.” This is the word which renders hesed in the LXX. In the gospels its main uses are in the twice repeated quotation of Hosea 6:6; Matthew 9:13; 12:7, and its occurrence five times in the first ch. of Luke. Paul uses it as a greeting, alongside grace and peace (1 Tim 1:1; 2 Tim 1:1) and also as a benediction (Gal 6:16). Its chief use as noun or verb (eleéō) is, however, in Romans 9 to 11. In these chapters Paul shows how God’s faithfulness has been demonstrated despite the unfaithfulness of Israel. The word of God had not failed (Rom 9:6). There was no injustice with God, for “it depends not upon man’s will or exertion, but upon God’s mercy” (9:16). He has not rejected His people (11:1). The gifts and call of God are irrevocable (11:29). The purpose of God is “that he may have mercy upon all” (11:32).

Another important subject illustrating the faithfulness of God is that of His promises. This is dealt with especially in Romans 4 and Galatians 3 and 4 where the story of Abraham is in mind. Abraham was “fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised” (Rom 4:21), and the promise was guaranteed to all his descendants (4:16). Christians, “like Isaac, are children of promise” (Gal 4:28).

b. Faith and the Gospel. Christian faith begins as a response to the kerygma. “It pleased God,” says Paul, “through the folly of what we preach (the kerygma) to save those who believe” (1 Cor 1:21). He expresses the main thrust of the kerygma as the Cross (1:17, 18, 23, 24). The Resurrection also was something which had to be believed, for if it were not true both kerygma and faith would be futile (1 Cor 15:14). The relationship of faith to the Gospel is dealt with more fully in Romans 10:8-17. With relentless logic Paul shows that salvation depends upon calling upon God, which depends upon faith, which depends upon a preacher. “Faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ” (10:17). Faith is defined further as confessing with the lips that Jesus is Lord and believing in the heart that God raised Him from the dead (10:9). Faith then involves an intellectual acceptance of and a moral response to the kerygma and it is the means by which salvation is experienced (1:16). It is connected with obedience to God’s command to repent in the Gospel (1:5; 10:16; 16:26; Gal 3:2; 2 Thess 1:8). It is established by the power of God rather than the wisdom of men (1 Cor 2:5), but there was still a need of human preachers (Rom 10:14f.; 1 Cor 3:5; 15:11). Yet underlying all the human activity involved was the conviction that faith was due to grace—that it was a gift of God (Eph 2:8).

c. Faith and justification. While Paul has a number of different figures which are used parallel to one another in order to express the new relationship with God which is entered by Christian faith, the chief figure is that of justification. It means declaring a man to be in the right, giving him a right standing with God. In the case of sinful men that can be done only through faith in the Christ and His work of redemption. It is something achieved by the grace of God and is a gift to be received by faith (Rom 3:21-26). Faith which leads to justification is the correlative of grace. Grace means divine action from sheer undeserved love, and faith therefore is humble and thankful acceptance of something unearned. Because man prefers to earn things in order to have something to pride himself upon, Paul is insistent that the principle of faith understood thus is utterly opposed to the principle of works—of earning salvation by good deeds. This was a particular temptation for Jews who kept the law of Moses and had higher moral standards than their contemporaries (3:27-31; 9:30-33; 10:1-8; Gal 2:16; 3:10-14; Eph. 2:8; Phil 3:9). While Paul could in one sense regard the law as a custodian “until faith should be revealed” (Gal 3:23-26), he was anxious to show that, far from overthrowing the law by this faith, he was in fact upholding it (Rom 3:31).

In order to show the importance of faith even in the OT, he goes back behind Moses to Abraham. The faith principle can be found working in his case, for Abraham “believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness” (Gen 15:6; cited in Rom 4:9; Gal 3:6). This was before circumcision was instituted (Rom 4:10) and even over four centuries before the law was given (Gal 3:17). Religion in Abraham’s case was a matter of promise. God made promises to him which he believed himself, and through him they were made to his descendants. Those descendants need now to be redefined in terms of those who share the faith of Abraham (Rom 4:11f.; Gal 3:29; 4:28). For Abraham did not just believe promises, he believed also in God as one “who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist” (Rom 4:17). The equivalent for Christians therefore is to “believe in him that raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was put to death for our trespasses and raised for our justification” (4:24f.).

This then is the heart of the Gospel which had such power in the life of Paul and others (1:16), “for in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, ‘He who through faith is righteous shall live’” (1:17; citing Hab 2:4; cf. Gal 3:11). The emphasis of the prophet may well have been more on the continuing relationship of faithfulness than on the initial saving act of faith. The principle is the same—faith is the only way to receive righteousness and life.

d. Faith and relationship. Justification by faith means not only accepting a doctrine but also commitment to a person. It is trusting him who justifies the ungodly (Rom 4:5). While the verb pisteúō is generally used by Paul in an absolute sense (but it is followed by eis in Rom 10:14; Gal 2:16; Phil 1:29), the noun pístis is made more specific on a number of occasions by being related to God (1 Thess 1:8) or to Christ (Rom 3:22, 26; Gal 2:16, 20; 3:22, 26; Eph 1:15; 3:12; Phil 3:9; Col 1:4; 2:5; 1 Tim 3:13; 2 Tim 1:13; 3:15). Close to the center of Pauline thought is the idea of “faith-union” with Christ which is expressed by the phrase en Christō, “in Christ.” It is in Him that men are sons of God through faith (Gal 3:26). The Holy Spirit also is received through faith (Eph 1:13; Gal 3:5, 14).

e. The Life of faith. Baptism is the sign of beginning the new life of faith (Col 2:11f.; cf. Gal 3:26f.) and wherever it is spoken of, faith is assumed to be present. But faith needs to grow (2 Cor 10:15). There may be deficiencies in it which need to be made up (1 Thess 3:10) and the aim should be fullness of faith (Rom 4:20; 1 Thess 1:5), which will however always fall short of sight (2 Cor 5:7). Having faith will lead to action (1 Thess 1:3). The faith of a community may become something which is widely known (Rom 1:8; Eph 1:15; Col 1:4; 1 Thess 1:8; Philem 5). Faith will bring confidence about death (1 Thess 4:14) and may be associated with hope (1 Cor 13:13). There are some members of the Church who may have special gifts of faith (12:9), but a loveless faith of this kind is useless (13:2). Faith also is involved in the question of religious scruples, which Paul deals with in Romans 14 and 15, where weak faith signifies over-scrupulousness. It is similar to the idea of conscience (1 Cor 8:1-13; 10:23-30).

f. Human faithfulness. The adjective pistós is used simply for believers without distinction being made between beginning and continuing in faith. It has the specific meaning of trustworthy when referring to stewards of the Gospel (1 Cor 4:1f.) and ministers (Eph 6:21; Col 1:7; 4:7). Paul can believe himself to be reckoned trustworthy by the Lord (1 Cor 7:25; 1 Tim 1:12) and to have had the Gospel entrusted (pisteúō) to him (1 Tim 1:11; Titus 1:3). He urges Timothy to find trustworthy people to teach others (2 Tim 2:2). The idea of continuing steadfastly in faith is found also as an important theme (1 Cor 16:13; 2 Cor 1:24; 2 Thess 1:4), though the word used is more often hupomonē, “patient endurance.”

Faithfulness needs also to be shown to others, as it is part of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22). Faith in Christ is linked with love (Eph 1:15; 3:17; 6:23; 1 Thess 1:3; 3:6; 2 Thess 1:3). Faith and love are two of the “theological virtues” (1 Cor 13:13). Paul sums up the relationship of the two by speaking of “faith working through love” (Gal 5:6).

g. The faith. There are a number of occasions where Paul refers to “the faith” as the body of Christian belief, though it is not always possible to be sure whether pístis is being used in this objective sense. It may be referred to as something to obey (Rom 1:5). Paul was described by Christians in Judaea as “preaching the faith he once tried to destroy” (Gal 1:23). It is possible that the objective sense is intended in 2 Corinthians 13:5 and Colossians 1:23; 2:7, though in all these cases, it may refer to the subjective exercise of faith. It is most common in the Pastoral Epistles, though there again it is not always clear which usage is involved. There is the mystery of the faith (1 Tim 3:9) and “the words of the faith” (4:6). It is possible to depart from the faith or to deny it (4:1; 5:8; 6:10) or to miss “the mark as regards the faith” (1 Tim 6:21). There are a number of other possible references (1 Tim 1:2, 19; 3:13; 6:12; 2 Tim 3:8; 4:7; Titus 1:4, 13; 2:2; 3:15).

The negative words for unbelief are also found in Paul, mainly in Romans and the Pastoral Epistles, but the adjective apistós is used fourteen times in the Corinthian letters.

Dictionary of Bible Themes

5705 inheritance, spiritual

Believers are privileged to receive a spiritual inheritance from their heavenly Father as a result of their adoption into the family of God through faith.

Believers have an inheritance in Christ

Jesus Christ as God’s heir Heb 1:2 See also Mt 21:37-39 pp Mk 12:6-8 pp Lk 20:13-15; Mt 28:18; Lk 19:12; Jn 3:35; Heb 1:4-6; Ps 2:7-8

Believers are co-heirs with Christ Ro 8:17 See also Eph 3:6

Believers are heirs under the covenant Heb 6:17; Heb 9:15

Believers are heirs by grace Gal 3:18 See also Ac 20:32; Col 1:12

Believers are heirs through faith Gal 3:29 See also Ro 4:13-17; Heb 11:7-10

The nature of the spiritual inheritance of believers

They inherit salvation Heb 1:14

They inherit eternal life See also Mt 19:29; Lk 10:25; Tit 3:7; 1Pe 3:7

They have the full rights of sons Gal 4:4-7

They have the rights of the firstborn Heb 12:22-23 See also Ex 4:22; 2Ki 2:9

They inherit the earth Mt 5:5 See also Ps 37:11

They inherit the kingdom Mt 25:34 See also Lk 22:28-30; Rev 3:21

They inherit all things Lk 15:31; 1Co 3:21-22; Rev 21:7

Their inheritance is the word of God Ps 119:111

They inherit the Lord himself Ps 73:26 See also Nu 18:20; Dt 10:9; Ps 142:5; Jer 10:16; Jer 51:19

It is a good inheritance Ps 16:6

The permanence of believers’spiritual inheritance

It has been prepared from the creation Mt 25:34

It is guaranteed for eternity 1Pe 1:3-5 See also Ps 37:18; Da 12:13

It is sealed with God’s promise Eph 1:13-14 See also Rev 7:3; Rev 9:4

The conditions of spiritual inheritance

It is conditional upon continuing obedience and faith 1Pe 3:9-12 See also Ps 34:12-16; Ps 25:12-13; Ps 37:11,29,34; Ps 61:5; Pr 28:10; Mt 5:5; Col 3:24; Heb 6:12; Jas 2:5

It is denied to the ungodly Eph 5:5 See also Ps 37:9,22; 1Co 6:9-10; 1Co 10:1-5; Gal 5:19-21; Heb 3:12-19; Rev 21:27

The nature of the spiritual inheritance of believers

1.      They inherit salvation

Hebrews 1:14New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

2.    They inherit eternal life

Titus 3:4-8New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

4 But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, 5 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, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. 8 This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.