We’ve been working through a series on the believer’s inheritance—and if you’ve been following along, you know we covered the security of our inheritance (it’s reserved in heaven, protected by God’s power) and the character of our inheritance (imperishable, undefiled, and unfading). This week, Pastor Josh White pushed deeper into a question many of us quietly wonder about: Is there anything I need to do with my inheritance?
The Body Problem
Peter begins 1 Peter 1:3-5 by celebrating our new birth into a living hope—but that hope comes with a problem our text quietly assumes. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul gets explicit about it:
“Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:50
Our current bodies are glorious precisely now—but they are not yet what they will be. The resurrection of Christ is the down payment on a promise: our bodies will be transformed to be like His glorious body (Phil. 3:21). These future bodies will be imperishable, undefiled, free from sin’s corruption, and never fading. That’s our destiny. But here’s the tension: we still live in the “already / not yet.”
Run to Obtain
And that “not yet” is exactly where Paul’s language of running to obtain a prize becomes so important. In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Paul writes:
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.”
— 1 Corinthians 9:24-25
Notice what Paul is not saying. He’s not concerned about losing his salvation. The wreath isn’t his eternal destiny—the prize is something additional, something earned by running the race well. As Pastor Dan put it: salvation is secure, but rewards are earned. The inheritance we receive in Christ makes us eligible to earn. Our works don’t save us—but they do determine what we receive.
This is why Paul can say elsewhere (1 Cor. 3:10-15) that what we build on the foundation of Christ—our time, our money, our service, our witness—will be tested by fire. Wood, hay, and stubble burn up. Gold, silver, and precious stones endure. The quality of our living matters now for what we’ll receive then.
Faithful with What God Gives
The Parable of the Ten Minas (Luke 19:11-27) drives this home with striking clarity. A nobleman entrusts ten minas to ten servants before leaving for a far country. Upon his return, he rewards those who traded wisely:
“Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.”
— Luke 19:17
Faithfulness in this life determines our role in the next. God isn’t looking for people who merely hold onto what they’ve been given—He’s looking for servants who will engage, trade, and multiply. This life matters for eternity not because we’re earning our way in, but because we’re being prepared for what we’ll do forever.
What We’ll Receive
Scripture gives us glimpses of these crowns—the New Testament word for the wreath athletes received:
- The Imperishable Crown (1 Cor. 9:25) — for those who run with eternity in view, denying the fleeting pleasures of sin
- The Crown of Righteousness (2 Tim. 4:8) — for those who love Christ’s appearing and keep pursuing holiness
- The Crown of Life (James 1:12; Rev. 2:10) — for those who endure under trial and remain faithful under pressure
- The Crown of Glory (1 Peter 5:4) — for faithful shepherds and servants who tend God’s flock
These aren’t optional extras tacked onto salvation. They are the full inheritance God wants to give His children—but He invites us to run for them.
So What?
Here is the surprising heart of this message: God wants to reward you. He doesn’t give an inch because He’s stingy—He holds back blessings until we learn to live for more than the present moment. He’s calling us to evaluate how we spend our time, how we invest our money, how we serve others, and who we are truly living for.
The question isn’t whether we have an inheritance. We do. The question is: will we be found faithful when He returns?
Scripture References
- 1 Peter 1:3-5 — Born Again to a Living Hope
- 1 Corinthians 15:50 — Flesh and Blood Cannot Inherit
- 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 — Run to Obtain the Prize
- 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 — Building with Gold, Silver, and Precious Stones
- Luke 19:11-27 — The Parable of the Ten Minas
- 2 Timothy 4:8 — The Crown of Righteousness
- James 1:12 — The Crown of Life
- 1 Peter 5:4 — The Crown of Glory