On July 18, 64 C.E., a fire started in the enormous Circus Maximus stadium in Rome, now the capital of Italy. When the fire was finally extinguished six days later, 10 of Rome’s 14 districts had burned. Ancient historians blamed Rome’s infamous emperor, Nero, for the fire. One historian said Nero was playing the fiddle while his city went up in flames. Other historians say Nero wanted to raze the city so he could build a new palace. Nero himself blamed a rebellious new cult—the Christians. (National Geographic)
As the accusations came in, did Emporer Nero say something like this:
"Me? Absolutely not. I did not set our great city on fire! I'm not an arsonist. I'm a builder – not a destroyer. I take as much pride in Rome as you do. I'm as crushed as you are over the destruction of our city. I am devastated by the loss of your homes and all our religious shrines. For some reason, our gods could not protect us from this devastation. I think it must have been a battle of the gods that caused Rome to burn. The Christians' God was probably to blame for the urban inferno."
Although ancient historians believed Nero was the culprit behind the burning of Rome, he wickedly shifted the blame to the Christians of that day — thereby justifying the launching of the incredibly vicious and relentless persecution against believers that spread throughout the Empire. They were hunted and hounded, attacked and assaulted.
The Apostle Peter wrote a letter to these suffering saints, which you can read in your Bible today. Suffering believers back then probably wrestled with the same questions heavy-hearted and burdened Christians struggle with today:
Was trusting Christ worth it?
Is this the life we can expect for becoming followers of Jesus?
Is this the payback for becoming a Christian?
Is this salvation really as good as they say it is?
Did some overwhelmed and discouraged Christians say: “The fires of Rome may have been bitter, but the fires of persecution are much worse – everything we have is going up in smoke, disintegrating before our eyes – all that we lived for is being lost. If today is this bad, what will tomorrow be like?”
Peter writes these believers to tell them about their tomorrow — their future. Persecutors may strip them of everything down here, but they can not hurt, harm or even touch what is theirs up there.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in Heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1Peter 1:3-5 ESV
We can’t lose our eternal inheritance. Dear Child of God, that unforgettable moment when, for the first time ever, you were thrilled with the Lord Jesus and overjoyed to know He died for your sins – yes, at that very moment, you entered into a solid, secure and special relationship with the Eternal God.
There is no part of your eternal inheritance that can decay or be diminished or destroyed. All of God’s might and power is keeping it safe for you, and all of God’s might and power is keeping you safe for it. Yes, it belongs to you now! It is already sitting in Heaven’s heavily guarded safety deposit box, awaiting your arrival. The fiery trials may seem unbearably scorching and searing, and the days of suffering and storms may seem long, but an eternity of unimaginable delights is infinitely longer!
Don’t let your future be obscured by the clouds of today. Amidst the clouds and tears caused by the immediate, rejoice today over your great salvation.
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