Store your Treasure in Heaven

Article for May 10, 2026

1 Peter 3:13–14 13Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled,

Is it possible to overcome the fear of the world and change to fearing our Lord?  The world has a means to threaten our livelihood, and even our lives.  But can the world take our faith away?  If we stop fearing the world and instead put our fear in God, would we learn more how to love God.  Fearing the world is one with the flesh as some might fear losing one’s desires.  When we live to our desires, we do not realize that we will suffer death.  But fearing God is to be one with the spirit as all who fear the Lord will live and not have to fear death.

Not that our bodies won’t die, but that our spirit will live and receive a new body.  We will suffer at times because of the consequences of our sin or even suffer from the repercussions of someone else’s sins.  But this suffering only applies to our life in the world, which truthfully is very short when you compare it to eternity. 

Now some have suffered because of their faith and in this suffering, there is blessings stored up for us in heaven.  These are the treasures that Jesus spoke of when He told us to not seek your treasure here in the world but store your treasure in heaven where your reward will be given to you through Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 3:15–17 15but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; 16yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.

Knowing Jesus has many rewards if you do indeed believe He died for our sins should give us comfort. Or are you one who thinks they should have their reward right now this very minute.  We live because of God, and we are saved through Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ is holy which means He is perfect in every way.  The perfect I am talking about is not defined by man but truly defined by God the perfector of all things in heaven and on earth.  We put or hope in that which is perfect knowing and believing that our hope is founded not in vain but in truth giving the glory to our eternal God.

We will be slandered and reviled by many who fear the world.  But that we fear God; He will assure us that we will not be put to shame.  That is, when we fear and love God our faith is not in vain, but in the glory of God.  Not only this but we will never be taken away from our God as Jesus Christ sealed our reconciliation with God forever.

If we must suffer then let us suffer for the one who suffered and died for us.  If we suffer for evil, then we suffer for the world and we suffer in vain.  But if we suffer for what is good and holy we bring glory to God who rewards us with His love.  The love of God for all His creation is life eternal with Him in His glorious kingdom of heaven.

1 Peter 3:18–20 18For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 19in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water.

The world for the most part turned from God and worshipped themselves and manmade idols.  It got the attention of God, and it displeased Him.  The world became corrupt and it did not care who it crushed for all that was done for the desires of those who could wield their power over others who were weak.  The powerful were corrupted by their power and the weak feared the world instead of fearing God.

Those who were powerful and those who were weak had one thing in common, they did not obey God.  Though the fruit of the tree of all good and all evil had been put out of the reach of everyone, the fruit that Adam and Eve ate still had the effect as if each one could have taken their own bite.  Disobedience reigned over a fallen world and only eight people were found to obey and trust in the Lord our God.

1 Peter 3:21–22 21Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.

The world had to be washed clean, and God washed away all the sin of corruption.  Not that Noah and his family were without sin, but that they followed God and kept their faith.  We are Baptized to wash away the sin of disobedience and though we still have our sinful nature we fight what seems to be a losing battle.  That is why Jesus came and died for our sins, past, present, and future. 

Jesus knows we are still weak and the pressure of the world is upon us always and in great abundance.  So, while we are still sinners, Jesus died and took the punishment we deserve.  And to seal this act of love from our God, Jesus was resurrected so that we too can have a resurrected life eternal with our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Amen.