1 Peter 1:4 4and into an inheritance, imperishable and undefiled and unfading, which is being kept in heaven for you,
The hope we have, resulting from Jesus’ resurrection, provides us an eternal inheritance. Verse 4 provides a powerful motivation. Peter starts off his letter pointing to the greatest hope we have. Hope is what motivates us to live pleasing to God in this life. Hope helps us overcome discouragement and the challenges of living in an imperfect world. What distinguishes believers from the rest of the world is the hope we have. Hope is one of key themes of this letter. Peter mentions it five times (1:4, 13, 21; 3:5, 15).
Peter does not state in this verse specifically what this inheritance is, which he does in the following verses, but gives here some general descriptions of it. It can never perish, spoil, or fade. These are what happen to earthly things that we inherit. Even gold, one of the most precious of metals, perishes (verses 7). The clear and implied contrasts are significant and highlight the hope we have because of Jesus Christ.
This inheritance is being kept (tetērēmenēn) to heaven. The perfect tense of this verb indicates that we have this inheritance now, and it is guaranteed for the future. Its location in heaven connects it to eternal life. It is kept there because it has been promised to us. God’s promises are sure and we can count on them because they are “yes” in (2 Corinthians 1:20).